We haven’t had a monthly discussion in some time but the truth is that not only our time has been scarce lately but also we were waiting for a series/movie that would appeal to many of us, period drama obsessional fans. BBC’s Emma (2009), from the very beginning, seemed like the perfect choice for a discussion. Austen is a beloved and well known author who has been adapted many times before and the fact that many viewers are also devoted readers means that with her adaptations we are always sure to have heated discussions on whether the script and actors live up to what viewers have in their heads.
We have already posted a double review of Emma where we questioned some of the aspects of the series. Now we are eager to know what you all thought about this new version. We have prepared a few questions to stir the discussion but feel free to tells us more of what you liked or disliked about the series.
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Was it love at first sight or were you disappointed? Several people have mentioned the series improves on repeated viewing and that is definitely a sign of success as far as we are concerned.
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Did you enjoy the cast? Were Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller right for the role and gave credible performances? What about the secondary cast?
- Did you like the changes in the story or do you think Austen’s words should not be changed?
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What about the technical aspects like costumes, settings or lighting?
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Do you have a favourite scene? If so, which one?
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Finally, do you agree with Jane Austen that Emma is a heroine no one else besides herself would like?
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
i really loved it! the man who plays mr.knightly was not quite what i was expecting but he pulled it off. regarding the girl who plays emma, when i first saw her in pictures i didnt like her. but after actually watchin her act, i fell in love with her preformance. all the actors are wonderful and the story was fairly good as well.
1. For me it was love at first sight. I enjoyed it from the first minutes, although I thought a little awkward the story of the three children in the beginning.
2. I really liked Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller. When I heard she’ll be the one doing Emma I thought it would be good, as for me no Emma till now was like the one in my mind. However this changed with Romola. JLM is just the most perfect Mr K! No one is better than him in my opinion! The rest of the cast was really good too!
3. I did like the changes. It didn’t ruin the story Austen wrote like other adaptations.
4. I loved the way this series is so full of colour! It makes you feel good only with those colours! I really liked the costumes and the locations.
5. I don’t know, I liked the series as a whole, I can’t choose only one scene!
6. Not at all! I really like Emma. in the beggining you just hate her for being spoiled and messing with everybody business, but as she starts to grow you start to love her!
I’ll start with the cast first, because usually that’s what I notice first with anything I watch. I think physically the cast is perfect – especially Harriet and Jane Fairfax (I know it’s weird that I picked those two supporting characters, but perhaps since they’re relatively unknown, they made stronger impression on me). The overall performance is good, though I have to say Johnny Lee Miller should practice smiling a bit more because half of the time he looks like he has a toothache… but actually I quite like his version of Mr. Knightley (Jeremy Northam’s still my favorite though.) That being said, there are parts where I feel the acting is almost too energetic, especially with Emma – I don’t know if that’s just how Romola Garai played her, or from the script itself – but there’s a bit too much giggling and grinning and that sort of thing.
About the story: there isn’t any major change, I don’t think (BBC never does that – bless them!), but I really don’t care for the newly added beginning about their childhood and how Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax are sent away (it does make me wonder what sort of a father Mr. Weston is…) It doesn’t add anything to the story, I feel like it’s just something Sandy Welch had to do to make the script long enough, so that it fits into the time slot. But I appreciate how the beginning sets up Emma’s love for match-making, it’s something that’s never really explained in any other adaptations, so it’s good.
The setting is lovely, as always, the costume adequate though nothing outstanding. Nitpicking: I can’t stand Emma’s frumpy shirt, which she wears underneath her dresses in a lot of scenes, and what is with her hair in the scenes following the Box Hill scene? I know she has to look distressed, but must she run around with her hair in a mess like that?!
Favorite scene… hmm… no, I don’t really have a particular favorite scene. But oddly enough, I think I like all the scenes in John and Isabella’s house when Mr. Knightley is there. I just like his interaction w/ them and the kids.
Emma is OK. Yeah she’s spoiled and meddlesome, but she has her redeeming qualities. I think my opinion of her depends of which version of “Emma” that I watch – I can’t stand her in Gwyneth Paltrow’s, I want to smack her in “Clueless” (even though it’s my favorite adaptation of “Emma”!), Kate Beckinsale’s is my favorite (Now if they can just do one version with Kate Beckinsale and Jeremy Northam…), and now, with Romola Garai, I quite like her.
So, I wasn’t disappointed, but I wasn’t terribly impressed either. It’s just like, eh, another “Emma,” OK. I find it so strange that nobody’s been able to do a great adaptation of this book. The best version, for me, is still “Clueless.”
1. It was love at first sight :) I thought the beginning was brilliant, the way it set up the story and explained the history of the characters, and why they behave they way they do. I have to disagree with Salazar about Mr Weston though, I think he was heartbroken to send Frank away but genuinely believed he was doing the right thing.
2. Romola Garai was perfect as Emma, and I thought JLM was flawless as Knightley, he brought a real vulnerability to the role which I hadn’t seen before. His portrayal showed how painful it could be to be in love with someone who was unlikely to feel the same way and knowing he might have to see her marry someone else. Michael Gambon was adorable as Mr Woodhouse and everyone else was fantastic.
