Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: For those of us who are fans of Jane Austen movie adaptations and binged the Netflix mega-hit Bridgerton, the announcement of a movie adaptation of Suzanne Allain’s popular Regency-era novel, Mr. Malcolm’s List, was the best news this period drama lover could receive. While our anticipation ran high,... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:Â I vividly remember sitting in the theatre in 2005 waiting for the curtain to rise on the new Pride & Prejudice movie starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden. I was excited that one of my favorite Jane Austen novels was being trotted out as a major motion picture.... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: In the 41 years of producing television adaptations based on classic literature, Masterpiece Classic (formerly known as Master Theatre), has had a very productive relationship with author Charles Dickens. We have enjoyed two Bleak House’s, two David Copperfield’s, A Tale of Two Cities, Hard Times, Martin Chuzzlewit, Great... Continue Reading →
This 1981 BBC seven-part miniseries of Sense and Sensibility is a solid but flawed adaptation of Jane Austen’s masterpiece. In my mind, the character of Marianne Dashwood is always the benchmark for a superior adaptation. She is a complicated creature driven by emotion and racked with vulnerability, and if the actress portraying Jane Austen’s most... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:Â Take a controversial classic novel, mix in a liberal filmmaker's re-interpretation, amplify the slavery subtext, add in lesbianism and incest, and presto! you have Mansfield Park (1999), writer-director Patricia Rozema's provocative adaptation of Jane Austen's 1814 novel. I am not exaggerating when I say that Jane Austen's fans... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:Â A new adaptation of Persuasion will air on Masterpiece PBS tonight. Based on Jane Austen's 1817 novel, its themes of patience, fortitude, and second chances ring true to today's audience even after two hundred years. The story of Anne Elliot, a twenty-seven-year-old unmarried daughter of an aristocrat who... Continue Reading →
