Hmm. Ah. Yes. The Mother of All Awkward Moment Films!

1995 was a good year for film adaptations of Jane Austen. Most famously, we have the venerable 5-hour A&E production of Pride and Prejudice, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Slightly less famously, but no less venerable, we have a theatrical production of Sense and Sensibility, adapted by (and starring) Emma Thompson, with a great supporting cast that includes Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, and Imelda Staunton, directed by Ang Lee. Reading Sense and Sensibility was my first foray into Austen in print, and, well, let's face it - writing's come a long way. Her dialogue is marvelous, but as a manuscript I found it quite difficult, full of awkward jumps and insufficient punctuation. Please excuse me while I duck under the desk as Austenites everywhere hurl assorted rotting food products at my head.

Anyways, back to the production at hand, which I watched for the first time last night. The story is simple enough: when the patriarch of a blended family dies, his estate is bestowed upon his son, the child of his first wife. He beseeches this son to look after his second wife and their three daughters, Eleanor, Marianne, and Margaret. Unfortunately, the son is a complete pushover and quickly allows his shrewish wife, Fanny, to convince him that the four women shouldn't have more than 400 pounds a year; and, furthermore, that they should no longer remain in their family home, as it is now legally the son's. Not that this puts the women into dire poverty or anything, but it does effectively eliminate all three daughter's chances of marrying well.

The eldest, Eleanor (a.k.a. Sense, played by Emma Thompson), is particularly hurt by the family's transition from a city manor to a country cottage, because Fanny's brother Edward (Hugh Grant) is a quiet, even-headed, gentleman (and gentle man) who wants nothing more in life than to become a vicar and have a wife, and who has formed a mutual attachment to Eleanor. The second daughter, Marianne (a.k.a. Sensibility, played by Kate Winslet) is rather high-strung and mostly concerned about nabbing a husband, while little Margaret is too young for those sorts of worries. Being an Austen story, the usual twists and misunderstandings horrible betrayals (both real and imagined) play themselves out until all is happily resolved.

Emma Thompson's skill as at adapted screenplays is unquestionable. She nails each character without any wasted time, perfectly captures the extreme awkwardness that surround Edward, and wrings out the best of the story. Her content which isn't in the book, such as a pair of scenes in the house library involving Edward and Fanny, and then Edward and Eleanor, serves to further establish both the characters and why they deserve either our sympathy or contempt, and does so beautifully. Paired with Ang Lee's thoughtful and interesting camera angles, it's one lovely film through and through.

And, of course, with a cast like this, the acting is superb. When Hugh Grant finally makes his profession of love, though he played his part marvelously, all I could think was, "how nice for you. I want Alan Rickman!". Rickman's Colonel Brandon is one of Austen's most tragic characters not only for his story, but for how Rickman plays him, as a man who is hardly a stoic, but who maintains and expresses his grief as befits a man of his age and rank.

Also, for those of you who watch Blackadder or House, Hugh Laurie makes a small appearance as tertiary character Mr. Palmer, in some stupendously funny scenes that are really little more than Emma Thompson giving a space for her old friend and classmate (and former beau) to show off his considerable skill at being cranky (though Mr. Palmer is not a nasty, evil character like House).

For a light story that is anchored by a smart script and a fabulous cast, I can't think of a better way to spend two hours than with this production. It sure cleared my head after another day of cleaning and packing.