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The Best Jane Austen Film and TV Adaptations
What's not to love about a genre that includes both Clueless and Colin Firth in a wet shirt?
"Perhaps after all it is possible to read too many novels," muses Henry Tilney, hero of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. In Austen's world, unabashed novel-readers get into hot water; romantic notions cloud their judgment; these days, we're only in danger of watching too many movies and bingeing too many TV shows.
This year has already proven to be another big year for Janiacs, starting with the release of Fire Island, a modern-day rom-com based on Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice. Also due out is Persuasion (July 15), starring Dakota Johnson in a Netflix adaptation. To usher in this newest Austen season, we rounded up our very favorite adaptations below.
Pride and Prejudice, 1995
Claim to fame (or infamy): Andrew Davies's script leads the wave of Austen-inspired adaptions that sweep through the decade like a muslin skirt. Starring Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, this six-part series based on Austen's first (and most beloved) novel charms the breeches off Jane purists and novices alike.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Mr. Darcy goes for an impromptu dip in a lake (after a sweaty fencing lesson, mind you) and emerges in a clinging white shirt. The scene is widely regarded as one of the greatest TV moments of all time—so we hope it won't dampen your enthusiasm to learn that it never actually happened on film, either. Colin Firth once admitted that the whole thing was entirely contrived. Please pass the smelling salts.
Wittiest line/exchange: Elizabeth: "And your defect is a propensity to hate everybody." Darcy: "And yours is willfully to misunderstand them." And that, dear presidential candidates, is how insults are done.
Sense & Sensibility, 1995
Claim to fame (or infamy): Emma Thompson, who stars as Elinor Dashwood ("Sense") makes her screenwriting debut, penning the script for this critical and commercial success. She significantly alters the original material to make it more palatable to modern audiences. In case you're wondering, that makes you the "Sensibility" in all this.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Marianne Dashwood, portrayed by a bloomy, gloomy Kate Winslet, gets lost in the rain, is found in the rain, and is rescued by a man on a horse…twice. Some girls are rich in luck, but poor in umbrellas.
Wittiest line/exchange: "You talk of feeling idle and useless. Imagine how that is compounded when one has no hope and no choice of any occupation whatsoever," says Elinor to Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant). Word. Everyone knows that only women who marry well are entitled to idleness, uselessness, and no occupation whatsoever.
Persuasion, 1995
Claim to fame (or infamy): Critics praise this production as the most realistic of all the Austen adaptations released in the mid-90s. To help maintain its air of authenticity, director Roger Michell depicts the actors without makeup, polished hairstyles, or elaborate costumes. In a separate interview, Amanda Root, who plays the heroine Anne Elliot, admits, "none of us looked good."
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Anne implores Captain Frederick Wentworth (Ciaran Hinds) to stay at a concert and listen to "a very beautiful love song." Scholars agree that Anne would not have persuaded quite so fiercely in Persuasion. But, after all, there's a pianoforte in the room. What can one expect?
Wittiest line/exchange: This film is short on witty repartee—and words in general. Because most of Anne's thoughts in the novel are expressed internally, the characters in the film communicate through spare dialogue and psychological nuance.
Emma, 1996
Claim to fame (or infamy): In stark contrast to Persuasion's gritty realism, Emma is the movie equivalent of a pink macaron. Gwyneth Paltrow plays the misguided matchmaker and looks pristine and self-assured in a wardrobe inspired by Jordan almonds (we assume). The lively banter between her and Mr. Knightley (Jeremy Northam) is so enjoyable that you tend to forget they're royally screwing up people's lives.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Emma's much-anticipated meeting with Frank Churchill (Ewan McGregor) unfurls in a predictably playful fashion. He emerges from the forest on horseback, just as her buggy is marooned in a creek. Emma: "Something's happened to the wheel and I cannot move." Frank Churchill: "Well, you'll just have to live here then."
Wittiest line/exchange: "I must throw a party for her! Otherwise everyone will feel at once how much I dislike her." (Emma, on the subject of Mrs. Augusta Elton).
