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Any movie with Ewan MacGregor singing can't be all bad...

Perhaps I would have liked this adaptation if I hadn't seen the BBC's version first. Or if I hadn't read the book. However I regret to report that Miramax's "Emma" was painful to watch. I felt like they were trying too hard. Perhaps the screenwriters were desperatley hoping to rake in the "Clueless" audience. As an avid admirer of all things Austen I was throughly disappointed. The story was so chopped up, not simply abridged, but chopped, that I didn't feel the closeness of the relationships that I got from the other version and the book. It was sadly 2 dimensional and forced. But, any movie with Ewan MacGragor singing can't be all bad.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker...

For some reason, film and Jane Austen are a winning combination. I can think of few classic authors who have been so well served by movie adaptations. This version of "Emma" is yet another success.

All of the necessary ingredients for a period film are here. Glorious houses, extravagant costumes and a dashing cast are all used to good effect. A special note is Ewan McGregor, demonstrating his singing chops long before "Moulin Rouge." He plays a fine rake. Gwyneth Paltrow does good service to Emma Woodhouse, balancing between silly snob and well-meaning, vulnerable girl. Jeremy Northam is a perfect Mr. Knightley and Toni Collette (Muriel's Wedding, Sixth Sense) is excellent as Harriet.

The DVD is bare bones, but the presentation is nice enough. All in all, and excellent addition to a Jane Austen film library. Good fun.

Genteel Humor

Nothing will cause me to push the 'no' button faster than reading a review which compares a film to a novel. It is an unfair comparison. Anybody who expects a film to be 'faithful' to the novel is simply delusional.


With that rant aside, let me say that i have read the book, I have seen the Beckinsale version and I still consider this my favorite of the two. The reason is a matter of humor. While the Beckinsale version is very 'faithful', this has a wonderful genteel humor which I think Austen herself would appreciate.

Maybe I was drawn offside

I have noticed that particularly well-written stories attract more intelligent reviews than most of the best-selling trash. Not near as many reviews, of course, but much more literate. The same goes for videos. Quite a number of the reviews praising "Emma" are among the best I've seen on the Amazon site. Conversely, I found three outstanding negative reviews in which the reviewers stated their dislikes so compellingly that I've had to reconsider my perception of this movie.

For insight into what I mean, read the reviews below by dinkybob2, Anne Woodley, and Ken Groom. Woodley says, "I am a Janeite and I don't like to see people fiddling around with the divine Austen." Serious writers have been studying Jane Austen's works for 200 years. Patrick O'Brian said he unabashedly adopted elements of her style. (Which is, of course, why writers study other writers.) Woodley speaks for me, too, when she says, "The fact that Austen's perfect words have been read with great enjoyment for hundreds of years leaves me wondering why script writers are so determined to improve them..." It takes a mighty big ego for a screenwriter to presume to improve Jane Austen's use of dialog.

Dinkybob2 disliked the "laughability of the historical accuracy of this version of 'Emma'", and she explains why. Ken Groom expressed the same objection. Dinkybob2 objected to a passionate and graphic kiss between Emma and Mr. Knightly, and explains, "The Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle 'Pride and Prejudice' shows what I think is a lovely example of how people in love would've behaved together [in that period]." Many persons familiar with eighteenth-century social customs, as they were accurately described by Jane Austen, would agree.

Austen fans identify the characters she created down to the last detail, and their precisely-described conduct as well. Indeed, has any author ever excelled Jane Austen in characterization and scene descriptions? Both dinkybob2 and Anne Woodley suggest other screen adaptations of Jane Austen's books which they feel are superior to Emma, and they provide lucid reasons for their opinions.

This forum for customer comments presented by the Amazon site is one of its most valuable features. Contrasting viewpoints, when well expressed, are highly influential in my buying decisions.

Maybe I was misled into believing I enjoyed this film because the version produced by BBC was so gosh-awful. (I'm pleased that it isn't offered on the Amazon.com site.) Austen said Emma was "nearly" twenty-one. The actress who played Emma for BBC was at least 35 when the film was made, or looked it. Jane Austen would not have considered her "handsome," as she described the real Emma. BBC's Mr. Knightly was combative with Emma, not sensibly argumentative and genteel during their debates.

