What’s Worth Watching: Austen-era films to watch after ‘Bridgerton’
There may not be nearly as many explicit scenes in “Pride & Prejudice” or “Sense & Sensibility,” but if you’re still craving a little “Bridgerton”-era content, this list should be a good place to start.
‘Pride & Prejudice’
On first meeting Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet vows to never dance with him again, but first impressions can be deceiving. Second chances make all the difference in Jane Austen’s most popular novel.
This story has been adapted and readapted many times, but two productions particularly stand out to me: the 1995 series starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth and the 2005 film starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.
Depending on whether you have 6 hours to watch the series or an evening for the film, both are heartily worth your time. The series is available through Amazon Prime Videos BritBox extension; the film is available on Apple TV.
And, when you’re done with the original story, check out some of its surprisingly good spinoff films; “Pride & Prejudice and Zombies” and “Death Comes to Pemberley” are both available on Amazon Prime Video.
‘Sense & Sensibility’ (1995)
In this Academy Award-winning – and my favorite – adaptation of Austen’s classic novel, Elinor (Emma Thompson) and Marianne Dashwood (Kate Winslet) find themselves in the grudging hands of an elder half-brother following their father’s untimely death.
But when their mother’s cousin offers them a cottage in the country, one which their meager inheritance can afford them, the future begins to brighten. “Sense & Sensibility” is available on Apple TV.
‘Persuasion’ (1995)
As it turns out, 1995 was quite the year for Austen adaptations, not least of which that of her last full-length work, “Persuasion.” When Anne Elliot (Amanda Root) and Capt. Frederick Wentworth (Ciaran Hinds) fell in love nearly a decade previous, class prejudices and interfering relations kept them apart.
But with those years of waiting behind them, a chance reunion might just spark their romance anew. “Persuasion” is available on Apple TV.
‘Northanger Abbey’ (2007)
In “Northanger Abbey,” Austen explores, somewhat ironically, the dangers of falling too deeply into the romance genre. Catherine Morland (Felicity Jones) a 17-year-old tomboy with a weakness for gothic novels, stumbles into a romance of her own.
But how much of the story is true and how much merely her imagination? “Northanger Abbey” is available on Amazon Prime Video.
‘Emma’ (2020)
Emma Woodhouse is handsome, clever and one of the only Austen heroines without money troubles. She fancies herself a matchmaker, but when it comes to her own heart, she is less confident.
Autumn de Wilde’s 2020 adaptation of “Emma” featuring “The Queen’s Gambit” star Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role, is a delightful romp of a film; the 1996 version starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam is similarly well done. “Emma” is available on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
‘Becoming Jane’ (2007)
Anne Hathaway stars in this dramatized biopic of Austen’s life. Throughout the film, prefigurements of all Austen’s novels are clear; a family of sisters with no male heir, money problems and a passionate but doomed romance that may have inspired her to write so many successful ones. “Becoming Jane” is available on Hulu and HBO Max.