Photos courtesy Focus Features
Georgia Oakley’s newest adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic Sense and Sensibility is 132 minutes of charm and cleverness.
I was fortunate enough to see the film ahead of its American release at this year’s Focus Fest in Los Angeles. Following the screening, the festival hosted an intimate Q&A with the film’s leading ladies, Daisy Edgar-Jones (who plays Elinor) and Esmé Creed-Miles (who plays Marianne).
The film is full of many special moments, each adding to its distinct sense of magic.
Throughout the film, animals and nature play an important role in creating its atmosphere. Still shots of leaves moving in the trees, alongside simple moments of animals wandering through the landscape, immediately transport us into the world of Jane Austen’s Regency-era England.
The natural sounds and the subtle movements of the surrounding environment make the experience immersive. There is something lovely about Oakley’s choice to linger on these seemingly insignificant details and allow the setting to speak for itself.
The opening shot of Marianne lying in a field outside her family estate, filmed in Dartmoor National Park, is a stand-out with its beautiful simplicity, almost as though we are lying there alongside her, taking in the landscape and allowing ourselves to be swept into the stillness of nature.
It’s the perfect introduction to the film, establishing its quiet magic and inviting us to slow down and experience the world through Marianne’s eyes.
It’s equally special to watch the portrayals of the Dashwood women: Mrs. Dashwood (Caitríona Balfe) and her daughters Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach). The film captures the warmth of a loving family and the particular uniqueness of girlhood.
Creed-Miles is particularly notable. She brings a wildness to the character that makes her incredibly lovable and relatable. Her spunkiness and free-spirited nature make it easy to understand why people fall in love with her. She feels so full of life, unafraid to feel everything deeply and to live according to her own heart.
Edgar-Jones’s portrayal feels true as the selfless older sister who just wants what is best for everyone around her. The actor does an amazing job bringing Elinor to life and making her just as lovable as Marianne.
During the Q&A following the screening, Edgar-Jones spoke about learning to advocate for her creative choices while remaining collaborative, describing the importance of being “compassionately direct.” This depends on having a filmmaker who creates space for actors to express their ideas, something she says she found in working with Oakley.
Between the shots of toys, books, and art scattered throughout their homes—and the little debriefs and arguments—the interactions between the sisters are the heart of the story. Despite the loss of their father and the disappointment of discovering that his will leaves most of the family’s assets to their half-brother, the young women remain deeply loved and cared for. If anything, these circumstances seem to bring them closer together, making their bond special to watch.
While the relationships between sisters are the true love stories of the film, I would argue that the romantic relationships are special, too. In particular, the romances between Elinor and Edward Ferrars (George MacKay) and Marianne and Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum) are portrayed with a tenderness that makes their endings all the more satisfying.
Elinor and Edward are similar in their desire to please everyone and do the right thing, which ultimately becomes the very thing keeping them apart for so long. The chemistry between Edgar-Jones and MacKay is sweet and understated, and their scenes together, especially in a museum where they have to hide their true feelings, are raw and emotional.
And, of course, Marianne deserves so much better than Mr. Willoughby (Frank Dillane).
Ultimately, it is the film’s ability to find meaning in the smallest moments, from the stillness of nature to the relationships between the Dashwood women, that makes this adaptation so magical.
This Sense and Sensibility reminds us to slow down, feel deeply, and appreciate the little things.
Editor’s Note: Sense and Sensibility is now playing at the SLO Film Center at the Palm Theatre.