Feel Good Film: Sense and Sensibility

In the last book club post I talked about Sense & Sensibility and, if you remember, I admitted that I had seen the film before I read the book. Beaucoup problemo! Now that I’ve read the book there are a few things that I really want to pull apart. But that’s not what this post is about. It’s about discussing the film on its own merits and pondering just how ‘feel-good’ it is.

I never really set out criteria when I launched these feel-good film posts, but I think we can all agree that a feel-good film is one which makes you feel all warm and fuzzy at the end. As the final credits roll across the screen, you want to be sat there with a big ol’ cheesy grin on your face, feeling satisfied that the last 90 minutes were worth your time, as you gradually make your way back into the real world. And regardless of how you feel about the 1996 film version as an adaptation, I think it’s safe to say it ticks all of the feel-good boxes.

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Sense & Sensibility is primarily about two things: money and relationships. The Dashwoods, having been raised in luxury, suddenly have to move to a small cottage in the country after the death of Mr Dashwood, further enforcing the need for the young ladies to ‘marry up’. The relationships at the centre of the film are those between the sisters, principally Marianne (Kate Winslet) and Elinor (Emma Thompson – who won an Oscar for her script), and the complicated relationships which develop between them and the men who pass through the village (Alan Rickman’s Colonel Brandon, Hugh Grant’s Edward Ferrars and  Greg Wise’s John Willoughby). This film reads like a Who’s Who of British cinema! Of course, most of these complications are born through miscomunication and the presumed need for women to marry men who can provide for them, rather than men who love them.

The feminist in me finds it really hard for me to get into a story with such values but the beauty of Jane Austen’s heroines is that they are women of their times but they are also incredibly headstrong and independent. A favourite scene of mine is when is where Marianne tells Elinor that she couldn’t possibly marry a man who doesn’t share her interests, regardless of his income.

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As strong, modern women, it can be difficult to relate to female characters in period dramas, but Emma Thompson’s screenplay has sharp, witty dialogue and even the supporting roles feel fully developed. There’a a lot to love about it, from the rolling hills to the gorgeous gowns, and the incredible performances, particularly from the women. This was Emma Thompson’s first script-writing effort and Kate Winslet’s second feature film. A lot was riding on these two women and Sense & Sensibility proved to be a huge stepping stone in both their careers.

What say you? Should a good film be considered a good film regardless of its origins, or should any source material be taken into consideration when judging its merits? Let me know in the comments below

Last week I asked you to vote for your favourite feel-good rom-com and the votes were unanimous – Hitch! I have to admit, this is one of my all-time faves. I have seen it so many times I reckon I could probably recite it word for word. The only other film I can do that with is 10 Things I Hate About You, although How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is pretty close. If you haven’t seen it yet, I can’t recommend it highly enough. And if, like me, you’ve seen it dozens of times, refresh your memory and tell me your favourite bits over the next week. You can tweet me @EmsLF and I’ll feature your comments in the next post.

As for the next round of voting, I’m going to keep on the theme of women in roles which aren’t particularly feminine (e.g. women in positions of power) and big up some amazing actresses and interesting characters (Sandra Bullock plays a detective and a lawyer, Reese Witherspoon plays a lawyer and a doctor and Kate Hudson plays a journalist). So here goes…

I know, it’s a bit rom-com-ish again, so we’ll move on to classic teen movies next week!

See you next week, same Bat time, same Bat channel.

Tags: feel good film of the week Sense and Sensibility

Categories: a little piece of joy Feel Good Film of the Week