Daisy Edgar-Jones stars in new damp film adaptation of Sense and Sensibility

A fresh cinematic take on Jane Austen's debut novel arrives in theatres with a decidedly restrained aesthetic according to a review from Who. The new film trades traditional romantic notions for a sober, naturalistic atmosphere. This production joins a crowded field of recent Austen screen adaptations as detailed by Chad Armstrong in Who, following earlier versions like the acclaimed film adaptation starring Emma Thompson. Viewers seeking well-mannered matchmaking can expect a grey and grubby tone where little sunshine breaks through the clouds, though the production does inject bursts of colour and movement during its ballroom sequences.

Director Georgia Oakley anchors the narrative with Daisy Edgar-Jones as the composed Elinor Dashwood. Following their father's death, the Dashwood family faces eviction and must secure advantageous marriages to ensure their survival according to Who's review. Younger sister Marianne, played by Esmé Creed-Miles, displays fiery passion while pursuing the greasy Mr Willoughby, portrayed by Frank Dillane. Meanwhile, George MacKay plays Edward Ferrars, leaving Elinor's modest affections dangling in a painfully noble fashion. The cast also features Fiona Shaw as Mrs Jennings and Turlough Convery as Sir John Middleton, delivering abruptly loud turns that contrast with the otherwise muted performances. Oakley's version struggles to illustrate Elinor's interior turmoil quite as effectively as the 1995 adaptation, while Edgar-Jones and MacKay portray sweet, puppy-dog-eyed lovers who lack cinematic spark.

Media additions

Beyond the silver screen, the underlying architecture of Austen's narrative remains a subject of ongoing literary examination. Jane Austen began writing the story under the working title Elinor and Marianne, initially utilizing an epistolary form before revising it into a linear third-person narrative with an intrusive narrator noted Jane Friedman. The author pioneered free indirect discourse, helping shape modern third-person limited points of view while establishing a plot structure built on stasis, inciting incidents, complications, midpoints, crises, climaxes, and resolutions. The story balances its two parallel protagonists while exploring the tension between feeling and reason, straddling the Enlightenment and the Romantic Period.

Audiobook adaptations also continue to multiply alongside visual media. Nicola Coughlan contributes a smart and nuanced narration to the crowded market reported by The Guardian, joining previous recorded versions by Rosamund Pike, Kate Winslet, Juliet Stevenson, Prunella Scales, and Glenda Jackson. Coughlan's version highlights the plight of the sisters after their father leaves his estate to his eldest son John Dashwood, whose wife Fanny discourages him from providing for his stepmother and younger siblings. Left high and dry, the family relies on an offer of a cottage from a distant cousin, Sir John Middleton, bringing them into contact with suitors including the taciturn Colonel Brandon and the charismatic John Willoughby.

For enthusiasts tracking Austen on screen, additional adaptations continue to populate release schedules. Netflix prepares a Pride & Prejudice project starring Emma Corrin noted in Who, which is due in December.