An Austen movie

Author: aturner6
1 March 2004

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When I finally got around to seeing this on TV a few nights ago, I had completely forgotten that Ang Lee had been the somewhat unusual (it was thought at the time) choice to direct a well-reviewed remake of Jane Austen's "Sense & Sensibility." But as I watched, it struck me quite forcefully that EDMW was an updated version of an Austen movie, and a very clever one. The marriageable daughters are there, the beleaguered father, the talkative woman--in this case the neighbor with designs on Mr. Chu, and I felt that her somewhat over-the top performance was the most Austenesque of the lot.

The treatment throughout is delicate, sophisticated and affectionate, and some of the twists--the religious daughter who has lied about her "past" to make herself seem less pathetic--truly original. Lovely performances, pretty young actresses and a good script. I wish I'd seen it earlier, but I'm grateful to a no-commercial station for putting it on now.