Mr. Woodhouse
I thought he was a bit too sprightly for Mr. Woodhouse. Otherwise, great!
Didn't think much of him. He didn't hold a candle to Michael Gambon's Mr. Woodhouse...that's next.
Michael Gambon is definitely an amazing actor, and he outdid himself as Mr. Woodhouse. Absolutely perfect!
Preference: the third (RG) Mr. Woodhouse.
Frank Churchill
Strongly disliked his hair. The meeting between Emma and Frank was interesting though. Didn't really love him for the part.
I liked this Frank because you actually picked up before the news broke that there might be something between him and Jane Fairfax. He's better at showing his liking and engagement to Jane while hiding it too, so to speak. That was a plus. (Btw...is he handsome? I can't quite decide...)
Wow. Yeah, this guy was something. Maybe a little too bold in the scene where he's laying his head in Emma's lap (though that's not necessarily his fault). But he's fairly likable. Mostly.
Preference: probably the third (RG) Frank Churchill, but the second (KB) was close too.
Harriet Smith
Did not like this Harriet. Of course, the red hair is a problem. Then too, she seemed too forward to me.
She was okay, better than the previous one. Still didn't love her. (can anyone other than Robert Martin really love Harriet?)
I'd say that this Harriet was pretty much spot-on. She "worships" Emma just right.
Preference: the third (RG) Harriet Smith.
Mr. George Knightley
I really liked this Mr. Knightley. He was sweet and funny with Emma, but still had just enough of the older brother, just enough of the suitor. :)
I didn't like this Mr. Knightly much at all. He's not handsome (Mr. Knightley should be at least a little handsome, don't you think?) and he wasn't as good at the part as the other two.
I do really like this Mr. Knightley as well! He's perfect for Emma.
Preference: oh dear. It's very close between the first (GP) and the third (RG). I'm gonna go with a tie, but the third is just barely ahead. Maybe. I'm not sure. :P
Emma Woodhouse
Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma was sweet and quite Emma-ish. I think that, sadly, for much of the movie, her hair was back way too tight. No girl looks good with their hair totally slicked back. However, her rapid-fire answers to Mr. Knightley in particular were quite funny, and I liked them!
My primary problem with Kate Beckinsale as Emma was probably the brown hair. Emma just IS a blond. If there was no other version of Emma, this one, this Emma, would be okay, but since there are two others...
In a word, Romola Garai WAS Emma. She was sweet, flitty, thoughtless at times, funny, and perfect for the part! She is exactly like I have pictured Emma to be.
Preference: the third (RG) Emma. Though the first was also good.
Couples
LOVE #2. :) They're perfect! Handsome and pretty. Delightful!
Preference: either the first or the third (remember, this is based only on looks!).
Overall movie preference: the 2009 Romola Garai version. However, the 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow version was also very good.
Question: which do you prefer? Which have you seen? Which actors do you like/dislike?
14 comments:
Loved reading your opinions/preferences. I liked both Mr. Woodhouses...I still see Michael Gambon as Squire Hamley though. ;) I liked both Harriets as well, but I guess I prefer the third, as she is most like Harriet should be. I greatly preferred Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightley. Johnny Lee Miller was good, but I loved Jeremy's acting! And that picture of him, during the archery scene... "Try not to kill my dogs." is one of my favorites.;) Emma...Romola's Emma was more like Jane Austen's Emma, but I prefer Gwyneth. Whenever I read Emma, I see the characters from the GP movie. True, they weren't all better, but I've watched them so many times they've got a special place in my heart. Romola Garai and Johnny Lee Miller (who, as a totally random sidenote, I just discovered was married to Angelina Jolie...) do look delightful together. I love that picture of them. :) But, my favorite couple is still Gwyneth and Jeremy. ;) The only thing I wish were different...why in the world did Jane Austen name him GEORGE. Why couldn't he have been John?! I always call him Knightley anyway, though, not George (that just sounds weird!).
