And cue two young women in front of a TV. (Miss Osborne would have joined them had her health permitted it.) Due to technical difficulties (curse you, Comcast!), Miss Ball and Mrs. Fitzpatrick arrive on the scene ten minutes in. Please supply your own witty dialog for that period.
[Jane Fairfax leaves Donwell secretly.]
Miss Ball: I think Emma’s been running around Salzberg in nothing but some old drapes . . . from 1988. That dress is appalling.
[Mr. Knightley says that Emma might be mistress of Donwell, ha ha ha.]
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: Hint, hint.
[Emma rants about Miss Bates.]
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: A bit of foreshadowing, is it?
Miss Ball: For the awkwardness that is to come. Sure.
[Mr. Knightley makes a rude comment about Frank Churchill, but it falls flat.]
Miss Ball: I love how Switzerland is the ends of the earth, instead of . . . the middle of Europe. I feel like, instead, he should backpack through Nepal with like six sherpas (because it’s not like he’s going to carry his own stuff) and listen to a lot of Dave Matthews Band.
Miss Ball: I know beer and cold meats do wonders for my constitution. Especially . . . together?
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: Michael Gambon as Mr. Woodhouse just isn’t right. He doesn’t strike the sort of kindly silliness of Mr. Woodhouse.
Miss Osborne, there in spirit: The real Mr. Woodhouse wouldn’t have pterodactyl arms.
[A green blob—continued technical difficulties, we hope—appears on Mrs. Fitzpatrick's TV just as the party arrives at Boxhill.]
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: It’s THE BLOB!! From original Star Trek! It’s going to EAT THEM!!
[Frank Churchill inadvertently and singlehandedly chases the entire party away (therefore saving them from a green and blobby death, v. difficult to explain to the pre-NASA set).]
Miss Ball: Frank Churchill, Captain of Awkward Conversation.
[Mr. Knightley yells at Emma.]
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: He just seems like a blustering schoolboy to me. No dignity. No style!
Miss Ball: I think he sounds like he’s yelling at a pet. Like she’s been scratching on the couch again.
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: FAIL, Jonny Lee. FAIL.
[Emma converts to thoughtfulness and grace.]
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: Look, she’s stepping into the light! I can’t stand it!
[Emma goes to the Bates's.]
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: I swear Mrs. Bates is a zombie.
Miss Ball: I believe you could write a book about that and make some serious money.
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: That is SO five minutes ago, Miss Ball!
[Mr. Knightley thinks about kissing Emma's hand, but doesn't. Miss Ball thinks he was shaking it.]
Miss Ball: The 2005 P&P did that so much better.
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: They didn’t do that very well. Especially since you didn’t even get it!
Both: Clearly, we have moved past the time when a man taking a woman’s hand = HE’S GOING TO KISS HER HAND!!! [spontaneous flaily jazz-hands duet]
[Emma wants to reupholster Mr. Knightley's chair (or whatever the kids are calling it these days).]
Miss Ball: …with angels and unicorns, perhaps?
[Mrs. Churchill dies; everybody pretends to be sad while actually forming an emotional conga line.]
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: That was actually pretty well done—that pretty much sums it up.
[Baby Frank Churchill rides away in his carriage in the past. Again.]
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: Flashback attack!
[Frank and Jane Fairfax are reunited.]
Miss Ball: I’m sort of disappointed in Jane now. He’s such a douchebag. You can do better, Jane Fairfax! (Governess-hood notwithstanding.)
Frank Churchill: Now for the first time in our lives we can do anything we want!
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: That isn’t a Regency thought in the least—or at least not a Jane Austen thought.
Miss Ball: That’s a relief. Ugh.
[Emma hides behind a shrub, poorly, when Mr. Knightley arrives in the garden.]
Miss Ball: Don’t worry, Emma. . . we’ve all been there.
[Emma and Mr. Knightley walk and chat.]
