This 2008 BBC miniseries is probably the second most popular S&S adaptation after the Emma Thompson version. This one was written by Andrew Davies, directed by John Alexander, and stars Hattie Morahan as Elinor and Charity Wakefield as Marianne.
What's different
This is a straight adaptation, so it follows the book pretty well. It's too easy to get lost in cataloging minute differences, so I'm going to stick to the big ones. The biggest of all, in my opinion, is the inclusion of several scenes depicting events that happen out of sight in the book. The opening scene is Willoughby seducing Brandon's ward, which came as a real surprise to me. It was so steamy, I thought at first it was a commercial for something else! It seems like a weird choice to include that scene at all, much less open the series with it. It had me worried that this was going to be one of those ~sexy~ period dramas, but I was relieved to find the rest of the series completely lacking in sexiness.
Other scenes I was surprised to see played out were Willoughby and Marianne touring Allenham (and sharing a chaste kiss), the duel between Brandon and Willoughby, and Marianne visiting Delaford to use the library and piano. The first two were discussed in the book but not described as they happened, and the last is an invention for this adaptation.
I was also intrigued by the time-saving edits that this adaptation makes. All the adaptations cut things in order to fit the whole story into 2-3 hours, but in this one, some scenes are reordered or combined in very thoughtful ways that save time by making other scenes redundant. For example, when Willoughby shows up at Cleveland to explain himself to Elinor, Marianne is well enough already to get out of bed and secretly listen in on their conversation.
This change helps Marianne get over him quicker and also makes redundant the scene in which Elinor tells Marianne about his visit, allowing the series to skip that and save time. This was not the only time a change like this was made. It felt a little odd to see such large edits to Austen's narrative structure, but I appreciated how much thought went into the changes.
Another major difference is Marianne's attitude toward Brandon. In the book, she's quite contemptuous of him, especially when encouraged by Willoughby. The closest she comes to complimenting him is to say that he's less offensive to her sensibilities than the other occupants of Barton Park. In this adaptation, however, she remarks more than once that she likes and respects him. When she tries to avoid him, the implication is that she feels awkward around him after learning that he has a crush on her, not that she dislikes his company.
In fact, even Marianne's knowledge of Brandon's feelings for her is a deviation from the book. In the final chapter, Austen reveals that it's not until two years after the events of the novel that Marianne finally realizes Brandon is interested in her in a more than friendly way.
A smaller difference that I feel compelled to mention is the relocation of Barton Park to the seaside. They lived nowhere near the ocean in the book, but in this adaptation, they're situated on a dramatic cliff beside the beach. I guess the BBC couldn't pass up such a dramatic landscape, and the moodiness of the dark water was certainly a mood. I kept feeling like it was foreshadowing and someone was going to drown later on.
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| Nothing sexy about that. |
Other scenes I was surprised to see played out were Willoughby and Marianne touring Allenham (and sharing a chaste kiss), the duel between Brandon and Willoughby, and Marianne visiting Delaford to use the library and piano. The first two were discussed in the book but not described as they happened, and the last is an invention for this adaptation.
I was also intrigued by the time-saving edits that this adaptation makes. All the adaptations cut things in order to fit the whole story into 2-3 hours, but in this one, some scenes are reordered or combined in very thoughtful ways that save time by making other scenes redundant. For example, when Willoughby shows up at Cleveland to explain himself to Elinor, Marianne is well enough already to get out of bed and secretly listen in on their conversation.
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| Sneaky sneaky. |
This change helps Marianne get over him quicker and also makes redundant the scene in which Elinor tells Marianne about his visit, allowing the series to skip that and save time. This was not the only time a change like this was made. It felt a little odd to see such large edits to Austen's narrative structure, but I appreciated how much thought went into the changes.
Another major difference is Marianne's attitude toward Brandon. In the book, she's quite contemptuous of him, especially when encouraged by Willoughby. The closest she comes to complimenting him is to say that he's less offensive to her sensibilities than the other occupants of Barton Park. In this adaptation, however, she remarks more than once that she likes and respects him. When she tries to avoid him, the implication is that she feels awkward around him after learning that he has a crush on her, not that she dislikes his company.
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| She's not avoiding Brandon, she just wants to get in a quick workout before tea! |
In fact, even Marianne's knowledge of Brandon's feelings for her is a deviation from the book. In the final chapter, Austen reveals that it's not until two years after the events of the novel that Marianne finally realizes Brandon is interested in her in a more than friendly way.
A smaller difference that I feel compelled to mention is the relocation of Barton Park to the seaside. They lived nowhere near the ocean in the book, but in this adaptation, they're situated on a dramatic cliff beside the beach. I guess the BBC couldn't pass up such a dramatic landscape, and the moodiness of the dark water was certainly a mood. I kept feeling like it was foreshadowing and someone was going to drown later on.