3. I haven’t read Emma so I can only compare this version to other adaptations. I felt that all the characters were given a good amount of screen time so we cared about them all and actually remembered who they were, even more minor characters like Emma’s sister and brother-in-law.
4. The costumes were gorgeous! I was very jealous of Emma’s wardrobe, those dresses were so pretty! Settings, lighting etc were all excellent as usual for a BBC drama.
5. Favourite scene was where Emma and Knightley finally admit their feelings for each other. So romantic.
6. I think Jane Austen was being modest when she said that. Although Emma is bossy, judgmental and a bit stuck up she’s also kind, generous, caring and fun.
1. It was definitely not love at first sight. Maybe because I loved the Beckinsale’s version so much that I was expecting something fabulous from this BBC production. While I loved the settings and costumes, I didn’t warm up to the characters right away. By the second time I watched it, I was really enjoying it and the third time I was completely captivated. This series definitely grows on you!
2. At first, I wasn’t very happy with the cast. I knew both Garai and Miller from previous series and while I thought they were both good actors, I had some trouble visualizing them as Emma and Mr. Knightley. That didn’t last long!:)
I didn’t feel they gave enough screen time to Jonny Lee Miller and he deserved it so much. Physically, he was not what I had in mind for Mr Knightley but he pulled it off so brilliantly. Romola Garai managed to play Austen’s spoiled and bratty Emma with a bright smile and a mischievous attitude that seems much more sympathetic to me than some of the previous Emmas.
Miss Bates is definitely less annoying than in previous adaptations and much more touching. We also know more about her and her relationship with her niece Jane. In the other hand, Frank Churchill is just unbearable. I can hardly stand him!
3. I don’t mind slight changes, especially when they are well done. There’s no lake scene in Pride and Prejudice and I’m not going to complain about Colin Firth wet shirt in the 1995 adaptation.;-)
4. The settings are gorgeous, the costumes beautiful! But it’s the bright colors that always strike me.
5. The strawberry picking at the Abbey. Emma seems so at ease in Mr Knightley’s house and I had a good laugh seeing Mrs. Elton in her donkey pulled by her exasperated husband.
6. I do have some troubles warming up with Emma, she is not witty and intelligent like Elizabeth Bennet or sensitive as Elinor Dashwood or fragile and sweet like Anne Elliot. She’s spoiled, egocentric, meddling and quite a snob. But she also has a heart of gold and she learns from her mistakes. You learn to like her.
Salazar,
You’re the second person to mention Clueless and I remember vaguely some scenes but I have no other memories of it. I think I’m going to check it out!
Lucy, I have to agree with you about Mr. Weston. He seems a very optimistic and generous person and I do think he really believed that Frank would have a better life with his rich aunt than with him who lived in much more modest conditions. Robert Bathurst was really great in this role.
I was planning on watching this again this week before posting my answers but time has been scarce so here I am… without having watched it…
1 – Nor love at first sight (please don’t hit me lol) nor disappointed. I liked but but thought it could have been better, more intense and more magical… since fans keep telling me it improves with repeated viewing It’s in my TBS pile again.
2 – See I thought Romola smiled a bit too much and that Jonny Lee should have been more intense… maybe on second viewing I’ll get over that…
3 – I did not mind the changes in the story. Although I prefer stories not to be changed I really didn not mind these especially the little children in the beginning. It made us think what their lives must have been, which was probably obvious for readers in the time of Jane Austen but not so much today.
4 – Everything was beautiful, just out of a dream. Especially the colours, really nice.
5 – I really liked the ball scene when Emma and Knightley dance together and seem to have a certain cumplicity between them. I definitely want to watch that part again.
6 – I know I didn’t particularly like her when I read the book and I think Romola did a good job with that – meaning I didn’t particularly like her during most of the series. So yes, I’m with Austen on that one! ;-)
Salazar,
Regarding Mr Weston I think it was common at the time for poor children, or without a mother, to be raised by other members of the family. It didn’t made me think less of Mr Weston because it seemed the norm and that he grieved for his son…
Regarding the Emmas and liking more or less I think you are right. I also didn’t like Paltrow’s Emma but Beckinsale’s I had a harder time disliking, she was more innocent and you could see she thought she was helping others by meddling in their affairs… a silly girl but not a bad one. ;-)
1. I was fully engrossed by the time the Weston wedding came about. I have since watched it numerous times and my adoration grows with each viewing!
2. Main cast: I thought Romola was captivating in Daniel Deronda and was excited to see her as the leading lady in Emma. She didn’t disappoint! While her facial expressions were a bit much sometimes, overall it added a playfulness that made Emma very likable, which is saying quite a bit since I didn’t like her in the novel at all. Romola is now my favorite of all Emmas and I can’t imagine Emma as anyone else.
As for Jonny Lee Miller, what can I say? He has captured my heart as Mr. Knightley and he is the reason I’ve watched the show on repeat. ;-) He’s portrayed his steady, strong, and sometimes frustrated, love for Emma perfectly. His interaction with Romola are very natural and flowing; it’s easy to believe they’ve known each other their whole life.
