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Emma (A&E, 1997) | 
 enlarge | Director: Diarmuid Lawrence
Actors: Kate Beckinsale, Bernard Hepton, Mark Strong, Samantha Bond, James Hazeldine
Studio: A&E Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $7.63
You Save: $12.32 (62%)
New (45) Used (14) from $6.90
Rating:  158 reviews
Sales Rank: 1263
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 107
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
DVD Layers: 1
DVD Sides: 1
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: AAED70027D
ISBN: 0767020308
UPC: 733961700275
EAN: 9780767020305
ASIN: 0767020308
Theatrical Release Date: February 16, 1997
Release Date: October 26, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED
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Product Description
Emma woodhouse has a rigid sense of propriety as regards matrimonial alliances. Unfortunately she insists on matchmaking for her less forceful friend harriet and so causes her to come to grief. Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 08/29/2000 Starring: Kate Beckinsale Mark Strong Run time: 125 minutes Rating: Nr Director: Diarmuid Lawrence
Amazon.com
Similar to the equally excellent Valmont, this version of Jane Austen's classic novel had the misfortune of following a sumptuous big-star version with Gwyneth Paltrow, which was released the summer before. And, just as 1989's Valmont suffered comparisons with Dangerous Liaisons, inevitably these Emmas were held up next to one another. This delicious Emma concerns a young woman of financial substance (Kate Beckinsale), who fancies herself a matchmaker, especially with shy Miss Harriet Smith (Samantha Morton, who also appears in A&E's Jane Eyre). In Emma's swirling world of social activity and social consciousness, one's position and stature is a constant preoccupation. But to her credit, Emma, albeit a busybody, has compassion for all classes, and for her kindly but hypochondriacal father (Bernard Hepton). This miniseries is more subtle than the grand theatrical release, is truer to the novel, and gives a richer explanation of the relationship between Emma associates Jane Fairfax (beautiful Olivia Williams of Rushmore) and the duplicitous Frank Churchill (Raymond Coulthard). Of course, at the center, as in all Austen stories, is the romance between the unsuspecting leading lady and an unlikely, but wholly suitable gentleman. In this case, it's Emma and her brother-in-law, the righteous (as played here) Mr. Knightley (Mark Strong). Strong's Mr. Knightley is more reserved, less coy than Jeremy Northam's; he plays Knightley more like Mr. Darcy (the leading man in Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which A&E also offers in a wonderful miniseries). Beckinsale proves to be utterly delightful and in no way should this excellent adaptation be ignored. --N.F. Mendoza
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| Customer Reviews: Read 153 more reviews...
 Not The Everyman's Emma November 13, 2008
I think, to a certain degree, comparison with Douglas McGrath's 1996 movie featuring Gwyneth Paltrow is inevitable. However, I must alert my reader to the fact that - when I praise this alternate version from Diarmuid Lawrence - I do so with the original novel in mind. This mini-series has not a movie's glamour, nor does Kate Beckinsale match Paltrow in beauty. However, with regards to Jane Austen's beloved work, this is undoubtedly the more faithful adaptation. Beckinsale's portrayal is less flighty and silly then Paltrow's... she carries the character's grace perfectly in every scene. The superb Samantha Morton, despite her slimness, is a perfect Harriet Smith; it is hard to make so stupid a girl endearing, but Morton does it with such apparent ease even her must enthusiastic fans must believe what they see. Lucy Robinson (better known by most as Mrs. Hurst from Simon Langton's 1995 "Pride and Prejudice") is so wonderfully obnoxious she almost undoes Mrs. Elton, who should be unbearable, but is instead wonderfully entertaining in both vanity and snobbery. Olivia Williams (The Jane Austen of Jeremy Lovering's "Miss Austen Regrets") is truly beautiful... more beautiful perhaps then the title character. What is more, she sings like a nightingale! Together with Raymond Coulthard as Frank Churchill (who is almost too charming to garner dislike as he should), the two make an astonishingly handsome couple. Mark Strong is not a very polished Mr. Knightley, but he plays the part admirably, with feeling, and with forethought which is apparent in his actions as well as his expressions. Even Prunella Scales, who must compete with Sophie Thompson for the title of "Best Miss Bates" withstands all independent criticism. Despite being somewhat rough, the production values grow better upon review... those subtleties in the use of music, camera-shot etc will become more evident and thereby easier to appreciate. Truly rewarding, for those who will properly attend to it.
