Adaptation - 1999 Movie
_ The movie adaptation of Mansfield Park was in many
ways unfaithful to Jane Austen's novel. Probably the most striking difference
is the difference in Fanny's character. In the movie, she is portrayed as a
combination of the character from the book and Jane Austen herself, a
deliberate choice made by the filmmakers. Their intention was to make Mansfield
Park a cross between the original story and some biographical elements of
Jane Austen's life. This seemed strange to me, as Fanny is arguably Jane
Austen's least interesting heroine. Some of the ways they changed Fanny's
character include making her a novelist in her spare time, and making her a
tomboy in her youth. These changes do make Fanny more interesting for the
viewer, so I can see why they may have made the change, but it is definitely no
longer true to the source material.
Beyond that, other changes that were made were much smaller, and seemed to serve the purpose of streamlining the narrative or emphasizing important points. For instance, Fanny's brother William is excluded from this movie, and his place in the earlier part of the story is taken over by Fanny's sister Susan. Although this means the movie lacks the elements in which William is advanced due to the connections Fanny makes at Mansfield Park, it does make Susan coming to stay at the end of the narrative feel more natural and believable.
This movie would probably be difficult for modern readers to fully understand if they aren't already familiar with the time period in which Jane Austen is writing. Most importantly, the audience would need to understand class consciousness in this time period, as this concept underlines almost all of the actions Fanny takes throughout the narrative. Also important to understand are the rules of courtship and the role of education and accomplishment in a young woman's life. Without a prior understanding of these themes, many of the movie's actions may seem incomprehensible to the modern audience.
Overall, if you are looking for a good adaptation of Mansfield Park, this is not it. However, this is not a novel that has often been adapted to the screen, so you may have little choice. It does, however, make for an entertaining movie, as they have told the story in a compelling and suspenseful way.
To know more about the historical background of Jane Austen’s world, check the section Background Information in our website.
Beyond that, other changes that were made were much smaller, and seemed to serve the purpose of streamlining the narrative or emphasizing important points. For instance, Fanny's brother William is excluded from this movie, and his place in the earlier part of the story is taken over by Fanny's sister Susan. Although this means the movie lacks the elements in which William is advanced due to the connections Fanny makes at Mansfield Park, it does make Susan coming to stay at the end of the narrative feel more natural and believable.
This movie would probably be difficult for modern readers to fully understand if they aren't already familiar with the time period in which Jane Austen is writing. Most importantly, the audience would need to understand class consciousness in this time period, as this concept underlines almost all of the actions Fanny takes throughout the narrative. Also important to understand are the rules of courtship and the role of education and accomplishment in a young woman's life. Without a prior understanding of these themes, many of the movie's actions may seem incomprehensible to the modern audience.
Overall, if you are looking for a good adaptation of Mansfield Park, this is not it. However, this is not a novel that has often been adapted to the screen, so you may have little choice. It does, however, make for an entertaining movie, as they have told the story in a compelling and suspenseful way.
To know more about the historical background of Jane Austen’s world, check the section Background Information in our website.