Among the grievous aspects of the BBC movie was that the screenwriter had the audacity to completely rewrite Austen's superb dialog between Emma and Mr. Knightly.

Most viewers who posted comments on this "Emma" liked the movie. Maybe you will too. But, then again, some four out of five readers out of over 1000 who commented on "Cold Mountain" were very positive in their reviews while I thought it was a piece of trash. (It was awarded the National Book Award, too.) So much for my likes and dislikes.

Very entertaining adaptation of the novel

This was a very enjoyable movie. I had never read the book when I watched it, but I had seen Clueless with Alicia Silverstone which is loosely based on this movie. That movie was very funny and well-written and I have to say this is better written and just as funny. Gwyneth Paltrow really does a tremendous job as Emma; she really captures her spoiled girl wanting to do good nature. It is a wonderful performance. All the performances are excellent really. Jeremy Northam as Knightly is great as always, Toni Collette playing the shy and nervous Harriet Smith does particularly well with a performance that has to appear nervous. Sophie Thompson as Miss Bates is fabulous and I really felt for her when Emma insulted her at the picnic. Mrs. Elton played by Juliet Stevenson is very entertaining in her clueless baseness. I enjoyed the filming too; a character would begin saying a line in one scene and then the sentence had to be finished somewhere else and so when the scene was finished, we found that the rest of the scene had been done in the other place. The script is excellent. Like I said, I haven't read the book, but the screenplay had enough conflict and resolution to please me and to provide some interest to most viewers of this film I would think. I don't know what Jane Austen would think of the film although I would think that she would be flattered to have her novel adapted. Nevertheless, the screenplay is very well done. I have to say that this really was Ms. Paltrow's film. I remember this is around the time that her star really started to glow in Hollywood and I can see why now. I don't know if she was given an Oscar nomination for this, but I think she deserved one.

Lovely!

"Emma Woodhouse" Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love, Duets) has nothing to do with herself but painting, going with her friends on her chariot up and down, saying hello to people in town, and trying to match make everybody she knows. I guess there were no movies, no television in those days, and the girls had nothing to do but gossip. I wish she had read a little more. I like Gwyneth, and think that she is a lovely young woman. She is talented, and in "Emma" one has the privilege to hear Gwyneth sing. I am looking forward to seeing "Duets", where she is suppose to sing. She is brave to speak British English with all those native Britons, including Emma Thompson's sister, "Miss Bates" Sophie Thompson (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Dancing at Lughnasa). "Mrs. Elton" Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly Deeply) was considered one of the most promising actors in 1991. Gwyneth is part of the American movie royalty, being none other than the daughter of director Bruce Paltrow (St. Elsewhere) and Tony Award Winner Blythe Danner (The Myth of Fingerprints). She will hopefully be around for a real long time. Lucky us! I liked Emma and also recommend it. It is one of those old stories that are still accurate those days.
Favorite scenes: Emma singing and playing the piano. I specially like it when she sings a duet. Favorite Quotes: Mr. Knightley": Emma, you didn't ask me to contribute a riddle." Emma: "Your entire personality is a riddle, Mr. Knightley. I thought you overqualified." Miss Bates: "It left us speechless, quite speechless I tell you, and we have not stopped talking of it since."

Emma

Gwyneth does the best Emma I have seen. The story content is humorous and entertaining. This has the best Mr. Knightley over all the other film reditions I have seen. I watch this when I want to relax and laugh. I recommend this for anyone's dvd library.

Adequate, but misses Austen's subtlety

Emma goes riding. Emma shoots. Emma gets stuck in a bog and is rescued. If Emma had such an exciting life, she would not have needed to try to mold Harriet. Gwyneth Paltrow delivers an adequate performance, but demonstrates that she is entirely clueless about the humor in Austen's only decent novel.

Charming

Emma is a lot of fun to watch. Her matchmaking "skills" cause lots of laughter and sighs. Gwenneth Paltrow potrays Emma very well and is very entertaining. Mr. Knightly is just how I imagined him in Jane Austen's book. A very good movie!

Perfectly Wonderful Movie.

