Parents' Guide to

Sense and Sensibility

By Ellen MacKay, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

A lush and witty adaptation of Jane Austen's novel.

Movie PG 1995 136 minutes
Sense and Sensibility Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 11+

Based on 8 parent reviews

Opinion2019
Opinion2019 Adult
November 6, 2019
age 11+

Wish there were more movies like this

This is an excellent introduction to classical literature and will make reading the book for enjoyable for kids. There are so many opportunities to discuss the cultural differences between then and now.......especially the erosion of manners in current society. This is one of my favorite movies because I want to feel good at the end of a movie. I like to see characters evolve and rewarded for doing the right things.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
dramakidmom
dramakidmom Adult
May 2, 2019
age 13+

Great theatrical movie!

I think this is a great movie to introduce kids to Jane Austen. A bit of humor, heartache, drama, and love. Love the cast, the setting, and the music.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 8 parent reviews

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 through it all they manage to handle challenges with grace and humor.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8):
Kids say (16):

What makes this adaptation so endearing is its loving depiction of the Dashwood family as a high-spirited and supportive clan. Sense and Sensibility shows how women in upper-class Georgian England, though privileged, had relatively few choices in life. The 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).

Romantics and anyone with a penchant for Jane Austen will have a ball with this film. For many fans, this a favorite to be watched repeatedly. For them, the movie strikes the same wistful chord as the blockbuster Titanic, and it even ends happily!

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why "costume dramas," such as Sense and Sensibility, are popular. Did you enjoy seeing how people once lived, dressed, and interacted? Do you think all people living in Georgian England enjoyed such clothes, balls, servants, and wealth? Why aren't more films about the far more numerous common people of the time? This also may be a good time for parents to introduce Austen's books to their tweens and teens.

  • What do you see as the challenges of adapting a Jane Austen novel into a film?

  • How are the values of the time conveyed in this movie, and how are they similar to and different from contemporary values, in terms of love, money, and family?

  • How do the characters in Sense and Sensibility demonstrate empathy and integrity? Why are these important character strengths?

Movie Details

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