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Georgia Oakley's 'Sense and Sensibility' Stays True to Austen

8:04 AM ETConfirmed

Entertainment Desk

In Short: Director Georgia Oakley is bringing her unique vision to Jane Austen's classic novel 'Sense and Sensibility,' aiming to stay true to the original while offering a fresh perspective.

Director Georgia Oakley is bringing her unique vision to Jane Austen's classic novel 'Sense and Sensibility,' aiming to stay true to the original while offering a fresh perspective. Oakley's adaptation, which she sees as a contemporary tale, emphasizes the sisters' love story and the challenges they face.

In an interview with Fangirlish, Oakley discussed the importance of shooting on 35mm film, noting that it was a 'big one' due to the budget constraints but essential for the film's authenticity. She also highlighted the significance of the sisters' transformation and the negotiation between their hopes and the reality of their lives.

Oakley's approach to the adaptation includes modern updates, such as the opening scene featuring docile deer, which symbolizes the separation of the Dashwood sisters from their family. The film also features sensuous B-roll of feminine hands touching grass or running down a horse's mane, adding a tactile dimension to the narrative.

The film's visual style, as noted by IndieWire, is closer to Stanley Kubrick's 'Barry Lyndon' than to glossy, modernized remakes. The use of natural light and unvarnished period detail creates a more authentic and earthy portrayal of the characters, drawing inspiration from films like 'Wuthering Heights.'

The contrast between the sisters' social restrictions and their emotional landscapes is a central theme in Oakley's adaptation. Esmé Creed-Miles, who plays one of the sisters, reflects on the sisters' pursuit of love outside societal norms, emphasizing their agency and the matriarch's role in protecting them.

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, alongside George MacKay, star in the film. Oakley's adaptation aims to reach both Austen fans and newcomers, with Creed-Miles hoping the film will appeal to a broad audience. The film's premiere is set for October.

The adaptation has received positive reviews, with Highonfilms praising the transformation of character within a short window of time and the literate composure of the characters. Slant Magazine noted the film's textured balance of humor and tragedy, while The Film Stage highlighted the sturdy romantic structure of Austen's story.

While comparisons to Ang Lee's 1995 adaptation are inevitable, Oakley's version offers a distinct take on the classic novel. The filmmaker's dedication to authenticity and modern interpretation ensures that 'Sense and Sensibility' remains a compelling and relevant adaptation.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• Director Georgia Oakley is bringing her unique vision to Jane Austen's classic novel 'Sense and Sensibility,' aiming to stay true to the original while offering a fresh perspective. Oakley's adaptation, which she sees as a contemporary tale, emphasizes the sisters' love story and the challenges they face.
• In an interview with Fangirlish, Oakley discussed the importance of shooting on 35mm film, noting that it was a 'big one' due to the budget constraints but essential for the film's authenticity. She also highlighted the significance of the sisters' transformation and the negotiation between their hopes and the reality of their lives.
• Oakley's approach to the adaptation includes modern updates, such as the opening scene featuring docile deer, which symbolizes the separation of the Dashwood sisters from their family. The film also features sensuous B-roll of feminine hands touching grass or running down a horse's mane, adding a tactile dimension to the narrative.
• The contrast between the sisters' social restrictions and their emotional landscapes is a central theme in Oakley's adaptation. Esmé Creed-Miles, who plays one of the sisters, reflects on the sisters' pursuit of love outside societal norms, emphasizing their agency and the matriarch's role in protecting them.
• Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, alongside George MacKay, star in the film. Oakley's adaptation aims to reach both Austen fans and newcomers, with Creed-Miles hoping the film will appeal to a broad audience. The film's premiere is set for October.
• The adaptation has received positive reviews, with Highonfilms praising the transformation of character within a short window of time and the literate composure of the characters. Slant Magazine noted the film's textured balance of humor and tragedy, while The Film Stage highlighted the sturdy romantic structure of Austen's story.
• While comparisons to Ang Lee's 1995 adaptation are inevitable, Oakley's version offers a distinct take on the classic novel. The filmmaker's dedication to authenticity and modern interpretation ensures that 'Sense and Sensibility' remains a compelling and relevant adaptation.

What's still developing

• “I think for me, it has a lot to do with the fact that obviously the book was written more than 200 years ago. And the lives of young women have changed significantly in that time, obviously,” Oakley said.
• But Oakley is standing by her decision, particularly the hair.
• Like all of Austen’s books, Sense and Sensibility has had multiple adaptations, whether mini-series, faithful feature films, and loose retellings.
• The last time I checked in with an adaptation of Stone Cold Jane Austen’s beloved Sense and Sensibility was back in 1995, when Ang Lee’s leads were played by Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant, working from a script written by Thompson herself.
• There’s nothing inherently daring about a new adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility” beyond the existence of Ang Lee’s 1996 masterpiece, which Emma Thompson adapted and starred in to perfection.
• "I think the idea of pursuing love outside the bounds of what is expected of you is something that both sisters actually end up doing," Creed-Miles notes, reflecting the ways in which these women went against the norms of the time.
• "There's a great scene with Willoughby that Diana [Reid, screenwriter] wrote for me where I was able to finally say to him, ‘I dare say I do not know what I'm capable of when it comes to my sister and what I will do to protect her.’” This focus on female agency extends to the matriarch of the family as well.
• Oakley’s sophomore film is not only a sophisticated, expansive advancement in her career as a filmmaker, but also a controlled and beautiful interpretation of Austen’s text.
• Sure, cinematographer Arnaud Potier favors natural lighting and handheld camerawork, but the lack of the bright sheen typical of Austen adaptations doesn’t dim the energy and roiling passions of the sisters as they approach love from opposite ends of the emotional spectrum.
• It’s always tempting to discuss Jane Austen adaptations in comparison with their predecessors, especially when the most famous example here is Ang Lee’s version that earned Emma Thompson her second Oscar.
• Even if it’s your first time engaging with any version of her story, Austen created such a sturdy romantic structure that it’s easy to get a tad annoyed towards the end as it springs for the fakeout.

Sources

• Fangirlishlink
• Film-Authoritylink
• Highonfilmslink
• IndieWirelink
• Lwlieslink
• Newsweeklink
• Ottumwa Courierlink
• Philadelphia Gay Newslink
• Rendyreviewslink
• Slantmagazinelink
• The Conversationlink
• The Film Stagelink
• Wikipedia — background on Sense and Sensibility link
• Wikipedia — background on Georgia Oakley link
• Focus Features / YouTube — video link