The Nominated Film You May Have Missed: SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

Every year, between five to ten films are bestowed the honor of being nominated by the Academy of Arts and Sciences. Many will have already enjoyed various successes throughout the year – good festival attendance, box office success and the reception of other prestigious awards. Yet, only one of them ends their evening declared the best of the best.

Each month, I select one such film that while honored with a nomination, did not achieve the highest recognition – a film for your consideration. Bringing these films back into the spotlight and into the minds of viewers gives them the chance to shine once again and reach a new group of people who may never have considered them previously. This month, with the season of love filling the air, I found my inspiration in the romantic comedy adaptation of Jane Austen‘s Sense and Sensibility.

My childhood is full of romantic comedies that I enjoyed with my mother, from the timeless classic The Princess Bride, to anything starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, to The Princess Diaries – we watched them all. A commonality in our selections were the romantic classic adaptations: Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice and Emma. While I can confidently say Emma is my mother’s favorite, mine has always been Sense and Sensibility. The wit, the humor and the female independence coupled with womanly fancies of the time are perfectly compiled and exhibited in this light and comedic classic.

While the times I shared watching Sense and Sensibility with my mother are a major reason this film will always have a place in my heart, the quality of it also raises it above romantic comedies that came before and have been released since. The passion and love for the classic pours through each element of the film, culminating in an unforgettable adaptation for the ages.

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility is the romantic love story that finds its beginning in tragedy. Mr. Dashwood lays dying, confiding in his son (from his first marriage) that his estate was left to him in such a way he was unable to leave anything for his second wife and their three daughters. With his final moments, he pleads for his son to promise that he will care for his second family – to make sure they do not succumb to the harshness of the world.

While initially agreeing to his father’s wishes, he is persuaded by his wife that money was not the intention his father had intended with regards to his wife and daughters, leaving them in agreement that little further should be done to aid them through their transition and through the time they will live without their father. They will continue to live on 500 pounds a year and the daughters will look to the future with no dowries between them. Finding their home is no longer theirs, Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters leave their home, lifestyle and most of their belongings for a small cottage rented to them by a distant relative.

Arriving at Barton Cottage, they find their new lives may hold more for them than they could ever expect. With new friends, new loves and the harshness of money and the world, the Dashwoods find new views of honor, duty and family.

Sensibly Perfect

Sense and Sensibility is one gorgeously shot film. The lighting, set design and costumes are all a reflection of the time and intricate detail that was put into the adaptation of this timeless classic. It is clear from the first musical notes and the opening scene that there was great care and love poured into bringing this adaptation to life.

Music by Scottish composer Patrick Doyle is soft and delicate, much like the film and the women it centers on – and immediately recognizable. The notes flow through each scene with a timely caress, cupping each emotion with a melodic touch. Brought on board by Emma Thompson (who stars in the film as Ms. Dashwood and adapted the screenplay) and director Ang Lee, he was charged with capturing the sound of the time, as well as the life of the women within the lines of composition.

Paralleling the incredible score and another fitting element to this endearing classic was the lighting and cinematography brought to the film by Michael Coulter. Soft, bright and natural light was utilized throughout Sense and Sensibility. It was a perfect fit as it brought a light heartiness to the film, as well as maintained a timely feel to viewers. There was no apparent essence of artificial light, keeping everything as it would have been at the time – natural. Scenes filmed indoors are low on lighting – especially during the evening hours when there would have been nothing but candle light to illuminate. The accuracy of lighting is another nod to the time and intricacy that was given to each detail.

Watching the film, it is clear the best of the best was cast to encapsulate each character within Sense and Sensibility. Ms. Dashwood portrayed by Emma Thompson, who had already poured her heart and soul into adapting the screenplay for the film, is the perfect Dashwoood – calm and reserved – focused on the survival of herself and family – duty and honor. Kate Winslet‘s fire and spirit pour into Marianne, whose belief of love over finance rule her every decision and action. Hugh Grant plays the reserved and calm E. C. Ferrars paralleling the performance of Emma Thompson – and the only cast member who was in the mind of the screenwriter from the very beginning. The late Alan Rickman rounds out the star studded cast, his performance for those who had previously seen his roles in Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves a complete 180. Whereas he had a villainous and eccentric air to his previous roles, he is secretive and quiet as Colonel Brandon – keeping much of himself close to his chest.