Miss Ball: Are her long sleeves attached to anything, or are they just. . . sleeves? Because that’s sort of brilliant.
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: I actually don’t know. I do know Mrs. Bennet liked them! Kind of a punk look, you think?
Miss Ball: Just add safety pins. I like it.
[Mr. Knightley tries to propose.]
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: He’s squinting. Why is he squinting?
Miss Ball: No room in those tight pants for his sunglasses.
[Emma bursts into Donwell crying, says she can't marry Mr. Knightley because of her father, and then bursts out again.]
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: What is this, a French farce? She’s not Lucille Ball, for goodness’ sake!
Miss Ball: A little abrupt, sure, but I think it’s okay. We’re running out of time.
[Mr. Knightley volunteers to move to Hartfield.]
Miss Ball: Mr. Knightley, you’ll never make it with the ladies if you keep telling them your heart is at your house.
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: No, no, he means his heart is with Emma! He’s pointing at her!
Miss Ball: Ah, his heart—her—is at his house. Currently. But not forever. Riiiiight.
[Frank Churchill apologizes to Emma.]
Miss Ball: I do not forgive you, Frank Churchill.
[Mrs. Bates speaks.]
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: GASP! The zombie speaks!
Miss Bates: Mother has recovered her voice!
[Emma says goodbye to her father pre-honeymoon.]
Miss Ball: That is one yellow dress. Lucky for her she’s a summer.
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: Wait—they’re going on a honeymoon? So they must be married? These quick cuts are making me dizzy!
Miss Ball: I had the same question. Harriet and Robert Martin get married, and Emma and Mr. Knightley take a honeymoon? That’s some set-up.
[Emma rests her head on Mr. Knightley's shoulder.]
Miss Ball: That looks really uncomfortable. Much better after the carriage era.
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: They must be going to the seaside.
Emma: Oh! It’s the seaside!
Mrs. Fitzpatrick: I’m freakin’ prescient!
fin
Final thoughts:
The Curmudgeonly Mrs. Fitzpatrick: Well, it had its moments. When they just let the actors speak and feel what Jane Austen wrote, it was fine—though really none of the main parts were convincing to me. But the additions were SO cheesy (Slow-motion flashbacks? Children torn asunder in the rain?) and the transitions were SO film-school (Look, there’s flowers now, it must be spring!), that I couldn’t really believe I was in the story. It’s a hard novel to adapt, but . . . they should have tried harder. Or less hard? It was too forced, and too sloppy for this purist.
The Happy-Go-Lucky Miss Ball: I agree with Mrs. F’s assessment of the hilariously melodramatic editing, but in general, I liked the whole product pretty well—it was certainly modern in feel, but not in a way that generally offended my not-very-strict sensibilities. I especially liked Romola Garai: she makes some fabulous faces, and her ability to both play and acknowledge awkward moments served her well in this particular instance. So, they certainly played fast and loose with the text, but I didn’t mind too much. Also, I sort of like Jonny Lee Miller in hero mode. (Less so in scoldish pet-owner mode.)
Miss Osborne: I ended up watching the rest of Emma this morning, and it almost made up for the earlier installments. With the exception of the sun rising over Emma and the unnecessary flashback of Frank Churchill leaving as a child, this installment was more thoughtful. I finally found myself rooting for Emma—for her emotional growth and the love between her and Mr. Knightley. Knightley, of course, is wonderful (though I think Jonny Lee Miller looks like a muppet when he’s not smiling). Unlike Mrs. F, I didn’t find him blustery in the Box Hill scene. He has every right to scold Emma, and I felt her pain. Hasn’t everyone been scolded at one point or another for doing something they knew was stupid? It hurts when someone you love is rightfully giving you the smack down. Overall, this mini-series was uneven, but the last hour was enjoyable.
February 8th, 2010 at 7:04 am
Miss Ball: I do not forgive you, Frank Churchill.