This is an absolutely sweet story. Paltrow makes an adorable 'Emma' -- and any girl will fall in love with 'Mr. Knightley!! I watch it over and over - and never tire of it. It will really make you laugh when you see all the trouble Emma's antics get her into!! She is so human, portraying a lack of humility at times and jealousy and at the same time also true love and loyalty. You will love Emma!! A perfectly wonderful movie.

Charming - Jane Austen would approve

Gwyneth Paltrow is a perfect Emma- snobby and interefering yet a completely adorable character. As Mr Knightly, Jeremy Northam is also very good - just how I imagined him too be. The only character I think is really miscast is Toni Collete as Harriet Smith. She's an okay actress but this is just not the part for her. Harriet should be small and frail and much more of a country girl - I couldn't see her matching with Robert Martin at all. This is a good overall film and Jane Austen's world comes across very well. The Frank Churchill episode of the book is skipped over a bit quickly but apart from that it is fairly accurate. I imagine it would encourage younger people to try reading some Austen. I think Jane Austen herself would love this film - Emma is as mischievious but adorable as she intended her to be.

One of the worst adaptations of a classic ever!!

This is one of the worst adaptations of a classic novel that I have ever seen, surpassed only by Miss Paltrow's "Great Expectations."

The costumes and set design were lovely (although we might be fooled into thinking that Regency England had a perpetual Riviera-like climate by the costumes and light!), and some of the acting quite good, especially Jeremy Northam as Knightley and Juliet Stevenson as the horrible and hysterically funny Mrs. Elton. However, having seen this and several other of her movies, I can't see why anyone thinks Gwyneth Paltrow can act. She does her best with those British accents, but she seems to have about two facial expressions -- smiling beautifully and scrunching her face up to cry. She is however, very beautiful and those Regency costumes certainly suit her, so perhaps that explains the casting. Also, Toni Collette was COMPLETELY miscast as Harriet Smith.

This aside, the worst part of this movie for me was the script! Evidently, the writers decided that the classic words of one of the greatest writers of the English language were not usable for their purposes and substituted their own idiotic language instead -- just a few examples: "Please don't shoot my dogs!" (this kind of "humor" belongs in a low-grade sitcom); Emma addresses her "Dear Diary"; Emma refers to someone as a "couple" -- I'm pretty sure that no-one in the early nineteenth century referred to "couples." In fact, in the few instances where the screenwriters deigned to use Jane Austen's own words, the contrast only pointed up their own lack of talent!

If you love "Emma" the novel, do yourself a favor and don't see this movie.

Rather too cute

Too much a vehicle for Paltrow, and too little a vehicle for Austen. The Beckinsale A&E version is much better, and I'm not sure that the BBC version was not the best - I cannot decide. But this one is superficial and unsatisfying. Too vague a Jane Fairfax, while Frank Churchill is sometimes too flashy and sometimes too dull and lumpish, while the relationship between these two is undeveloped. Miss Taylor is too young and foolish, and Mr. Knightley looks still wet behind the ears - no match for his Emma. Emma is too pretty and Harriet not pretty enough, the hypochondriac father, so richly and amusingly portrayed in both the other versions, is just thrown away here, while the Harriet Smith character is rather wooden and the Harriet-Emma relationship lacks most of the humor Austen wickedly portrayed in it - which the other two versions bring out very well. I will say, I do like the portrayal here of one of Austen's prize jerks - the ineffable Mrs. Elton.

A terribly BORING MOVIE!!!

I had to watch this wretched film for one of my English classes. I could have gouged my eyes out towards the end. The only thing that kept me awake was the stunning beauty of Gwynyth Paltrow. She is an extraordinary actress so it makes me shudder to think she did this piece of trash. If you want to see her do perfect British then I firmly suggest Shakespeare In Love.

Wonderful movie..Paltrow is a delight as Emma

I loved this movie! Paltrow is delightful as Emma, as is the rest of the cast. Toni Colette is a treat as Harriet, I also enjoyed Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightley. Costumes and music are wonderful,as well as the setting. I loved Clueless , and this was a very close adaptation of that. You will notice the closeness of both stories. I loved the ending! If you liked "Sense and Sensibility" and "Clueless" you will love Emma! " Marry me, my darling wonderful friend"

If you've seen clueless the story is the same

Its a good movie if one doesn't mind the stuffy british setting. The storyline is exaclty the same as the movie clueless. Emma (gweneth paltrow)pretty much plays the same character as cher from clueless except Emma is a victorian lady. Ewan Mcgregor does a wonderful job as always playing a charming role where he even gets to sing. The movie is very romantic with a sweet ending

At her best.....

