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Linda Troost, Sayre Greenfield, eds.. Jane Austen in Hollywood. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1998. 240 pp. $27.50, paper, ISBN 978-0-8131-2084-3. Reviewed by Wendy J. Donat Published on H-Film (April, 1999) It is a truth universally acknowledged that Austen's novels (Darcy in particular) have been film adaptations of classic novels reflect the soci‐ adapted to suit the "Sensitive New Age Guy" of the ety of the time as much as the society of the nov‐ 1990's. Lisa Hopkins examines this changed vision el's setting. This collection of essays examines why in the aptly titled "Mr. Darcy's Body." Jane Austen's novels are so popular for visual The "fleshing out" of the male leads is also ar‐ adaptation in the 1990's. The result of this new- ticulated by Cheryl L. Nixon in "Balancing the found popularity is that although more people Courtship Hero." Thompson and Davies add an would recognize the appropriate style of dress for "extra Edward" and an "extra Darcy" to their Austen's time, the flms cannot guarantee that adaptations to create a sense of emotional bal‐ more people would recognize the source of this ance for the male characters. The advantage of article's opening line. Linda Troost and Sayre Thompson's approach is that readers of Sense and Greenfield have collected a set of essays that will Sensibility fnally understand why Eleanor would interest the neophyte as well as the devoted fall in love with Edward. Nixon notes that there is Austen enthusiast. too much sensibility in the flm adaptations. In The essays cover a variety of material, but Austen's novels those who exhibit emotional ex‐ tend to focus on the most widely released flms-- tremes (especially the men) are punished in the Emma Thompson's adaptation of Sense and Sensi‐ worst way--they have unfulfilling marriages. bility, the most recent BBC/A&E version of Pride These writers also note that in the Hollywood and Prejudice and Amy Heckerling's Clueless. photoplays, Austen's men are played by very at‐ What is missing is a detailed discussion of the two tractive actors, which makes them more aestheti‐ most obviously comparable adaptations--the two cally and emotionally appealing. In "Jane Austen, miniseries based on Pride and Prejudice. Such a Film, and the Pitfalls of Postmodern Nostalgia," discussion would have produced more evidence Amanda Collins discusses the impact of marketing for the oft-repeated thesis that key male roles in on motion picture adaptations. Perhaps Persua‐ H-Net Reviews sion lacked an audience because its actors were echoes the observation that Austen's Sense and not physically beautiful enough. Thompson's Sensibility and Emma are not really about ro‐ Sense and Sensibility was certainly not guilty of mance, but the flm adaptations are. Perhaps the that error. reason for the successful sense of satire in Clue‐ Deborah Kaplan utilizes a romance novelist's less comes from Amy Heckerling's use of Cher as a "tip sheet" to analyze the changed roles of men narrator. This use of a narrative technique also and women in the recent adaptations of Emma makes Fay Weldon's Pride and Prejudice the and Sense and Sensibility. In all of these works the truest adaptation of that novel. courtship plot takes precedence over Austen's The potential of using flm to interest today's complex female characters. As a result, consider‐ students in literature is explored in an essay by M. ably less attention is given to the casting of Casey Diana. A college class was split into two Austen's women. Rebecca Dickson's "Misrepre‐ groups. One segment saw Sense and Sensibility, senting Jane Austen's Ladies" notes that Nick the second group read the novel. Their test scores Dear's Persuasion turns the elegant Elizabeth El‐ were compared and the flm viewers scored high‐ liot into a slouching spoiled brat. One topic that er. This makes a convincing case for using motion should have been addressed is the vastly different pictures to introduce and reinforce a piece of lit‐ interpretations of Harriet Smith in the two recent erature. However, Diana does not consider that Emma versions. And the question must be asked, the students may be visual learners. was no one else bothered by the fact that the Why do Jane Austen's works still appeal in the beautiful and charming Harriet Smith in Douglas 1990's? For an intelligent female reader she pro‐ McGrath's 1996 production was portrayed as vides the best of all possible happy endings--a clumsy and plain? (a fault of the production and woman of good character, strong intellect, and not the actress, Toni Collette). fine wit wins the matrimonial prize (Northanger Elinor in Sense and Sensibility is also nearly Abbey excepted). The beautiful Jane in Pride and unrecognizable. As Dickson observes, Elinor Prejudice may marry Mr. Bingley, but Elizabeth evolves into an overly emotional creature, even gains Mr. Darcy because of her lively mind (and crying in public. In the novel, Marianne learns fine eyes). The recent flm adaptations provide a from Elinor. The flm reverses the process. This different perspective as developed in this essay author observes that Andrew Davies provides a collection. Hollywood has altered this vision so similar disservice to Elizabeth Bennet in his adap‐ that the lovely heroine wins the handsome and tation of Pride and Prejudice. The key scene at the emotional hero. It will be interesting to see how end of the book, when it becomes clear that Darcy Miss Austen's works are adapted by the next gen‐ first fell in love with Elizabeth because of her live‐ eration of filmmakers. ly wit, is cut. A line that has long symbolized Eliza‐ This review is copyrighted by Film & History: beth's common sense among snobs ("Keep your An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Televi‐ breath to cool your porridge") is transferred to sion Studies and the Historians Film Committee, her fighty sister Lydia. Not only have Austen's http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~filmhis/. It may be re‐ men become more emotional, her women have produced electronically for educational or schol‐ traded sense for sensibility. arly use. The Film & History reserves print rights Clueless is considered by Suzanne Ferris in and permissions. (Contact: P.C.Rollins at the fol‐ "Emma becomes Clueless" to be truest to the spirit lowing electronic address: [email protected]). of Austen's sense of satire. Nora Nachumi's "As If: Translating Austen's Ironic Narrator to Film" 2 H-Net Reviews If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the network, at https://networks.h-net.org/h-film Citation: Wendy J. Donat. Review of Troost, Linda; Greenfield, Sayre, eds. Jane Austen in Hollywood. H- Film, H-Net Reviews. April, 1999. URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=3035 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 3.