Sense and Sensibility: Book or Movie?

Few books have stood the test of time, but Jane Austen’s books certainly have, because even today–two hundred years later–people pick them up and become enchanted. However, sometimes classics are taken to the next level through the power of film. People who have never been interested in Jane Austen become pulled into the world of London romance because they watch the movies. A movie has the power to bring a book to life when our imaginations fail, and there is something about seeing your favorite characters come to life and actually seeing the scenes that have occupied your imagination for so long. However, when a producer turns a book into a movie, people who have read the book first have expectations that they want met. They have scenes they want to see and characters they relate to, and when those expectations are dashed, they either hate the movie or dislike certain parts of it. Therefore, the question is, do Jane Austen’s movies—particularly, Sense and Sensibility—live up to the books’ standards?

Numerous versions of Sense and Sensibility have come about. In 1995, a movie was directed by Ang Lee; in 2008, the book was turned into a TV series; and numerous others have been made. However, this article will focus on the 1995 version, starring Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, and Hugh Grant. This version was directed by a Taiwanese man named Ang Lee and it was screen-written by Emma Thompson, who also starred as Elinor Dashwood. Lindsey Doran, the producer of the film, chose the book Sense and Sensibility because she thought the book had “wonderful characters…three strong love stories, surprising plot twists, good jokes, relevant themes, and a heart-stopping ending” (Sense). As Thompson wrote the script, she thought the romances caused confusion, and chose to focus more on the sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood’s relationship than a “couple of women waiting around for men.” Because Thompson was new to the screenwriting business, many studios were reluctant to finance the film due to her lack of experience, and her work was often criticized because of the way she portrayed characters. 

For those who haven’t heard the story, Sense and Sensibility focuses on two sisters—Elinor and Marianne Dashwood—who live with their mother, Mrs. Dashwood, and their other sister, Margaret Dashwood. Mrs. Dashwood is the stepmother of Mr. John Dashwood, who is married to Mrs. Fanny Dashwood. When her husband dies, all of his money goes to Mr. John Dashwood, and the family is left with barely anything. They move to the countryside where, in a dramatic accident, Miss Marianne meets Mr. Willoughby, whom she falls in love with. Elinor also becomes acquainted with Mr. Edward Ferrars, Mrs. Fanny Dashwood’s brother. However, Marianne also has another man who loves her: Colonel Brandon. Later in the story, obstacles appear between Elinor—the one with sense—and her love interest, Mr. Edward, and between Marianne—the one with sensibility—and her love interest, Mr. Willoughby. Without spoiling anything, one can just know that the story ends happily ever after.

In the making of the movie, obstacles as one would expect appeared. Conflict arose between the actors and Ang Lee because of cultural differences and his style of directing. Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant fought over the spotlight and both had the tendency to always want the camera’s lens focused on them. In a scene where Thompson has to burst into tears, she had to convince Grant to let her have the spotlight instead of him. During a rainy scene with a damsel in distress, the scene had to be redone almost fifty times, and Winslet, the damsel in distress, contracted hypothermia, phlebitis in the leg, a limp, and a sprained wrist all throughout the filming. 

From a book versus movie standpoint, many things were taken out and changed during the filming. In the book, there is a stark contrast between Elinor’s sense and Marianne’s sensibility. Readers clearly see the contrast of Elinor concealing her tormented and conflicted feelings and thoughts for the good of the family and Marianne yielding to her feelings most emotionally and tragically. In the movie, it is hard to portray Elinor’s sense correctly as one cannot see her thoughts, and Marianne is often seen as more composed and calm than in the book, though she does have her diva moments. However, both the book and the movie do an amazing job of showing the sisters’ close and intimate relationship.

Margaret, the third sister, also has a bigger role in the movie than in the book. She connects Edward and Elinor, and her bright and funny personality adds character to the family, while in the book she is just mentioned and doesn’t have a big role. Hugh Grant, who plays Edward Ferrars, also adds humor and personality to Austen’s character that the book doesn’t have, and Elinor and Edward’s romance seems considerably more intimate; one can really see the growth, while in the book their romance isn’t as clear. Alan Rickman, though not as handsome or charismatic as some, does a fairly good job of showing Colonel Brandon’s character and longing for Marianne throughout the movie. However, Elinor and the Colonel have a deep friendship that shows up in the book but not in the movie. Lastly, some major characters were taken out completely, and a scene where Willoughby redeems himself is completely taken out. That scene explained his actions, but it was completely removed because of time constraints.  

Therefore, Jane Austen’s beloved classic, Sense and Sensibility, and its movie counterpart are quite different. Often books and movies just don’t match up the way we want them to. However, though the movie left out many things, it also had many things that the book didn’t. Sense and Sensibility is the kind of work that can be read first then watched, or watched first and then read. Reading the book first will make things clearer, but watching the movie first may help the reader enjoy the book a little more. Often books and movies go hand in hand with each other. However, while books will always bring the joy, imagination, and details movies don’t, movies also bring things to life and portray things in a way that books can’t. Both the Sense and Sensibility book and movie bring joy to millions of readers and watchers worldwide, and ultimately the decision of which one is better becomes personal preference.  

Works cited:

Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility. Amazon Classics, 1811, loc. 38- 5014. 

“Sense and Sensibility”. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense_and_Sensibility_(film)

Stone, Katie Stewart. “Sense and Sensibility Adaptations”. Absolutely Austen Blog, 2019, https://absolutelyausten.com/f/sense-and-sensibility-adaptations-1995-vs-2008

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