MaryBeth, oh, what a fun comment! Just the kind I love. :)
Ah yes, that quote of Knightley's is so funny! There were several laugh out loud things in here. :)
And yes...really? George? One would've hoped that Austen could have come up with a better name. But I too just call him Knightley. And Darcy -- Fitzwilliam. :P
oh good. I am glad I am not the only one who has a problem with the first names that Jane Austen picked for her main male characters!
I have seen the GP and RG versions of "Emma" and the latter TOTALLY won my heart. The movie is of a nice length (four hours goes by fast when you're enjoying something, you know!?), RG is great fun, though Johnny Miller is a bit harsh at times, he is really sweet, and the movie is bright and happy. I feel better after finishing it.
Kathryn, you are far from being the only one!
I know, four hours does fly when you're enjoying it! And I definitely agree about feeling better after finishing it. That's one reason I love that one so much...it's nice and cheerful. :)
As I said, I've only seen one Emma, the 2009 version. But it was so accurate in context with the book, I thought it was simply lovely and perfect. The cast acted well and looked exactly like how I would have imagined the characters to be.
I've seen all 3 versions,but I saw the KB AGES ago,so I don't remember it very well,but I remember thinking 'That's Mr. Kightly? Mr. Kightly is SO ugly.'
I perfer th RG Emma because she sorta grows up towrds the end.
the GP Emma was already mature from th start.
And I LOVE the dresses in the RG one.
I totally agree with you one the names.
Frank was a little bold, I mean Emma should not have let him go that far. I love this quote by Mr. Knightly: "He's a abominable scoundrel and a disgrace to the name of man!" ;) Totally agree!
Jemimah, :). You may enjoy seeing some others someday!
Jillian, yes, that KB Mr. Knightley was pretty dreadful! And the RG dresses are wonderful. Check out this post, about the dresses...not one of mine, but really fun! http://old-fashionedcharm.blogspot.com/2012/04/emma-2009-costume-throwdown.html
Anne, yes, especially the RG version, Emma should have stopped Frank sooner! That quote by Mr. Knightley quite describes him!
This was so fun :) I just stumbled up on your blog and now I've been on it for like the last half hour! ;) I LOVE THE ROMOLA GARAI EMMA!!! It is just the BEST!! I was just wondering if you knew about the other Emma? It is much less famous then these three but it is my second favorite! If you haven't seen it you should check it out but be prepared it's really LONG!! It's by BBC, it was made in 2004, and the Emma actress's name is Doran Godwin. :)
Abigial, I'm so glad you've been enjoying Austenitis! I have a wonderful time writing it. :) I agree about the RG Emma being best! I think that the Emma you referenced actually came out in 1972...maybe the DVD version was 2004? I haven't watched it before, but will try to someday. :) Thanks for mentioning it!
And I have to agree with you again! :) I had a crush on the GP Knightley until johnny Lee Miller came on the scene. I loved Ramola Garai's facial expressions!
~Kristalyn
Kristalyn, so glad you agree! Miller is an amazing Knightley. And Romola's face! Oh yes. Quite adorable. :)
I agree with you about most of them.
Michael Gambon was fantastic!
The 2009 Harriet Smith was also very good.
Frank Churchill, now that's an interresting one! I didn't quite like the one from the GP version (pherhaps it's because of his hair?). I've always wondered why on earth did he travel the whole way to London to get THAT haircut?
It's difficoult for me to choose between the other ones. But yes, I also wonder whether or not Frank Churchil (KB) is handsome. I can't decide.
For me it's a tie between Jeremy Northam and Jonny Lee Miller. They are both great in their roles.
Gwyneth Paltrow or Romola Garai? Hmm... Both did very good. For me they sort of did different sides of Emma (I'm not shure whether or not that made sense, but whatever...). In the end My favourite Emma is Gwyneth Paltrow but my favourite version is the one from 2009.
Thanks for comparing these three versions! I liked it very much!
In the novel, Emma has hazel eyes, which makes it much more likely she is brunette than blonde.
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