HA! A scathing indictment of a rake if I ever heard one. One of the problems I had on first viewing this adaptation was not the cheesy added elements, but the characterization of Emma, which felt rather childish to me. (The scene where she and Mr. Knightley fight about Robert Martin and Harriet and she yelps, “We shall always be friends!” particularly bothered me. She likes to get her way, we get it.) But then I thought about it and started to feel a little more forgiving, because she is a little bit childish–or perhaps not-quite-grown-up is a better way to put it. I thought the whole playing with dolls bit was a little TOO on the nose, but it’s not a completely inaccurate description of Emma’s matchmaking interest. And the fact that the Eltons are SO appalling, and she herself is SO impossibly mean once Jane Fairfax gets to town, and which always makes me uncomfortable, highlights how that immaturity is indulged throughout the book.
My overall impression once this was done was that, while I’m not sure another adaptation was necessary (even though I grow less fond of Gwyneth Paltrow (and conversely more fond of Jeremy Northam) as I get older), I liked this one well enough. I liked the way Romola Garai and Johnny Lee Miller (who, with apologies for yet another parenthetical, I LOVE) played off each other. Also, any excuse to abuse Frank Churchill is welcome.
February 8th, 2010 at 7:37 am
First, I’m with Erica on Gwynnie fatigue and Northam fondness. And also with her on the Garai/Miller chemistry.
However, I think this production reached its zenith in the dance scene. So much implied and so beautifully. Perhaps if it had ended there, I could just have imagined the rest (sort of like Austen has us do in the Declaration Scenes.)
And speaking of which, it all just felt rushed. And if Emma responding “just as a lady should” is running her hands through Knightley’s hair and moving in for a big ole smooch, I’ll eat those pigeon livers. Not that I blame her.
On the Amazon page for the DVD, lots of commenters felt that Miller was “too young” for Knightley, but to me that is this production’s significant strength–giving us a Knightly who is still youthful, and likely match for Emma.
In any case, I’m buying the DVD. Enough said.
February 8th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Although there are some rocky bits, I really liked this adaptation overall. Especially since I can’t stand Gwyneth Paltrow and I LOVE Romola Garai. She’s perfect for this part, and her chemistry with Jonny Lee Miller is believable.
Although the third installment is the best, my favorite moment in this adaptation is in the first installment. When Mrs. Weston and Mr. Knightley are arguing about whether Miss Smith is a good friend for Emma, Mr. Knightley is talking about how pretty Emma is and he says, “I love to look at her.” Seriously, go back and watch it! The way he sticks out his chin when he says it is boyish, charming and yes, hilarious.
Overall? I really liked this version. And I even kind of liked Michael Gambon as Mr. Woodhouse! Don’t throw anything at me, please.
February 23rd, 2010 at 10:30 am
It wasn’t a perfect adaptation, but I rather enjoyed it. I liked that it was longer; the characters were more developed and the plot actually made sense this time (don’t think less of me if I admit I never finished the book).
Romola’s Emma was childish and spoiled, but what that meant for me was that for the first time I understood her character. In the Gwyneth version I always just feel like she’s a nosy idiot, and in this version I feel like she’s a nosy idiot BECAUSE she has always been indulged and because she is (which I sometimes forget) very, very young.
Most of all, my friend I was watching it with pointed out that this version really plays up Emma’s loneliness. When her sister and then her governess get married, she has no one. In the Gwyneth version I never really understood why she was so adamant that Harriet was a worthy companion, when in every other instance she’s very aware of social differences. But of course she’s going to cling to Harriet–she has no other young single friends in town, and she needs someone.
And I absolutely loved JLM. He’s funny, he’s sweet, he’s adoring AND adorable. The dance scene has possibly taken first place in my list of best main-characters-dancing-together scenes. The music and the scene are beautiful, and Mr. Knightley is so happy, and Emma, even though she won’t realize it for a while, is happier and calmer than we’ve ever seen her. I loved it.
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