Truly the Best Emma October 28, 2008
This Emma is the best production. The others don't compare with this one. Kate Beckinsdale is very good as the lead character and the production is much more realistic than the others out there. Emma is a difficult book to produce it is a bit thin and shallow. This is the first show I've seen that has made Emma as realistic as possible. It really works! I found myself engaged in the story and feeling for the characters. It works.
 Pleasant. Relaxed-pace, ok once. September 17, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Visually appealing. Pretty dresses, houses, and scenery. Better than television. Only 3-stars, because the script could be better. 3-stars compared to "Pride and Prejudice". This is the best version so far. Pleasant to watch once.
Emma meddles in her friend's romances to their harm.
We see Emma insulting nice people. We see Emma being condescending to her friends; meaning Emma's attitude shows Emma is thinking how she is better than her friends, rather than being thankful for her friend's friendship, kindness, and good qualities. Emma is prideful, because Emma values appearance, charm, money, and power, which she has, more than the truly valuable, friendship, good-character, kindness, and goodness that her poor friends have.
If you liked this, you should like "Under the Greenwood Tree", which has more humor. Even better is "North and South", "Wives and Daughters", and "Pride and Prejudice"-1995 or 1940.
My suggestions for a remake of this film are under the "comment" button below.
3 maybe 3 1/2 September 6, 2008
Not quite what I was expecting, but it's a cute movie. Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility get 5 stars in my book. But this is a good movie too.
4.5 August 16, 2008
I did watch this AFTER watching the 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow version and do prefer this one.
I'm not a Kate Beckinsale fan, she does Emma well. She's more proper and more restrained than Paltrow. The scene that sticks in my mind most is her face after Knightley chews her out for being mean to Miss Bates.
I definitely preferred this George Knightley. Davies does a better job of showing Knightley as a person rather than a plot mover; it was far clearer that he was a responsible landowner, riding out to check on his workers and striking up a friendship with a tenant farmer like Robert Martin. He also feels older than Emma in this version, as it was in the book. Mark Strong, of course, is an excellent actor and does this character wonderfully.
One of the strengths of this version is its Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax. This Frank is good, but then it's not hard to beat the Miramax version, which had me laughing (at it). Olivia Williams, though, was to me the memorable Jane Fairfax: quiet, put-upon, long-suffering - she captured Jane Fairfax in a nutshell. Williams' performance drove home what every reader and viewer feels at the end: Jane deserves so much more than that jerk Churchill. Loved it.
Lucy Robinson, fresh from being the annoying yes-woman Mrs. Hurst to Anna Chancellor's Caroline Bingley, is Mrs. Elton; Samantha Morton, Harriet Smith. Both are good performances, and at least for me, on par with their Hollywood counterparts. Of course, Harriet drives me nuts with her spinelessness, so I'm not a good person to judge any Harriet Smith.
A definite plus: showing Emma's nephew. A key line running through the novel is Emma's reluctance for George Knightley to marry. She believes she doesn't want Knightley to marry because of disinheritance; Emma's older sister is married to George's younger brother, and their son (Emma and George's nephew) Henry is George Knightley's heir. Emma says her primary fear is that Henry will be disinherited if Knightley marries and produces a son, and that is her ostensible reason for opposing Mrs. Weston's suggestion that Knightley favors Jane Fairfax and Harriet's affection for Knightley. It's not until later she realizes that her own feelings for Knightley are playing as large a role as Henry's disinheritance in her reluctance for him to marry. This aspect comes out very well in this version of "Emma".
If I had to choose one (which I didn't; I have both), I'd choose this one. It's overall a more faithful version.
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