Mansfield Park

Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park" is a novel that challenges the status of a hero.  Think of all the book you've EVER read, or the movies that you've EVER watched.  What is the hero like?  Maybe he's upright or maybe he's a bad boy, but either way, he's usually got this secret confidence and charisma that always bursts forth at just the right moments.  Ok, well Fanny Price of Mansfield Park is not like that at all. 

Fanny is poor.  Fanny is timid.  Fanny is quiet.  Fanny never raises her voice or passionatly argues a case.  Fanny is delicate, obedient, and sensitive.  Sounds like a boring read?  Not on your life!

Fanny Price is the reminder to the English Literate class that people of ALL dispositions have worth, and that sometimes it is the ones that we underestimate that end up surprising us the most with their bravery and trust.  It also reminds us the the dreary tedium and frustrating stresses of daily life may end up looking quite like an adventure once one has reached the end of them.  Mansfield Park is about the story we all forget to see in everyday life, and everyday people.

So you've probably guessed by now that I love the book.  Well, you'd be right if you did.  This story however, proved to be intimidating to film makers for just the reason that I value it - Fanny was not "the strong modern woman."  But then, neither is every woman today...pretty sure I'm not.  Anyway, there have been three film adaptations of this novel.  One is excellent, one is terrible, one is good.  Here they are:

1) Mansfield Park (1983) - Let me first surprise you all by saying that this is the excellent version.  No joke!  Ok, before I praise it to the skies, it should be noted that the style of shooting (camera) is old, and the acting is in the older, more stage-like style as well, however unlike the old BBC versions of Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion, it is not wooden.  Actually, when placed in its time, the acting was quite modern and heartfelt.  The actress for Fanny stole the show - quietly of course - with her sincere timidity of manner, and her own astonishment at any bravery or obstinance she did display.  Edmund was good too - not handsome, and rather odd, but sincere and kindly, as he ought.  Tom Bertrand is a loveable scoundral.  Miss Crawford is quite good, despite a few scenes where I thought she was a little stiff.  Henry Crawford - well, his acting is a bit formal and put-on, but I get the distinct impression that that was done on purpose, because in the book, that is how he is.  Aunt Bertram offers humour, Aunt Norris offers someone to hate, and Sir Thomas offers us someone to misjudge and rediscover.  If you can put up with the length and oldness, worth it.  Fanny freaks at stupid fake Henry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJtn7wBSr1w

2) Mansfield Park (1999) - my advice? DON'T WATCH IT.  Ok, sure it has its moments.  But here is where film makers chickened out of making Fanny Fanny.  Rather they combined the story with bits of Jane Austen's life (which were poorly fit in), and decided to reinturpret the rest of the story in such a way as to leave little resemblence to the actualy story than the characters names and relations to eachother.  What made me the most angry, apart from EVERYTHING? Two things - First, Fanny is not Fanny; she is too strong, yet they try to script in unconfidence with it, and she is wishy washy with Mr.Crawford when she should have remained strong. Second - they villanize Sir Thomas.  I would burn scripts for that.Oh, and Miss Crawford is disgusting, Fanny walks into a public street with no corset in her pyjamas, and there is nudity.  And her brother William isn't in it.   The least offensive clip of the terribleness that I could find is the trailer, designed to sell the movie of course: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2QJWA7ALcI&feature=related

3) Mansfield Park (2007) - this version is good.  It is too short, cutting out a lot of the story, and Billie Piper is a bit strong as Fanny, but surprisingly she does quite a good job of keeping the character timid and quiet.  Blake Ritson does a fantastic job as Edmund, a gentle and honest portrayal, completely opposite to his hilarious performance of Mr.Elton in Romola Garai's Emma.  Miss Crawford was terrible, but that was mostly the scripts fault for allowing her liberties only a very unrespectable woman would have taken in those days (ie, purposely exposing her leg from under her skirt).  Tom and Sir Thomas are good, and William is a sweetheart.  Fanny's relationship with William is very sweet, as it should be.  All in all, worth watching, which is why I am including a link to the first part of the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmqSn4udSaM