mansfield park

[preiato.andrea]

In the movie adaptation for this book, do u prefer Frances o'connor
or Billie Piper?
I think frances is more suited to the character and i really liked her performance but
Billie did an alright job.

[stella]

In the movie adaptation for this book, do u prefer Frances o'connor
or Billie Piper?
I think frances is more suited to the character and i really liked her performance but
Billie did an alright job.

My personal fave was Frances, however I was not fully convinced of Billie's performance was not strong enough or convincing. I had the same problem with the rest of the cast. That is the problem with remakes I find some of them don't quite measure up. Of course you always if you have seen a version you love that keeps with you all pales in comparison. Funny thing I learned about Mansfield Park from writeup on Jane is that Cassandra wanted to change the ending for Fanny to end up with Mr. Crawford. Can you imagine that!
stella

[Eliza Bennet]

The only thing I can remember about the Billie Piper adaptation of Mansfield Park is her EYEBROWS.

[lizzisimmons]

i think all the adaptations on mansfield park are pretty bad. i don't know why they feel the need to change the character of fanny. the true qualities of the character are lost when not interpreted properly. i would like to see more jane austen adaptations made that are actually true to the books.

[stella]

The only thing I can remember about the Billie Piper adaptation of Mansfield Park is her EYEBROWS.

I fell off my chair laughing at that one, you are funny!!! thanks for that!!
stella:)

[stella]

i think all the adaptations on mansfield park are pretty bad. i don't know why they feel the need to change the character of fanny. the true qualities of the character are lost when not interpreted properly. i would like to see more jane austen adaptations made that are actually true to the books.

I know what you mean, as in Sense and Sensiblility although a lot of them tried I think but as you know budgets and not quality are what they think of first. In the 2008 version I think they tried too hard and lost the plot.
stella

[Eliza Bennet]

Mansfield Park is always going to be hard for modern scriptwriters to deal with. Its heroine is, even by the standards of the age, pretty prissy and dull: Elizabeth Bennet would probably have brained her, she'd have found her so worthy and boring. It would take a brave scriptwriter these days NOT to sex the whole thing up a bit.

[Tamara]

I really disliked both of them. MP2 had a better Edmund so I have to like it more.:rolleyes: MP1 had an interesting Fanny. She was Mrs Allen in the recent NA. But that one had a very boring Edmund.
Through the years I have come to terms with MP2 and don't hate it.

[lizzisimmons]

I understand people feel the need to spice these things up, but lets face it, the majority of people watching Jane Austen adaptations are JA fans, and what JA fans want are true representations of the books. In any case, MP is a very saucy novel in itself, with Fanny being the only real honest character. You need someone like her to contrast with all scandal that's around her. JA balanced the characters and the story line to make a perfectly entertaining story. Why tamper with perfection???

[Kitty]

i understand that people want the movie to be faithful to the book, but a little change allows the movie to become more flowing and real. In the movie starring frances O'connor, there was only one major change (the brother wasnt featured). i did not see this as a crucial element of the storyline, and therefore, a better movie was made.

[Eliza Bennet]

And of course making her a lively tomboy, a writer (what?), featuring a lot of erotic corset-wearing, a hitherto unimagined lesbian aspect to her, um, relations with Mary Crawford...

[stella]

And of course making her a lively tomboy, a writer (what?), featuring a lot of erotic corset-wearing, a hitherto unimagined lesbian aspect to her, um, relations with Mary Crawford...

Some say that Rozema the director started that pattern for the Frances O'Connor version I didn't get that impression myself nor do I think that Jane intended it to be that way either. There is a lot of heresay from scholars about this and sometimes I think they say that because she was so strong in her affection towards women and her closeness to her female friends. I think this is an unfair assumption and common for some to assume because a woman ends up what they would call a spinster or old maid and they said this about Cassandra as well based on what I am not sure. But some would say that as well about most feminists but this is again an unfair bias.
But in the film I think that Rozema did that on purpose just to promote her film to sell the obvious although the film sold on the romance factor not the controversy.

stella

[lizzisimmons]

To me the most glaringly obvious change and the thing the ruined this movie completely was the suggestion that Sir Thomas raped slaves when he was away. How this needless departure from the storyline improved the film, is beyond me.

[Kitty]

in mansfield park, how old was fanny? because the actresses
who portray her look a bit older than 24..

[stella]

in mansfield park, how old was fanny? because the actresses
who portray her look a bit older than 24..

In the book she was ten and then at the end eighteen years old as far as I know though I could be wrong. I am not sure why they portrayed her as older though I looked this up on Wikipedia but would have to have a real think or re-read to tell you for sure.

Stella

[stella]

To me the most glaringly obvious change and the thing the ruined this movie completely was the suggestion that Sir Thomas raped slaves when he was away. How this needless departure from the storyline improved the film, is beyond me.

I don't know either it was very hard to watch especially in the Rozema version, I don't remember it being particularly as prominent in the 2007 version. I guess they wanted to go for shock value certainly as they played up Mary Crawford and Henry Crawford to an extent it was uncomfortable and the father was very creepy! In the new one I didn't feel that but the problem with well besides the casting of Billie Piper and probably the rest. The older one 1983 is anyone's guess I remember it but vaguely I will review it again at some point and see if it is any better. Unfortunately as you all know it was 83' and low budget I am not sure if there is a curse on the Mansfield Park's or not it seems that way doesn't it?

Stella