Jane Austen's Emma, 1996
Claim to fame (or infamy): To avoid any confusion with that other 1996 Emma, Andrew Davies dubs his adaptation Jane Austen's Emma, promising a faithful rendition upfront. As the titular heroine, Kate Beckinsale isn't afraid to be unlikeable. Her character is sometimes snobbish, sometimes bratty, qualities that make her eventual humbling more satisfying. Mark Strong's Mr. Knightley is no peach, either. He scolds, lectures, and even insults Emma, creating a relationship that veers into dark territory.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Emma's lively imagination briefly brings Frank Churchill's portrait to life. And, my dears, he is most attentive—for a painting.
Wittiest line/exchange: "I find I bare his absence very well. I believe I've enjoyed every moment I've spent in his company, but I suspect he's not necessary to my happiness." (Emma Woodhouse).
Mansfield Park, 1999
Claim to fame (or infamy): One of the few Austen adaptations directed by a woman (Patricia Rozema), this film elaborates on darker, more menacing themes, such as slavery, sexual repression, and female subjugation.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Fanny Price (Frances O'Connor) is portrayed as a talented writer with a gift for satire. Many of the short stories she recites in the film were actually written by Austen herself.
Wittiest line/exchange: "Mariah was married on Saturday. In all important preparations of mind she was complete, being prepared for matrimony by a hatred of home, by the misery of disappointed affection, and contempt of the man she was to marry." (Fanny Price).
Pride & Prejudice, 2005
Claim to fame (or infamy): This dreamy production starring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth and Succession's Matthew Macfadyen as Darcy famously has two different endings. British audiences get a final scene consistent with the novel, while Yanks are treated to a fanciful version, in which Mr. Darcy is unable to contain his wedded bliss. He gazes at Lizzie and softly murmurs, "Mrs. Darcy. Mrs. Darcy. Mrs. Darcy. Mrs. Darcy. Mrs. Darcy." In America's defense, we only consented to this ending because we thought it would make a good drinking game.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Following a sleepless and tormented night, Elizabeth and Darcy encounter each other in a misty field, where they confess their mutual affection. He is without a cravat, she is without a corset, and we are seduced by the utter impropriety of it all.
Wittiest line/exchange: Jane: "Oh Lizzie, if I could but see you so happy. If there was such another man for you." Elizabeth: "Perhaps Mr. Collins has a cousin."
Love & Friendship, 2016
Claim to fame (or infamy): Kate Beckinsale stars as a Regency beauty who blithely leads men astray as she attempts to secure herself and her daughter a husband in Whit Stillman’s movie based on Austen's little-known novel, Lady Susan. Though it’s not Austen’s most popular work, the laugh-out-loud black comedy stays true to the book and perfectly captures her wit and humor, bringing them to life.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Because Lady Susan was an epistolary novel, Stillman was tasked with taking the dialogue from the letters and turning them into scenes. As a result, the director added characters with new storylines (e.g. Lady Susan’s pal Alicia Johnson is American in the flick) and fleshed out the conclusion since it is believed Austen’s work was unfinished.
Wittiest line/exchange: “Facts are horrid things.” (Lady Susan)
Pride and Prejudice, 1940
Claim to fame (or infamy): Before there were Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen’s Darcys, there was Laurence Olivier's performance as the arrogant yet charming bachelor. The 1940 version has an airier and lighthearted feel with a typical Hollywood happy ending—very different than the one devout Janiacs might remember in the novel. Spoiler alert: Lady Catherine actually approves of Elizabeth for Darcy and she helps her nephew find out if she really loves him more than his fortune.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Darcy helps Elizabeth hide from Mr. Collins at the Netherfield Ball. When Darcy sends him in the wrong direction, he and Elizabeth share a rare, sweet moment early on.
Wittiest line/exchange: Elizabeth: “At this moment, it’s difficult to believe that you’re so proud.” Darcy: “At this moment, it’s difficult to believe that you’re so prejudiced.”
