Sense and Sensibility

What’s the Story?

Directed by Ang Lee, Emma Thompson's adaptation of the Jane Austen novel follows the Dashwood sisters as they try to redeem a lost fortune by marrying well, and end up finding love. Sensible Elinor and sensuous Marianne are left impoverished after their father's death because the law awards their estate to a half-brother. They retreat to a little cottage by the sea and hope to marry well. This is a trying task, however, since Elinor (Emma Thompson) falls for a young man who is previously engaged, and Marianne (Kate Winslet) is literally swept off her feet by a handsome rogue. Despite their marked temperamental differences, Marianne and Elinor are devoted to one another. As they find love, lose it, and find it again, sentimental Marianne learns the value of restraint, and sensible Elinor discovers that composure melts in passion's flame. And, as in many Austen novels, the sisters are plagued by gossipy neighbors and selfish in-laws, but throughout it all they manage to handle these challenges with grace and humor.

Is It Any Good?

Sense and Sensibility shows how women in upper-class Georgian England, though privileged, had relatively few choices in life. Romantics and anyone with a penchant for this author's work will have a ball. This beautiful, humorous movie creates a buzz of excitement around the Dashwood sisters' romantic intrigue. Some of the characters you'll love to hate (the Dashwoods' horrible sister-in-law and gloating Miss Steele), and others you'll absolutely adore (little Margaret Dashwood, the future pirate).

What makes this adaptation so endearing is its loving depiction of the Dashwood family as a high-spirited and supportive clan. One trio of 12-year-old girls considers this a favorite and admits to watching it repeatedly. For them, the movie strikes the same wistful chord as the blockbuster Titanic, and it even ends happily!