Jane Austen discussion

Hi all,

Interested due to the Charles Bone essay I am discussing in the Jane Austen and Philosophy thread (just started), I would like to view and discuss the 1940 Pride and Prejudice, directed by Robert Leonard, starring Garson and Olivier.

I also have never completely watched the 2003 Pride and Prejudice: A Latter Day Comedy, directed by Andrew Black. I would like to view and discuss this also.

We have hosted film festivals before here in the group. The format has been to set up a discussion time for the film. Each discussion starting about a week apart, so they move a little faster than our book discussions, but the same idea is employed.

With this as the jumping off point, I wanted to welcome members to nominate Austen-related films to view. I would like to include 3-4 more to accompany my picks above. If we have lots more suggestions, we will put up a poll to vote or we can continue on into Summer.

I plan to do the kick off in 2 weeks, to give time to locate and view the first film. So we can kick off with the 1940 P&P, and if we happen to still be voting at that time for further films we can do so without feeling pressed. I will post a thread on Sunday morning (USA Central time), April 23 to discuss that film. The thread will stay open of course, in case you need more time to watch.

I love movies, and I know many of you do also. I hope this is a fun way to expand our horizons to films we don't know about or just have not made our way to watching.

Please start listing your film viewing nominations in this thread. If you want to give a brief on how the film relates to Austen, or what it is notable for, please do.

I have the greatest difficulty sitting through the 1940 P&P but may try to do so in the context of a group viewing. I do find the 2003 Mormon P&P quite charming, if a little silly, and would happily watch it again!

To my mind, the best adaptations are the Patricia Rozema Mansfield Park 1999 (despite or perhaps because of the extensive changes to character and plot), Clueless (modern Emma adaptation 1995), and Emma Thompson’s 1995 Sense and Sensibility. But I’ll watch and discuss anything!

I always wanted to see Bride and Prejudice but haven't yet managed to - it would be fun to watch and then discuss it with the group :)

As I said in the other thread, I love the 1940's version of P&P so i'll definitely join in on that one, any excuse to watch it again.

I've seen a 2003 P&P but it wasn't Mormons so I'm not sure I can get that one. I don't have Mansfield Park '99 because I sincerely disliked it.

Clueless is great as is Bride and Prejudice, I like the inspired by I guess, where there is less of a direct comparison, I'm less critical. Austenland would probably make for a lively discussion.

Are we looking at just movies or mini-series too?

I'd be happy if we made our way through all of them tbh.

This sounds like fun!

I own Bride & Prejudice
Clueless
The Colin Firth P&P

I recently watched Austenland. :<

I would love to see the 1940 P&P but doubt I can get hold of it. There are some clips on You Tube though.

All good suggestions too. Initially, let's stay with single films and then maybe set up mini-series as their own separate discussions.

Yes, the idea is actually to view some productions that we have not seen and are outside of our steady favorites -- that is my goal -- we may create a more unexpected conversation by doing that too.

And Carol, please join the discussion even if only parts are available to view, sounds great. I subscribe to a couple of streaming sites, but I come up blank a lot when searching them for interesting films. I rely a good bit on what I can catch on You Tube.

Cool. I'm going to try to get to my local library today or tomorrow to see which DVDs they have.

I've seen just about every P&P variation except Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Love Olivier. Love Bride and Prejudice. Austenland was fun. The Mormon one was okay - kind of cute. Don't forget Bridget Jones's Diary, and Death Comes to Pemberley.

Sorry I didn't get to the library. Cyclone Cook turned into a bit of a fizzer in our area but we still had to do the prep. Austenland is on free to air tv here on Sunday but I would be really reluctant to sit thru it again.

From my collection of P&P I am missing the Morman one? What is the title and is it still available?

It is called Pride & Prejudice (with an ampersand, not “and”) and it stars Kam Heskin and is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudic.... Pretty cheap, I might add!

Abigail wrote: "It is called Pride & Prejudice (with an ampersand, not “and”) and it stars Kam Heskin and is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Pride-Prejudic......"

Thank you

Great initiative, Sarah! I haven't seen all off the film-adaptations mentioned above so I'ld like to join in whatever films get chosen. I'm also curious about austenland. Maybe the Jane Austen Bookclub could be another suggestion?

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "Sorry I didn't get to the library. Cyclone Cook turned into a bit of a fizzer in our area but we still had to do the prep. Austenland is on free to air tv here on Sunday but I would be really reluc..."

Checked my library - couldn't find any Austen or Austenesque titles.

I'll join in where I can!

How about the Lizzy Bennet diaries? They're available free on YouTube and they're really good. Might be fun to watch/discuss :)

I am sorry I dropped out during the week. I have had a terrible cold with matching headache. I would say with the amount of nominations received so far, we just watch and discuss them all! And maybe set up a separate running thread for Lizzy Bennet Diaries.

I will keep my today's comments brief -- due to cold meds -- and go now to load the discussion thread of the first Pride and Prejudice. Thank you all.

Hope you're feeling better, I'm a bit under the weather myself.

Louise Sparrow wrote: "Hope you're feeling better, I'm a bit under the weather myself."

Louise, I hope you are feeling better. Spring is a tough time here with viruses still floating around and our usual heavy allergy season.

Hoping to create sort of a mix from the listed movies of you all above, here is the planned viewing for the next few weeks. This is taking out the titles that are more series (we can add them to a separate list).