Clueless, 1995
Claim to fame (or infamy): Amy Heckerling’s lighthearted take on Emma isn’t just a well-produced Austen adaptation, it’s one of the most iconic coming-of-age films of the 90s. Alicia Silverstone plays Cher Horowitz, a wealthy and entitled Beverly Hills student who’s on a mission to play matchmaker for a friend. Like Emma, Cher lives with her father and has her heart in the right place, but is also misguided at the task of setting people up.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Cher invites her paramour Christian (Justin Walker) over to her house for a romantic night in, not knowing that he is gay. She gets dressed up in a revealing hot pink dress, attempts to bake cookies, and makes subtle advances toward him. When Christian realizes what’s going on, he goes home, leaving Cher heartbroken.
Wittiest line/exchange: Tai (Brittany Murphy): “Do you think she’s pretty?” Cher: “No, she’s a full-on Monet.” Tai: “What’s a Monet?” Cher: “It’s like a painting, see? From far away, it’s okay, but up close it’s a big old mess.”
Bridget Jones's Diary, 2001
Claim to fame (or infamy): An adaptation loosely based on Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones’s Diary follows the titular character (Renée Zellweger) who is determined to make a 180 with her life and find love (while tracking her progress in a personal diary). Her life, however, turns upside down when her womanizing boss Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) and serious and aloof family friend Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) vie for her attention. Not only does Mark coincidentally have the same last name as Austen's Mr. Darcy, but fans will also instantly see how the romance between Bridget and Mark closely parallels the complicated one between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: A drunken Daniel crashes Bridget’s dinner party, which results in a hilarious street brawl with Mark while The Weather Girls’ hit “It’s Raining Men” plays in the background. Truly fitting.
Wittiest line/exchange: “I don't think you're an idiot at all. I mean, there are elements of the ridiculous about you. Your mother's pretty interesting. And you really are an appallingly bad public speaker. And, um, you tend to let whatever's in your head come out of your mouth without much consideration of the consequences... But the thing is, um, what I'm trying to say, very inarticulately, is that, um, in fact, perhaps despite appearances… I like you, very much. Just as you are.” (Mark confessing his affection to Bridget in a very Mr. Darcy kind of way.)
Sanditon, 2019-
Claim to fame (or infamy): The story of Sanditon is based on Austen’s final unfinished manuscript (she died before having a chance to finish it). Creator Andrew Davies—the same genius behind the 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation—fleshed out Austen’s abrupt ending with new plots and storylines about Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams), a young, penniless heroine as she navigates her new life following a move to a seaside village.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Basically, the entire series—apart from the first episode, which was adapted from Austen’s eleven completed chapters.
Wittiest line/exchange: “When it comes to love there is no such thing as a foregone conclusion." (Lady Susan, on Charlotte’s relationship with Sidney Parker)
Emma., 2020
Claim to fame (or infamy): Anya Taylor-Joy's portrayal of Emma is nothing like Gwyneth Paltrow's charming version of Austen's heroine from more than two decades ago. In Autumn de Wilde's hilarious, modern makeover, Emma's entitlement, arrogance, and disconnection with reality shine through, making her all the more loveable.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: Emma suffers from a sudden nosebleed after Mr. Knightley (Johnny Flynn) professes his love for her and proposes. (Taylor-Joy previously said her nose was actually bleeding for that scene, too!)
Wittiest line/exchange: "Prejudiced? I’m not prejudiced! Yes, but I am. Very much, and without at all being ashamed of it." (Emma)
Fire Island, 2022
Claim to fame (or infamy): The beloved Bennet sisters are now Noah (Joel Kim Booster) and his BFFs Howie (Bowen Yang), Max (Torian Miller), Luke (Matt Rogers), and Keegan (Tomás Matos) in this queer adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which is situated on the LGBTQ+ beach haven. There they meet contemporary versions of Mr. Darcy, Charles Bingley, and Caroline Bingley—there’s even a modern-day Wickham—and the rest is history.
Best scene that never happened in an Austen novel: The underwear parties. Enough said.
Wittiest line/exchange: “No offense to my girl Jane, but that sounds like some hetero nonsense.” (Noah calling out Austen and the iconic first line of Pride and Prejudice at the start of the film.)
Sophie Dweck is the associate shopping editor for Town & Country, where she covers beauty, fashion, home and décor, and more.
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