Mansfield Park (2007)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

I read the book some days ago and was very impressed, so I decided to watch the movies too. I was disappointed. I couldn't finish the 1999 version at all, and this one either. Well, this one was kinda better, but still it missed some important stuff from the book. First of all, Fanny was too lively, running around and laughing like crazy. This is not Fanny from the book. She is supposed to be very composed and shy. Sir Thomas was too mean. Lady Bertram wasn't beautiful at all. She is supposed to be an extraordinary beauty and of a very sweet temper. Nothing like that. It looked like Mrs. Norris and Lady Bertram were switched. Mrs. Norris was more beautiful and talked in this gentle voice. Whoever did the casting for this movie was really incompetent. Henry Crawford was not very charming either. He is supposed to have this talent of making women fall in love with him. Well, you couldn't get that from the movie. He looked quite unattractive, not only in terms of looks. The actress who played Mary Crawford was the only good thing about the movie. She looked and acted exactly as she is supposed to be in the book. Edmond was supposed to be much more in love with her though, we don't really get that. In terms of the plot, they omitted stuff that was important. For example, the conversation of Maria and her father where he asks her whether she still wants to get married to the idiotic fiancé, and she says "yes." Well, from how it was put in the movie, it doesn't make sense why she'd say she still wants to go along with it. But in the book this conversation is preceded by Maria's disappointment in Henry Crawford. She expects him to propose and be serious about his intentions, instead he goes on a trip for weeks without even writing to her. She marries Mr.Rushworth as a sort of a consolation and revenge to Henry.The picnic scene is stupid too. It's supposed to be a ball and Fanny has to open the dancing with Henry. We don't get that at all. We don't get the whole story around the golden necklace that was given to Fanny by Mary. Actually, that's as far as I got because it was unbearable already.

I recently read the book (a bit of a slog but brilliant) and was interested to see a screen adaptation, wondering how on earth they could breath life into Fanny Price who seems to be more of an ideal that a real person. I haven't yet seen Patricia Rozema's version but this one is such a travesty that I watched the whole thing in fascination and horror; much like not being able to look away from a traffic accident. This one's sort of like Moll Flanders' adventures in Jane Austenland. Jane is now such big bu$ine$$ that they simply take one of her plots, add some good actors, a stately manor or two, some hifalutin sounding dialogue, heaving bosoms and stir. The acting's quite good including the girl playing Fanny who's so disastrously miscast and costumed (and what's with her hair?) that it renders the whole thing ridiculous. This cynical mess has as much to do with Jane Austen's intentions as a ham sandwich. James Retsin's great, as always.

I must say that before I watched the movie I already had low expectations of it. I must also say that although I understand that book to film adaptations must have some changes I really hate it when they completely change the spirit of the book, especially when the book is a masterpiece of English literature. Why call it an adaptation? Say you're inspired by the book but not that you have adapted the book into film.Now that that rant is over, i will start with the next rant. I will not say anything about the miscasting of Billie Piper as Fanny (Maggie O'Neill as Mrs Norris and Jemma Redgrave as Lady Bertram were also I feel miscast), nor about the enormous liberties taken with the plot, nor about Fanny's hair, nor about Fanny bouncing about like a fairy, I will even hold my tongue about the actress's manicured eyebrows as these have already been covered by other reviewers. But there are so many other things that are wrong in this 'adaptation'.What I really liked about the book is how Fanny is the only constant in the story, everyone around her changes their feelings, opinions even their characters but Fanny although timid and shy sticks by her strong moral standards and shows a strength of character that surprises everyone who thought who knew her. In the movie this development is completely missing. I did not see the conflicted Crawfords almost becoming good people, I did not see Sir Thomas regretting the way he brought up his children nor did I see Edmund falling in love with Fanny. (I had to stifle a chuckle when the light shined off Fanny's messy hair and Edmund was suddenly struck with love as if shown the way by the Holy Spirit) I didn't even see the seduction progressing between Maria and Henry Crawford which is a pity as this is the only Jane Austen book that touches on infidelity.An other thing I really disliked is how they changed the characters of Mrs Norris and Lady Bertram. Mrs Norris is one of the vilest characters created by Jane Austen. She is not just an annoying, ignorant person, she controls and abuses Fanny and almost all the Bertrams psychologically in a very selfish and snide way. Lady Bertram in the book was a very stupid and lazy woman that was often infuriatingly and unbelievably aloof of everything that was going on around her. The Lady Bertram in the film was an undecided concoction that needs to be protected from the fact that her husband might be in danger in Antigua and could describe men dying at war as 'disagreeable' but has the sharpness to realise that Fanny was in love with Edmund since she was a little girl. Last things; the opening narration was just lazy, most of the acting bland.To end on a good note, i really liked the music, James D'Arcy who plays Tom Bertram is very good looking and my inner (and secret) squealing, girly, rom-com loving girl enjoyed the bit were Edmund runs after Fanny and they get together at last - although the joy was short lived when I remembered that this was supposed to be Mansfield Park.

i thought this was a wonderful movie. i didn't try to over analyze it. there was a questioned asked, did Edmund love fanny really. my thought is that Jane Austin wrote of love and romance and the main characters always loved each other but took a trying time in finding it. the movie made me happy except Edmund may have been a little slow at realizing his love for fanny, i think Mary was the bright lights that attract and momentarily blurs vision but later love and intertwining souls is the making of a happy marriage. the two main characters Billie piper and Blake ritson where wonderful and i was glad that i watched and bought this movie,,they were sweet and tender and made you feel good for a change.