Mansfield Park (1999)

The Best Film Version of Mansfield Park!
This is by far the best film version of Mansfield Park, and is a million times better than the saccharine version starring Billie Piper that has recently been shown on PBS. This is a far more skillfully executed, with the civilized zingers that are so prevalent in Jane Austen novels delivered with panache, instead of the clumsy woodiness so often seen in other productions of Austen. The sensual undertone of sexuality is much more believable than the chaste handling of other directors - I can't believe that the young people of any age tied up their hormones, regardless of the 'rules' of the day. In short, this is a magnificent version, and one which you will pass on to any friends to introduce them to the joy that is Jane Austen.

Mansfield Park want to be
Very poorly done. I was very, very disappointed. Not in the spirit of the book. I would not recommend this to anyone.

Tampered with the original, but in a good way
I saw the movie first, and recommended it to a friend who was soon shreiking with laughter at the deviations from the book -- Fanny capering across the yard, chasing Edward with a riding crop, her aunt, whacked out on morphine, etc...

I read the book, enjoyed it, and then came back to the movie.

There are a lot of adaptations whose main purpose is to put as much of the book on screen as possible, keeping everything in the same order, and being fiercely loyal to the author's vision. This is just one person's opinion, but I think that's the wrong way to go. When I want pure Jane Austen, I read.

I think that if a filmmaker goes to the time and effort to make a movie from a favorite book, they have the right to interpret and get creative. (If you disagree, you should probably just stay away from this movie.)

I thought that infusing Fanny with a little of Jane Austen's personality (through her letters and early writing) was a charming reinvention that didn't change Fanny in her essentials. She is still uncompromisingly moral and still trusts herself unflinchingly.

I appreciated the film's focus on the slave trade. It added a lot to the characters of Sir Thomas and Tom to contrast the world of manners with the barbaric "interests in Antigua" that make it all possible. The issues and the manner in which they were addressed were historical and they added to the plot. The rich had worse vices than bored housewives, after all.

Edward was not a very compelling romantic lead in this movie. I thought that was its weakest point. My only other criticism is that there were no front-hook corsets in this period -- but movies always ignore that. It's a tradition :) The costuming and the setting were beautiful. The music fit the mood of the film perfectly