Emma (1996)

Director:

Douglas McGrath

Writers (WGA):

Jane Austen (novel)
Douglas McGrath (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Cupid is armed and dangerous!

Plot:

In rural 1800s England things go bad for a young matchmaker after she finds a man for another woman.

Plot Keywords:

Love | England | Austen | Jane Austen | Jane

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Emma Woodhouse
James Cosmo	...	Mr. Weston
Greta Scacchi	...	Mrs. Weston
Alan Cumming	...	Mr. Elton
Denys Hawthorne	...	Mr. Woodhouse
Sophie Thompson	...	Miss Bates
Jeremy Northam	...	Mr. Knightley
Toni Collette	...	Harriet Smith
Kathleen Byron	...	Mrs. Goddard
Phyllida Law	...	Mrs. Bates
Edward Woodall	...	Mr. Robert Martin
Brett Miley	...	Little Boy
Brian Capron	...	John Knightley
Karen Westwood	...	Isabella Knightley
Paul Williamson	...	Footman

MPAA:

Rated PG for brief mild language.

Runtime:

121 min | Canada:94 min (Ontario)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Belgium:KT | Brazil:12 | Chile:TE | Finland:S | Germany:6 (w) | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Came House, Dorchester, Dorset, England, UK

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

The fuzzy cloak Gwyneth Paltrow (Emma Woodhouse) wears to the Christmas gathering at the Weston's is the same costume Julie Cox (Annabella Milbanke) wears after her wedding in Byron (2003) (TV).

Goofs:

Continuity: Mr. Knightly's hairstyle and collar change during his proposal to Emma.

Quotes:

Emma Woodhouse: [about Mr. Knightly marrying Harriet] I hope John advises him against it. After all we know nothing about her parents. They could be pirates!
Mrs. Weston: My dear, I like Harriet very much as, I might remind you, do you.

Movie Connections:

References Pride and Prejudice (1940)

Soundtrack:

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly

Stop making comparisons and just enjoy it...

For those JASNA devotees (Jane Austen Society of North America), this adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma" will truly send them running for the hills.

But if you're willing to view Emma with the belief that this movie is loosely based on the novel, and enjoy it on its own merits, you'll truly enjoy yourself.

Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow) is the apple of her aged father's eye and spends her ample free time trying to play matchmaker. Having achieved some success by matching her own governess with the widowed Mr. Weston, Emma sets out to match easily persuaded, impoverished newcomer Harriet Smith (Toni Collete) with hilarious results.

Some have complained that the casting is "all wrong" but I don't agree. I think for the comedic spirit of the film, the actors were well chosen. Sophie Thompson nearly steals the show as the muddled but happy Miss Bates. Her silent mother, Mrs. Bates (played by Sophie Thompson's real-life mother Phyllida Law), also steals a few scenes. In my humble opinion, anybody who prefers Mark Strong (the A&E version) over Jeremy Northam in the role of Mr. Knightley has to be "addled in the attic" as it were. Not tall enough? I'm sorry but I wasn't watching how tall he was but that mesmerizing smile. I'm sure I wasn't the only one swooning in my seat.

This is no literary classic (the movie NOT the book!) so let's not make it something it isn't. What Emma truly IS..is an enjoyable romp with a healthy dollop of romance. Viewed in this light, you're in for a good time.

And yes, Ewan McGregor's wig IS hideous. My friends compared it to a dead cat but that would do the cat an injustice.