A Modern Day Jane Austin

While there were many players in bringing Sense and Sensibility to life, the real heart, soul and foundation of this film pours from the pages of its screenplay. When watching the film, especially if you have read the book previously, you can tell that this is truly where the strength of it lies. In The Shooting Script: Sense and Sensibility – Screenplay and Diaries by Emma Thompson, the book is introduced by producer Lindsey Doran, who discusses her journey in getting this project off the ground, as well the daunting task of finding the perfect screenwriter to adapt the book.

Sense and Sensibility was the perfect story written by the brilliant writer Jane Austen. There was a craft in the creation of her sentences and a wit that could be found throughout her lines of text and action. Finding someone who could capture and reshape it into a script seemed impossible. That is, until Doran challenged Emma Thompson with the task.

She had met Thompson while producing her first film Dead Again and was the only person she could see effectively adapting the book, not only as an actress performing on stage but also because of her mind and sensibilities. She was the perfect fit to bring each and every element of Austen‘s story to page – the only person who had the understanding of the classic. And the rest was history.

Doran‘s faith in Thompson would pay off, the film receiving seven Academy Award nominations – including one for Doran herself for Best Picture and one for Best Adapted Screenplay for Emma Thompson. The film would win only one out of the seven – Best Adapted Screenplay.

A Film For All Ages

When Sense and Sensibility came out, I was only about 10 years old; but age was not a factor in what had me fall in love with this film. The love story, even with the old ways of speaking and advanced vocabulary that frequents the film, transcends age and knowledge. A story focusing on the demands of your heart instead of your pocketbook is universal and easily understood by a child. Honor, duty and family, which is also a large focus of the film, is also easily understood. Add in mother and daughter time, and this film was the perfect fit.

As I rewatched the film, especially as I got older, I found new treasures within the dialogue and in the subtle expressions of the cast. The humor of the film that had gone over my head as a child was newly understood and refreshed the film for me as an adult. I could see why both my mother and I had been able to enjoy the film, no matter the language, age or understanding. This is the film you and you children can enjoy together – as a family.

With Sense and Sensibility just passing the 20th anniversary mark, it has also become a treasure chest of sorts of familiar faces from shows and films that have been released since the film’s premiere. Both children and adults can find actors who have encapsulated very different roles over the years. Most noticeable are the six individuals who many children and adults will remember from the worldwide phenomenon – Harry Potter. Emma Thompson (Professor Trelawney), Alan Rickman (Professor Snape), Robert Hardy (Cornelius Fudge), Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge), Gemma Jones (Madame Pumfrey) and Elizabeth Spriggs (Fat Lady) all starred throughout the entire series of the adapted Harry Potter films. Kate Winslet (Marianne Dashwoood), two years after this film, would become the independent and love struck survivor of the ill-fated Titanic. Hugh Laurie would be made a TV smash hit in House, as the smart-mouthed and drug addicted doctor of the same name. Tom Wilkinson (Mr. Dashwoood) would enter the DC Universe portraying Carmine Falcone in Christopher Nolan‘s Batman Begins 10 years after this film. The list goes on and on, proof of the quality of the cast and acting that was brought to Sense and Sensibility – and a fun game of “where have I seen you before?”

Sense and Sensibility: Conclusion

Sense and Sensibility, a favorite of my childhood, is the perfect film for many occasions and audiences – date night, children and adults. Every element of this film was carefully and intricately planned out and executed with perfection, bringing to life a timeless classic whose film is equally timeless.

What are your thoughts on Sense and Sensibility?