Secondary cast:
I wished the actors for Mr. Elton and Frank were switched. Blake would have made for a far more charming Churchill but as it was, he did a fairly good ridiculous impression of Mr. Elton that reminded me very much of Mr. Collins in the P&P movie.
Jane Fairfax was beautifully cast in this one; fair and soft spoken, quite the opposite of Emma.
Miss Bates’ character was made deeper and more pitiable in this version, which made her more memorable. Well done.
Mrs. Weston’s sly glances and knowing smiles gets old really fast upon repeat viewings as she does it in nearly every scene!
I never liked the character of Miss Smith in any of the movies but this adaptation didn’t change my mind.
3. The only issue I had was the exclusion of the brother and sister line, but that’s only after I read someone’s complaint about it. Otherwise I thought the script was great.
4. As many others have mentioned, the colors and setting and costumes were gorgeous and a feast for the eyes. I would only nitpick on the score, which didn’t seem to set the proper mood sometimes, especially during the pivotal declaration of love scene.
5. My favorite scene is in Part 4 at Donwell where Mr. Knightley meets up with Emma in the field after she just sent off Jane Fairfax. Mr. Knightley wasn’t wrong in saying, “I was thinking how at home you looked; you might be mistress of this house.” In that scene, you could really envision them as a married couple the way they were chatting. Also, when Frank Churchill rode up and Mr. Knightley said sarcastically, “How pleasant to be absent but in the thoughts of everyone,” the looks they gave each other was so natural and hilarious. These two really have good chemistry! Lastly, I don’t know if this was done on purpose or not, but during their first argument at the end of Part 1, both of them give a very frustrated “Grr!” that are very similar, which can suggest that they know each other so well, even their expressions are unconsciously similar. (Sort of like how in P&P movie, it was pointed out that Lizzy covers her mouth when she smiles just like Mr. Bennett does.) Best delivered line would go to: “Harriet? I do not mind what we talk of, we can talk of Harriet if we must.”
6. I didn’t like Emma at all until this adaptation. So kudos to Romola for making me a fan now. :-)
I found this Emma version very entertaining. The actors really brought out the comedic nature of the novel and it’s characters. If I had a complaint, it would be that the storyline got overly serious after the Box Hill visit. I wish they could have done a better job maturing Emma at that point, without making her seem so run down for the remaining scenes.
My favorite scene is the argument between Emma and Knightley regarding her interference with Robert Martin’s proposal. It stayed fairly true to the dialoge in the novel, and was well acted by both Garai and Miller. The dance scene was also a highlight, as it a wonderful visual point where Emma is no longer seen as a younger sister to Knightly, but as a beautiful young woman.
I’d never heard of Romola Garai before this show. I thought she was wonderful and hope to see her more in the future.
1. It was love at first sight. And I truly didn’t expect it. Jeremy Northam will always be my No.1 Mr. Knightley and I prefer the wedding-ending of the Hollywood version to the one the series chooses. But over all this is very entertaining.
2. I hought everyone was supremely cast. Even Mr. knightly surprised me. I didn’t expect that good of a performance from him. The only character I didn’t like was Harriet Smith. She was too similar to Emma regarding looks, I think.
3. I enjoyed he changes. I thought them refreshing.
4. The settings were nice, I think. But the costumes were a bit dull at times.
5. My favorite scene is of course the confession/proposal scene.
6. No, I think Emma is a very likable character. I’d gladly meet her for some tea and gossip.
Gwyneth Paltrow Jeremy Northam Romola Garai Jonny Lee Miller
Before watching this adaption, the 1996 Hollywood version was my favorite, although Gwyneth Paltrow is just the willful and elegant girl, and Jeremy Northam is abosolutely perfect. So when I saw the trailer, I wasn’t expecting much. I loved Romola Garai in Daniel Daronda, but my I didn’t have much confidence in her as Emma.
However, this 2009 version was love at first sight, its charm was overwhelming.
Athough Romola Garai giggled a little too much to make her at the risk of being one of the silly school girls who were despised by Jane Austen, I could not deny that her merry laughter elevated my spirits.
Jonny Lee Miller seemed not confident enough in the first episode, for he lacked the ease of Mr. Knightly. But as the plot moved, his looks became steadier and more impressive. I was really captivated when he and Emma quarreled about Harriet and Robert Martin, his performance convinced us that he was the very powerful Mr. Knightly, with his unique downright manners.
I agree with the view that Frank Churchil should change roles with Mr Elton.As it was, this Mr Elton’s performance was good.
It is quite a pity that all the minor roles are so very dull, compared with the 1996 Hollywood version, whose Mrs Elton, Miss Bates, Mr Weston are so far the best cast I have seen.
I loved this script in that more scenes are taken from the novel, and the script writer also added something which Jane Austen didn’t say, but all her fans are picturing in their mind, like the scene when Mr Knightly was meditaing alone after the ball. Austen can’t gives us the details of the loving interactions between Emma and Mr Knightly, but the mordern readers certainly want to see more.
I will definitely watch it a second and a third time and I’ll come back again.
——– Rita Liu from Beijing