Masterpiece Theatre: Northanger Abbey

This production revived my appreciation for Northanger Abbey (admittedly my least favorite Austen novel before). JJ Feild was an amazing Henry Tilney. So much so that my subconscious leaked into a dream one night; whereupon, widowed Elizabeth Darcy finds a love with Henry Tilney (after that ninny Catherine Morland Tilney went mad in an attic - Brontë/Jane Eyre style). Excellent dream, what a treat! Henry Tilney (the less heralded Austen hero compared to Darcy) is the male match to our heroine Elizabeth Bennet and you'll see it alive here. I'm really glad Northanger was reinvigorated for me in this production. It's also subtly funny: the glaring Morland kids over a contrite Henry's shoulder, the ridiculously crass John Thorpe, the scheming hyperbole of Isabella Thorpe, ditsy muslin obsessed Ms. Allen, the pompous lothario Captain Tilney, rain soaked and disobliging sheep, gothic imaginings are even parody characters with kick ass sprouting wallpaper segues of a story within the story... I only lament that the PBS version was cut down and edited a little counter-intuitively in bits. Some of my favorite lines in Northanger have disappeared from the dialogue and the lovely narrator (sounded like the mum from Rozema's Mansfield?) could have delivered those Austen-style as in the beginning/ending of Northanger, or thrown us a tied up loose end novel bone? For example: Catherine has 3,000 in her dowry and 150 pounds per year, thrice Elizabeth Bennet's at a time when 7,000 would land you a Baron - that's nothing to cough at (yeah, I'm looking at you, cruel General Tilney) and by Henry's own admission he gets his wish fulfillment to a tolerable degree of both love and a modest fortune (insert romantic, practical flutter instead of worry here)! As with most things Austen, finance of young ladies is an unspoken character with its own story arc. I wish they had taken slightly more time with it - enhance the smart romance? That rhymed, sincere apologies. (@.@) Once in a while, the Tilney/Morland chemistry is confusing, or a little awkward at times, but hey, that's Henry Tilney 'the teasing enigma.' You'll be gratified to know some very swoony bits are in here from pouty, longing looks across opera boxes barely masking jealousy to stolen suggestive leers (in dreams, near fireplaces and in ballrooms) and very steamy cheek swipes after a long horseback ride in the rain before a kiss fest under trees. <Le sigh> At any rate, if you're an Austen fan this version should be in your arsenal along with Paltrow's Emma, Ehle's Pride and Prejudice, Root's Persuasion, O'Connor's Mansfield Park and the illustrious Thompson's Sense and Sensibility (not necessarily in that order). JJ Feild will win you through Henry Tilney after one head tilt and a grinning smirk. He's an acting gem, in big britches period epic especially; even, if he jokes in interviews about "slipping on cow pats and frilly sleeves that get in your lunch." To demonstrate, Feild almost single-handedly saved the romcom lampoon 'Austenland' from narcissist actors who lost their audience's perspective in favor of an untethered inside joke/circus bubble of mockery unchecked by a context lazy, immature directorial and editing effort (that I've watched 4 times - hee). Serious points to Feild for rescuing parts of that one, he has the best subdued and credibly funny bits in it even if it could have been utterly phenomenal with more cast and directorial assistance. Feild, who can shine in anything with range and emotive gifts even as an anti-hero/sociopath was kinda squandered by that Austenland/Dynamite crowd, though he totally gets it, delivered wit masterfully, and they chose him expressly "to take the piss" because of Northanger. And no, in case you were wondering, I'm not a "suffocating death by doily" type gal, but I do read and have an advanced Com Arts degree (with student loans to boot, giggle, dammit). Felicity Jones is a terribly pretty and innocent Catherine Morland - you'll cheer for her through your wincing. Don't kid yourself, it's a skill to blush on demand. Mulligan nailed Isabella in dimples, unseemly cleavage bodices, waffling inconstancy and deeply studied/nuanced motivation - bravo. The costumes, locations and set design deserve their own review. Even the rain gets a supporting role nomination. Blu-ray quality is as good as is available, so I reccommend it because any less would be mostly janky, reticulated pixel terrible on an HD worthy screen. Hello, it's an epic romance worth the extra 3 lousy Federal Reserve Notes of pretty full screen since this charmer isn't available for streaming right now. I'm hoping beyond hope that an extended version becomes available (gracious thanks, but boo PBS!). As an American woman, I'm almost forgiving of Rothschild central banking cartels, cookies called biscuits and re-swelling with diplomatic gratitude for my family peeps having stormed the shores of Normandy with ferocious, Limey allied luv. Who knew? This is definitely one to see, despite my nitpicks, the best NA going and I adore it. I just want to be clear about that. Thank me later and meow ;).

Highly recommend. Much better than the '80s BBC version. Great actors. Enjoyed very much.

I think the source novel the least captivating of Jane Austen's works, but the film version is charming. Costumes, sets and overall design are lush and romantic, and the lead couple are charming.

Not a bad production, cast nicely, lovely scenery, costumes and easy to understand story, but not as true to the book as it could be. A bit too short, for one thing. The scene about the umbrellas is missing, some parts are condensed, to make room for others not in the book, like Cathy's gothic musings and reading raunchy passages from books, or the bedroom scene between Isabella and the Captain. Lots of cleaveage, too. And tossing Lord Byron in the mix was so ridiculous. Not enough time covered in Bath, nor at the Abbey, though this version did add a few quick scenes of other parts added in. The best part...Cathy finding the scrolls of paper in a hidden drawer of a Japaned chest is left out. Instead she finds large lists in an old chest by the bed. So, if you have read the book, you realize a lot was condensed, changed about and not quite in order. Better than the recent Persuasion production, but not as gothic in feel as the Northanger Abbey of the 1980's.