This Sunday April 30 - Pride & Prejudice 2003
May 7 - Death Comes to Pemberley (still on Netflix)
May 14 - Bride and Prejudice (as a YouTube rental)
May 21 - Mansfield 1999 (as a YouTube rental)
May 28 - Austenland (as a YouTube rental)

I will be adding to this list with the other titles of course. Also I am not promoting using the sources included above, just noting that they are there. I am not well-versed on free versions online or anything like that. I have an Amazon subscription and Netflix, so that is about the extent of my sphere!

And some public libraries have online movie access as well as their dvd collections, so that might offer some free resource for you.

Let me know if any of this just looks unworkable at this point.

The next two weekends are full for me but I definitely want to participate after that, as I love movies just as much as I love books! (I was even considering starting a YouTube movie review channel.) You've done excellent work on this list so far, Sarah.

Thank you Rachel. I think we will have people adding to the conversation over the weeks, so I think you will be in good company. I feel certain you have more of an eye for movies than I do and have done great movie discussions here for us. Please give us any tips or recommendations of connected movies at any point. Thank you for the kind words. I know we would join your You Tube channel if you decide to do that.

I can do Bride & Prejudice :)

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "I can do Bride & Prejudice :)"

Great Carol

SarahC wrote: "Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "I can do Bride & Prejudice :)"

Great Carol"

Be prepared for enthusiastic babbling! I love this film!

I will definitely join in when I can, I'm not sure I want to watch 2003 again, but as I remember it was on youtube.

I can get a used Mansfield Park 1999 dvd on Amazon for under £2 so I might even join you for that one, (I wouldn't pay more for it)

SarahC wrote: "Hoping to create sort of a mix from the listed movies of you all above, here is the planned viewing for the next few weeks. This is taking out the titles that are more series (we can add them to a ..."

I'll try to join in whenever I can. Looks like we have a nice list already. Thank you for making a schedule, Sarah. I'm not sure if it has been mentioned before but I thought of Lost in Austen as another addition to our list.

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "SarahC wrote: "Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "I can do Bride & Prejudice :)"

Great Carol"

Be prepared for enthusiastic babbling! I love this film!"

I love enthusiasm in all forms!

Nathalie wrote: "SarahC wrote: "Hoping to create sort of a mix from the listed movies of you all above, here is the planned viewing for the next few weeks. This is taking out the titles that are more series (we can..."

Nathalie, I think we will list the Austen series separately and come up with some kind of schedule for them too. Thanks for adding that. I have not seen it and I will see where it seems to be available online.

SarahC wrote: "Nathalie wrote: "SarahC wrote: "Hoping to create sort of a mix from the listed movies of you all above, here is the planned viewing for the next few weeks. This is taking out the titles that are mo..."

Sounds great! Thank you Sarah for organizing everything so well.

Nathalie wrote: "SarahC wrote: "Nathalie wrote: "SarahC wrote: "Hoping to create sort of a mix from the listed movies of you all above, here is the planned viewing for the next few weeks. This is taking out the tit..."

You are welcome. Thanks to you and everyone for participating.

Hi all, I'm late coming on to the discussion board but would like to suggest Lost in Austen as a possibility and a BBC P&P that I have not seen that came out in 2004. Also, if we end up doing the Lizzie Bennett Diaries would there be anyone like to watch the Pemberley Digital version of Emma?

I didn't think Emma was quite as good as LBD but I'd happily watch it again. It does need to be watched after though, as it sort of follows on.

I second Emma Approved - especially since it's also free on YouTube :)

I am sorry, I did not catch these latest comments earlier. Faith, from the earlier comments Lost in Austen is already added. We can add the others as well. Thank you, and Louise and Emilia also.

So, at this point, I am holding off a week before scheduling any more movie discussions. I need to catch up with the films we have posted so far, and hopefully other members can and will catch up and join us. The discussions have included so many interesting comments so far. Thank you everyone.

I am working on a few more group proposals also. I am adding another thread at this time to gather your views on one particular thing, so please take a look...

Thanks Sarah - if you decide to do Clueless, could you schedule after the 19th of June.

Yeah, yeah it's all about me! :D

So glad you all added Lost In Austen - it is quite a fun romp and a delightful spin on JA's P&P. It airs so rarely I finally bought the DVD!!

Delicia wrote: "Wonderful suggestions! I nominate Sense and Sensibility (1995-Emma Thompson), Northanger Abbey (2007-Felicity Jones), Mansfield Park (1999), and Austenland. Never seen Bride and Prejudice so that'l..."

Not sure if this is a correct place to post this but our local pbs has been re-airing Northanger Abbey these past few days. Watched the film...again. It was fun and charming. I loved the revisit!

Did Lost in Austen end up having a discussion thread? I didn't see it but was interested to, as I apparently felt so differently from the rest of you about it. I couldn't stand that movie at all. Curious to see comments on what people liked about it. Can someone link me to it?

Hannah wrote: "Did Lost in Austen end up having a discussion thread? I didn't see it but was interested to, as I apparently felt so differently from the rest of you about it. I couldn't stand that movie at all. C..."

A new thread for Lost in Austen hasn't been started yet, but there is an old one if you want to check it out, under our "Austen On Film" topic here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I agree with you Hannah-- I didn't like it either! The film makes up a moment where Darcy emerges from the water dripping wet and acts like it appears in the '95 miniseries of P and P-- BUT IT DOESN'T! It's almost like the writers are making fun of Austen fans instead of being fans of Austen themselves.