Over the course of the 1790s, women’s dresses narrowed and waistlines rose, and by 1796-97ish you get the underbust waistline typical of the era - although the skirts are generally fuller than you might imagine. That’s not to say everything is spot on perfect, but that’s the direction in which they lean.ġ800 is right when the “Regency” or “Empire” look becomes established. They have a particular knack for achieving a more historically accurate look than some. The costumes were designed by the great Jenny Beavan and John Bright, both of whom have long and illustrious careers as costume designers, often credited together and working on Merchant/Ivory films. According to Thompson’s script, the filmmakers have chosen the round year of 1800 in which to set the film – at least, the opening scene is March 1800. According to writer and literary critic Deirdre le Faye, the novel is set sometime between 17. I hope this will do justice to this wonderful film!Īusten’s novel was published in 1811, but she wrote an earlier draft somewhere around 1795-97. Throughout, I’ll try to weave in both information about what the filmmakers were trying to achieve, as well as comparisons to real fashions of the era. So I’ve finally decided to break things up, looking at each main character individually, as well as some of the supporting characters in groups. I’ve put off doing a real, thorough review of this film because while it’s not the flashiest, it’s so pivotal to me.

I no longer own the DVD, but when I did, I loved watching the film with Emma Thompson’s audio commentary (is that available anywhere for streaming? Someone let us all know, because it’s that good).

I can’t count just how many times I’ve watched the film, and I’ve read Emma Thompson’s published screenplay and filming diaries several times. But for me, Sense and Sensibility is a film that feels like real life, with achievable heroines, small-scale drama, and an unassuming air that conveys what life could have been like in Regency England.

Now, I will say I saw the film before reading the original novel, so Austen purists may have more bones to pick than I do. The performances - by Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, and more - are strong and pretty much everyone is well cast.

Its screenplay was thoughtfully adapted by Emma Thompson, and it was directed with care by Ang Lee. It’s one of a spate of films from the 1990s that made a strong attempt to achieve period accuracy. The 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen‘s Sense and Sensibility is, for me, one of the ultimate frock flicks.

Emma thompson jane austen