Emma (2009) ~ A Review

Emma is a miniseries made in 2009 by BBC. Featuring a screenplay written by Sandy Welch (screenwriter for North and South, Our Mutual Friend, and Jane Eyre), and a stellar cast including Romola Garai, Jonny Lee Miller, and Michael Gambon, Emma makes for a delightful, 4-hour adaption of Jane Austen's beloved novel.

THE PLOT

According to the first line of the famous novel, "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." Emma is the second of two daughters of an simple, elderly widower. She is a young woman of great importance in her social circle, and is very witty, and the problem is... she knows it! She enjoys arranging other people's lives, especially in the area of matrimony. Having successfully married off her sister to a long-time friend, and her governess to a local widower, Emma considers herself a successful matchmaker and becomes determined to carry on her matchmaking career. But whether it is with the sweet, simple, artless Harriet Smith; the handsome and engaging vicar, Mr. Elton; or her former governess' charming stepson, Frank Churchill, her plans all seem to go ridiculously wrong, and she comes to realize that she is not so knowledgeable about the ways of the heart as she thought she was; and her efforts to match up others cause her to nearly mistake and lose her own perfect match.

ACCURACY

While there are some who may differ with me on this point, I really do think this is the most accurate version of Emma of the three I have seen (Mirimax, A&E, and this one). While Mirimax leans more towards the Elton storyline, and A&E leans more towards the Churchill storyline, this one gives the whole story equal attention and includes many details that the other film versions left out. It also, I think, captures the spirit of the book very well and presents most of the characters accurately. It also answers questions that the other films didn't answer very well (see two paragraphs below) and acquaints you better with some of the characters such as Mrs. Goddard, John, Isabella, and Mrs. Elton. (Oh!! Mrs. Elton!! Christina Cole tops them all! She is so the best Mrs. Elton...)

That said, the filmmakers for this adaption of Emma did have their own take on some of it. They attempted to make it more "modern" in some of the language, music, manners, etc., to make it more accessible to a modern audience. I know that sounds terrible-- it sounded terrible to me when I heard they were doing that!-- but when you actually sit down and watch it, the modernization is, to me and many others at least, very forgivable. You feel like you know the characters, like they could live in modern days. Those who haven't exercised their language abilities so as to catch on to the period language of Jane Austen's original works will find it perhaps a more enjoyable and understandable watch. True, a Regency girl isn't going to be lounging with her arm up over the back of the couch, but somehow it is forgivable when Emma does it, and makes her seem like a very real person. :-)
A few other changes the filmmakers made were very slight. They began the screenplay with "flashbacks" of Emma's childhood, giving a better understanding of Emma's, Frank's, and Jane's backgrounds. This answers questions some viewers may have, such as "Why is Mr. Woodhouse so overprotective of Emma?" "How is Jane related to the Bates again?" "Who is this Knightly guy who comes back and forth to and from Hartfield all the time?" Mrs. and Miss Bates' personalities were somewhat drawn about in such a way that they are more tragic characters. Instead of just being deaf, Mrs. Bates is withdrawn in herself because of the way her life has been; and Miss Bates has a lot more emotional depth than in the other film versions.

RATING

Emma is an absolutely deliciously clean movie. Most of the costumes are modest; there is much less emphasis on cleavage than there is in several of the other Jane Austen adaptions. There is no sexual content (though there is a kiss and some flirting). One of the things that makes me absolutely love this version is the absence of questionable language! You know the absolute annoying superabundance of "Good God!" and "O, Lord!" in those other adaptions? You don't get that in Emma! When a character is expressing surprise, they either exclaim, "Oh my goodness!" or just show the surprise in their faces. Someone told me that one character uses the Lord's name in vain once in frustration, but she knew it only from the subtitles, and when I listened during that scene after she pointed that out to me, I still couldn't detect it. Besides that, one character uses the term "d--n" but it too is not very noticeable.

FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

As when I read or watch Jane Austen's other works, I usually come away from Emma in a mood for spiritual application. Jane Austen really had a way of working in the matters of the heart and the importance of godly living in her stories. This adaption of Emma, developing Emma's bad character and her realization of it and her change, was very good, and made me think: Am I, like Emma, full of myself? Vain? Prideful? Immature? Inconsiderate of other's feelings and needs? Impatient? Or do I allow the Spirit of Christ to control me and influence what I do? Do I truly desire others' good? Am I kind? Do I use what influence I have to help others do right? Am I bold to speak up, like Mr. Knightly? Life isn't about us-- it is about loving God and loving others. Sometimes we must fall hard after a major mistake, like Emma, but God uses those falls to make us dependent on Him and moldable in His hands.

Of course, I have a couple quibbles with Emma. Despite promoting Christian morality in her works, Jane Austen didn't lift up Jesus Christ by name in her works. The one notably "religious" person in the movie is Mr. Elton, who is actually (SPOILER ALERT) a real jerk! and I kind of wish Jane had decided to pick on another occupation besides clergyman (albeit, I am sure a lot of clergyman were NOT Christians back then, as it is today!) Still, besides that, I do find Emma very challenging and thought-provoking spiritually.

MY THOUGHTS

I suppose I have been expressing them throughout as it is! If you haven't been able to tell yet, this is my FAVORITE VERSION OF EMMA EVER MADE!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the casting... perfect Emma, perfect Mr. Woodhouse, perfect Mr. and Mrs. Elton, perfect Mr. and Mrs. Weston, perfect Frank Churchill, perfect Jane Fairfax, 100% PERFECT MR. KNIGHTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D And perfect or nearly perfect everyone else. :-) The music is absolutely delicious and the ball scene has got to be the best Jane Austen ball scene ever to be filmed. Wow.
Most of the costumes are very lovely, and, again, most are modest. The sets are beautiful too. I love the whole thing! I do think the beginning is a little too slow, and the ending is a little too fast, Harriet's a little too dense, Miss Bates not quite silly and talkative enough, and I wish they had left in the "Brother and sister? No indeed!" line, but besides that, I love it! :-D Now this is one I do faint in delight over. ;-)

I do highly encourage you to get a copy of this adaption of Emma, or pull it up and watch it on YouTube, if you haven't seen it already. Who knows, you might not like it-- I've known a few who don't, but I know more who do (and believe it or not, I even know a GUY who has it on his iPod and watching it now and then! So your brothers might not pretend to be all grossed out when you pop it in, who knows! :-D) In any case, I highly encourage you to give this adaption a try. 10 to 1, you'll buy it the instant the end credits pull up. Serious. :-)

MORE ON "EMMA"

Online text for the book
Masterpiece website
Emma fansite

Emma costume study