Masterpiece Theatre: Mansfield Park (2007)

In one of Austen s most complex plots Billie Piper (Doctor Who The Ruby in the Smoke) stars as Fanny Price who goes to live with prosperous relatives at Mansfield Park. Fanny navigates a labyrinth of intrigues and affairs among the occupants of the house while her cousin Edmund Bertram (Blake Ritson Inspector Lynley Mysteries) remains her stalwart confidant. Also starring Jemma Redgrave (Bramwell) as Fanny s observant aunt.System Requirements:Running Time: 90 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/WGBH BOSTON Rating: NR UPC: 783421421998 Manufacturer No: WG42199 Product Description

What were they thinking?

Why Billie Piper? There are so many gifted actresses who would have made this role believable. Blake Ritson is new to me, but I really enjoyed him as Edmund. But how to get past the glaring miscast of Billie Piper? What were they thinking?
I own and enjoy the version from the 1980's starring someone with the improbable name of Sylvestra LaTouzel. She's just right, in my opinion. July 1, 2008

So disappointed!

I was so looking forward to a new version of Mansfield Park. Most of us were disappointed in the 1999 movie. This version turns out to be disappointing for much the same reason as the 1999 movie.
1. Most of the characters in the movie don't resemble the characters in the book. Did the director ever read Mansfield Park?
2. The story line has been completely changed. For instance, after refusing Mr. Crawford, Fannie doesn't go to visit her family. This is a major part of the story. Why on earth would they right this out of the plot?
3. The acting seems lifeless.
4. If you are fond of Jane Austen's work this version will make you mad. If you want to watch it, rent it before buying it.

The original BBC production is still the best. June 9, 2008

disappointing

I was very disappointed. I hated the lead actress, Billie Piper. She's awful and just ruined the movie for me. She is so homely and awkward that it's really hard to watch her. My husband refused to keep watching the movie after the first 15 minutes. I finished it because it's one of my favorite stories. This version was better than the 1999 one with Hannah Taylor-Gordon, which butchered the story and misrepresented many of the characters horribly. The only accurate portrayal of this story is the old BBC version with the cheesy staging and bad filming. This version is pretty true to the story, but a lot of detail is left out. I read the book and loved it, so I'm still hoping for a good movie. June 2, 2008

distracting

While I am a Janeite, I often enjoy adaptations that vary from Austen's original work. So, I was surprised when I disliked this one so much. I have watched almost every TV and movie version of Jane Austen's fiction. Before I saw this one, the strongest objections that I had were a few significant deviations from Austen's intentions and a few versions that were just plain boring.

When I saw this version of Mansfield Park, I was so distracted by Billie Piper's appearance that I could not suspend disbelief and enjoy the story. Her hair color does not occur naturally, now or in any century. The ensuing contrast with her dark eye brows was jarring every time she was on screen. I didn't get used to it for the entire movie.

If they were trying to create Fanny Price, why did they go for the Madonna ("Like a Virgin") look?

Different actress? Different hair color? Lighten the eye brows? All seem like good alternatives.

It seems like we will have to wait a bit longer for a classic movie version of Mansfield Park. Maybe someone could convince Simon Langton to give it a try!



June 1, 2008

Another great picture!

The acting in this adaptation is superb and most believable! Jane Austen would be proud, I think! May 13, 2008

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