BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

johnpelaro I never get over how some reviewers simply expect too much from an 84 minute film . Any adaptation of Mansfield Park would certainly benefit from a four part , four hour miniseries ; this rendition cuts out Fanny's return to Portsmouth completely and leaves out a significant minor character , Yates , thereby cutting corners badly on the playful attempt to perform a play at Mansfield Park . So why do I give it a 10 ? The gist of any Austin novel is in the subtleties of the relationships , pure and simple , and this adaptation does a superb job in doing just that ....with the most significant relationships ( again , three or four hours would be needed to do the job adequately ) . Piper plays the mild and reserved Fanny perfectly in the limited time given , in every stage of her relationship with Edmund . BBC did a superb job back in 1998 wit Far From the Madding Crowd , layering in fine detail ( at the expense of cinematography ) the movie versions just couldn't fit in . Mansfield Park deserves the same . However , this low budget gem will be appreciated by anyone with the sense to realize that this is not a miniseries !

TheLittleSongbird In my opinion, I'd say yes, well it's either between this and the 1980s Northanger Abbey. I love Jane Austen, her language, her characters and how she evokes the period. I also love various adaptations of her work, especially the 1995 adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion. As much as I didn't like the 1999 adaptation of Mansfield Park, at least you could tell what period it was meant to be set in. This Mansfield Park may not be badly shot and the scenery looks great, but I saw very little evocative about the period recreation, I missed the atmosphere that even 2007's Persuasion(disappointing as that was) had and all the best Austen adaptations have and to me it felt too much like a costume drama being shot against a modern era rather than being transported through a time machine. The music wasn't terrible but there wasn't anything exceptional or dynamic about it either. What was terrible was the script, the first person narration was very badly written and not needed and a lot of the lines were stilted and cheesy in alternative to poetic and sophisticated. The story also disappoints, the adaptation is too short so consequently the storytelling feels too rushed complete with characters that you just don't care anything for and very little of the attitudes and statuses of the time which would have given it some authenticity. I wasn't too thrilled about the casting either, the actors are good and try their best but it is all a wasted effort when their characters and story aren't very interesting or well developed. I do have to agree that Billie Piper is completely wrong for Fanny Price, she was too modern and I could really have done with much less of how flirtatiously Fanny was portrayed. Overall, a mess saved by some good photography and scenery. For my tastes, this was a failure both as an adaptation and on its own merits, and is one of the least authentic Jane Austen adaptations you will find. 1/10 Bethany Cox

rafemcp I recently read the book (a bit of a slog but brilliant) and was interested to see a screen adaptation, wondering how on earth they could breath life into Fanny Price who seems to be more of an ideal that a real person. I haven't yet seen Patricia Rozema's version but this one is such a travesty that I watched the whole thing in fascination and horror; much like not being able to look away from a traffic accident. This one's sort of like Moll Flanders' adventures in Jane Austenland. Jane is now such big bu$ine$$ that they simply take one of her plots, add some good actors, a stately manor or two, some hifalutin sounding dialogue, heaving bosoms and stir. The acting's quite good including the girl playing Fanny who's so disastrously miscast and costumed (and what's with her hair?) that it renders the whole thing ridiculous. This cynical mess has as much to do with Jane Austen's intentions as a ham sandwich. James Retsin's great, as always.

michawheeler I must say that before I watched the movie I already had low expectations of it. I must also say that although I understand that book to film adaptations must have some changes I really hate it when they completely change the spirit of the book, especially when the book is a masterpiece of English literature. Why call it an adaptation? Say you're inspired by the book but not that you have adapted the book into film.Now that that rant is over, i will start with the next rant. I will not say anything about the miscasting of Billie Piper as Fanny (Maggie O'Neill as Mrs Norris and Jemma Redgrave as Lady Bertram were also I feel miscast), nor about the enormous liberties taken with the plot, nor about Fanny's hair, nor about Fanny bouncing about like a fairy, I will even hold my tongue about the actress's manicured eyebrows as these have already been covered by other reviewers. But there are so many other things that are wrong in this 'adaptation'.What I really liked about the book is how Fanny is the only constant in the story, everyone around her changes their feelings, opinions even their characters but Fanny although timid and shy sticks by her strong moral standards and shows a strength of character that surprises everyone who thought who knew her. In the movie this development is completely missing. I did not see the conflicted Crawfords almost becoming good people, I did not see Sir Thomas regretting the way he brought up his children nor did I see Edmund falling in love with Fanny. (I had to stifle a chuckle when the light shined off Fanny's messy hair and Edmund was suddenly struck with love as if shown the way by the Holy Spirit) I didn't even see the seduction progressing between Maria and Henry Crawford which is a pity as this is the only Jane Austen book that touches on infidelity.An other thing I really disliked is how they changed the characters of Mrs Norris and Lady Bertram. Mrs Norris is one of the vilest characters created by Jane Austen. She is not just an annoying, ignorant person, she controls and abuses Fanny and almost all the Bertrams psychologically in a very selfish and snide way. Lady Bertram in the book was a very stupid and lazy woman that was often infuriatingly and unbelievably aloof of everything that was going on around her. The Lady Bertram in the film was an undecided concoction that needs to be protected from the fact that her husband might be in danger in Antigua and could describe men dying at war as 'disagreeable' but has the sharpness to realise that Fanny was in love with Edmund since she was a little girl. Last things; the opening narration was just lazy, most of the acting bland.To end on a good note, i really liked the music, James D'Arcy who plays Tom Bertram is very good looking and my inner (and secret) squealing, girly, rom-com loving girl enjoyed the bit were Edmund runs after Fanny and they get together at last - although the joy was short lived when I remembered that this was supposed to be Mansfield Park.