Emma is a great movie for anyone that loves Jane Austen books. Gwyenth is at her best and makes this a funny, and sweet romance.

Beautiful Visual Study of an Austen Work

This is a lovely film to behold. While it is true some liberties have been taken with the story's characters in order to adapt Austen's original work for this film rendition, it is a successful effort. The set designs, costumes and lighting in many shots are truly picturesque and produce a charming, fairy tale-like glimpse into Regency Period England. Gwyneth Paltrow is to be commended for an affectionate portrayal of the immature and overly-indulged Emma Woodhouse; the viewer likes Paltrow's Emma in spite of her flaws, indeed, because of her flaws the viewer sees the humor in Emma's actions and penchant for meddling (which is no doubt how Austen probably intended Emma to be perceived). Jeremy Northam, as always, shines in Period films. As Emma's mentor and admirer, his tongue-in-cheek reactions to Emma's missteps and blunders as she navigates her way to adulthood, helps the viewer understand Emma is well-meaning, but still very much a victim of the shortsightedness of her youth. Toni Colette plays the naive Harriet Smith, who is Emma's trusted friend. The scenes involving the two are well-directed and entertaining and the camera work shows both Paltrow and Colette off to their best advantages.

This film, like "Sense and Sensibility" , helped put Austen's works back in the forefront of the entertainment forum and in that respect alone, it is to be commended. The viewer finds themself caring about the characters and the outcome of the story, which is the reaction any author or director strives to achieve. I thoroughly recommend the movie to all; the plot and humorous elements of the story are appealing and the characters are timeless.

An Unforgotten Classic!

Douglas McGrath's 1996 version of "Emma" is an absolute delight! Modern actors put a new and fresh spin on a timeless classic. Emma's character is brilliantly captured by award-winning actress, Gwyneth Paltrow. The viewer can sympathize with Emma, despise Emma, and fall in love with Emma all in a matter of two hours. Emma's innocence and good heart is exactly what causes pain to many. It is this age-old internal struggle that makes you fall in love with Emma. Emma's escapades will have you wondering, laughing, and may even jerk a tear from your eye. The modern actors bring a fresh look to a story that will live on forever. Emma is the upscale twenty-one year old daughter of Mr. Woodhouse(played by Denys Hawthorne). Emma is a good natured, yet very sheltered girl with an amusement for the art of matchmaking. Emma has been quite successful at making matches among her friends and neighbors. It is Emma's success that is her failure. As Emma becomes more successful at making matches, she obtains a sense of graditude and learns to endulge in self-reward. Making others happy is soon overcome by her own obsession to be successful at making them happy. To the townspeople, Emma is a symbol of perfection. There are two people who are able to see Emma's faults, Mr. Knightly and the viewer. Emma depises the fact that Mr. Knightly (played by Jeremy Northam) is able to see her faults and call her on them. As Emma matures throughout the movie, it is the honesty of Mr. Knightly that she learns to love. One of the main themes in the movie is the old adage "you find love where you least expect it". Emma definately finds love where and when she least expects it. It is a bit ironis that Emma falls in love while attempting to make others fall in love. During Emma's failures, she confides in her only true friend, Mr. Knightly. Emma and Mr. Knightly's solid friendship is the foundation for what is to be a healthy relationship. "Emma" is a friendly reminder to us all...that the one you love the most, may very well be the one you considered least.

~Joel Maxam~

Get off Gwenyth, she was excellent!

Why does everyone seem to be hounding on Miss Paltrow's talents? She is a very beautiful actress and proved to us there's more to just beauty in her performance. Paltrow executed her lines with stunning realism taking on the meddling, quirky traits of Emma Woodhouse. Jane Austen would be ecstatic at the flawless portrayal of her most controversial heroine. And the other actors were superb too. Mr. Knightly was just that: a knight in shining armor. And Mr. Elton was the scoundrel you love to hate. And the rest of the cast, oh, I could write volumes on their performances as well. So, if you haven't at least seen this movie, rent it!