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| They had to change locations so Elinor could hang out in this dark cave. How else would the audience know she's sad? |
What I liked
Colonel Brandon is not a creep in this one! Maybe he finally saw a therapist about that savior complex of his. There is one weird part where he corners Willoughby and demands to know what his intentions are toward Marianne, but other than that blip, Brandon doesn't do anything weird or controlling. He's still a sad sack, don't get me wrong, but he's an irreproachable sad sack. |
| The original sad boi. |
I also like that there is more buildup to Marianne and Brandon getting together. A 100% accurate adaptation would have them not getting together for two more years, but I understand that ending with a double wedding is irresistible to screenwriters. Having some buildup is definitely better than being ambushed by their wedding (I'm looking at you, 1995 Emma Thompson version).
A subtle addition that I appreciate are the time passing montages: putting on a puppet show, staring out a window, practicing piano, etc. It feels a little clumsy, but it makes the timeline more obvious and more acceptable. For instance, in this adaptation, it does seem like Edward hung around Norland long enough to actually fall in love with Elinor.
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| It must have been one hell of a puppet show. |
One thing that bothers me about the novel is how abruptly Marianne changes her entire personality at the end. This adaptation softened the blow quite a bit. She does make her apologies to Elinor for her past behavior, and she gives her little speech about wanting to devote herself to studying, but her overall change in character seems to come on more gradually, beginning even before she gets sick.
Other highlights include: Fanny, who is a savage bitch; and Anne Steele, who is ditzy and boy crazy (beau crazy?) and perfect in every way. I also love how Lucy is low-key like "STFU Anne" whenever Anne talks. I also thoroughly enjoyed the scene in which Edward accidentally walks into a conversation between Elinor and Lucy; it's very well done in this adaptation, just deliciously awkward.
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| Which one of them is closer to dying of embarrassment, do you think? |
There's always one minor character who completely steals the show, and in this miniseries it's John and Fanny's son. Look at him! He looks like a baby Augustus Gloop! No offense to Mark Gatiss, but this kid could totally be his son. This kid is the best joke in the whole show.
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| Look at him! |
What I disliked
While I do like Marianne's more gradual character change, overall I'm unhappy with how she is portrayed in this adaptation. Her personality is toned down a lot, so she doesn't really feel like Marianne anymore. She's not scornful of Brandon, like I mentioned, and she's lost her capriciousness. Even when she throws social mores to the wind with Willoughby, it feels like she's just along for the ride. They went in a sort of childlike direction for her rather than a fanciful and carefree teenager. You can also see this reflected in her wardrobe. For most of the series, she wears youthful prints and light colors, which contract with Elinor's darker clothes. After Willoughby breaks her heart, Marianne wears plainer dresses in more muted tones. It's all a bit obvious. |
| A sad girl playing sad music in a sad dress. |
Speaking of obvious, this adaptation lays it on pretty thick at the end when they're setting up Brandon to be marriage material for Marianne. Elinor makes some weird comment about breaking wild horses, then there's the shot of Brandon flying a hawk at Delaford — we get it, he's good at taming wild things!
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| IT'S A METAPHOR. |
The scene in which Willoughby carries Marianne home after she sprains her ankle is recreated almost exactly with Brandon when he finds her lying on the ground in the rain and carries her back to Cleveland. It's never explained why Marianne is lying on the ground, she just is.
An inconsistency that really bugs me in this miniseries is Edward's personality. He's even more charming and flirtatious than Hugh Grant's Edward, but everyone pretends that he's not. Mrs. Dashwood calls him "shy and diffident" at one point, and it's jarring because it's so untrue.
I'm sad that Mrs. Jennings has such a small part, and Mr. Palmer barely appears at all. Sir John (who I'd like to point out is Arthur fucking Weasley) is not as charming as I'd like him to be. And I'm gonna say it every time — there is no scene where Mrs. Jennings thinks Brandon just proposed to Elinor! This is the very last straight adaptation, so all hope is lost for me to see my absolute favorite scene from the book.
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| Just imagine he's holding a wizard hat. |
Adaptation wish list
- Is it funny? — A little.
- Is it bitchy? — Yes.
- Is Brandon less pathetic? — No, but he's a better person.
- Is Marianne more believable? — Yes, but at the cost of her personality.
I enjoyed this adaptation. It has some flaws for sure, but overall it feels true to Austen's story. It gets bonus points for having a not-creepy Brandon, but it loses points for Marianne having a completely different temperament. So I guess it evens out?
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