Classic, well done

Finally! We have a great adaptation for this story. I read this story years ago and I didn't understand it the first time around. Seriously, I just didn't get it. Then I read somewhere that she is mocking (in a fan way) the novels of the time. That made the story make a little more sense. Then, last year, when my husband went to the UK on business he brought me back a book that Jane Austen had read and liked well enough called Emmeline by Charlotte Smith. After I read Emmeline, I really understood Northanger Abbey. If someone is not fainting every page then it is not a good chapter. So having the overly dramatic Emmeline under my belt I reread Northanger Abbey, understood it, and loved it. I still wasn't sure if they would be able to translate it well to the screen. I was a little nervous. But after watching this, I think I can say that they used their 90 minutes very well. They only changed a few things from the book so it is very faithful to the original narrative and some of the changes actually help you understand the storyline better such as the introduction of Elinor's 'friend' earlier on in the tale. The only thing that I think they could have shown differently is the trip to Woodston and the last page of the book which tells what Catherine's actual claim to inheritance is. They also could have given a little more information about the deceit of John Thorpe as it intertwined with the story of General Tilney. I loved the actors who play Henry Tilney and Catherine Morland. They give their characters the perfect mix. I am definitely looking forward to seeing this movie again.

A movie does not have to follow a book but whatever changes are made should be in the spirit of making a really good movie. This is especially meaningful concerning a PBS rendering of a classic author like Jane Austen. Did the screenwriter and director make a weaker movie by altering the story in a meaningful way? In this case, I think foolish mistakes were made probably because the director wanted to make his mark and satisfy his ego. The result is a watchable and even enjoyable film which could easily have been much better. This version is actually less true to the book than the 80's version. For example, showing Catherine running back to the Tilney house when she catches John Thorpe in a lie about her previous plans with the Tilneys being cancelled is not only left out but the entire scene is altered. Well, Jane Austen put it there as a crucial proof of Catherine's character at this stage of the book or movie. Stupidly left out... Also left out is the full characterization of Tilney and Catherine- all they had to do is follow Jane Austen's lead as the 80's version did... instead they truncated the dialogue- again very dumb especially unforgivable because they had the 80's version to look at and recognize how important it is to the integrity of the story. What this version does do better than the 80's version is the casting of Felicity Jones as Catherine, someone Henry Tilney would find extremely attractive both physically and for her simplicity and integrity- she is quite perfect. In addition, the 80's version ended the movie awkwardly while the newer version is excellent. Thus the newer version is somewhat better than the earlier version for the above reasons but watch both and enjoy. A word of caution- you may want to ignore the ethereal new age music of the 80's and the phony echos of the newer version- both pretty poorly done and a sign of production weaknesses.

I got the 92 minute bluray version. It is divine! There was a reviewer that pointed out that the DVD version doesn't have the extra 6 minutes that weren't included in the original BBC airing of this show and that is why I went with the bluray. It's wonderful! Other reviewers pointed out the differences the movie has from the book and that was great to know because I was prepared, but I absolutely still love the movie, differences or not! I would just not watch the movie with young kids as there are a couple of suggestive scenes: one where we see Catherine in a bathtub and then the back of her bareback (same scene) and another scene where there's a hint of S&M with a woman tied up by the hands (with a heaving bosom) by a seductive looking captor. Felicity Jones is spot on with what I'd picture the Catherine from the book to be like! She's got the wondering innocence in her eyes, yet beautiful like I would expect any heroine who could catch a gentleman's eye would be (clearly stated in the book that she became "pretty"). JJ Feild is also exactly how I would want to picture Mr. Tilney from the book (and even better!). He adds a sparkle to the character that is needed and so charming! Honestly, he's my FAVORITE Austen hero thus far! I don't know if I can like another better. I recommend this one to all Austen fans, but do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT expect Mr. Darcy or Pride and Prejudice! Expect more lighthearted fun and more open and honest heroes and heroines that you don't see in later Austen works.

Felice trasposizione del romanzo di Jane Austen, che è stato il meno rappresentato, infatti questa è l'unica versione in circolazione. Notevoli e molto curate le ambientazioni, la scenografia, i costumi e le musiche. Ottimi gli attori, Felicity Jones, J.J. Feild, Carey Mulligan e tutti gli altri. Assolutamente da non perdere! In lingua originale con sottotitoli in inglese. Nessuna lingua italiana.

DVD arrived in a timely manner and in good condition. It was great to be able to add to my Jane Austen collection.

¡La adoro! Es una de las obras de Jane Austen que más me gusta. La película vino en perfecto estado y se ve muy bien.

Llegó en tiempo, el único inconveniente es que la caja llegó dañada.

以前に他の作品とペアになっている「NORTHANGER ＡＢＢＥＹ」を他の俳優さんが演じているのを見ましたが、それも日本語字幕ではなかったため十分に理解することはできませんでした。それでなくても主人公の空想癖に最初はおどろきました。今回はＪＪフィールズの作品との事で購入しましたが、やはり細かいところまではわからないので、原作本を読んでもう１度トライするつもりです。