Had Rozema given this story a new title, introduced the characters with original names, I don't believe that anyone would have suspected it had somehow originated from Jane Austen's appraised novel, Mansfield Park. It would have spared her the resentment I am sure that many others share with me towards her.
I was perfectly disgusted by this rendition of Jane Austen's novel. I cannot believe that Patricia Rozema could have had any love for the book to create a story so blatantly ignorant of its origin.
The characters, which were distorted beyond recognition, had no constancy as they were rapid-fired from scene to scene, without direction and without guide.
Had Rozema at least had the decency to pace the story as it should have been, to select lines from the book which did serve as character-building stepping stones, and given Fanny the goodness, the gentility and submissiveness she carried through-out the novel, I could have looked less harshly on this film.
I was also furious at Lady Bertram's opium addiction, at Mary Crawford's hints at lesbian tendencies, at Sir Thomas Bertram's motives and dealings in Antigua, and the complete unnecessary, though brief, nude scene with Maria Bertram and Henry Crawford. These were completely out of place and did not contribute to the story in the least.
Altogether a great disappointment and a poor introduction for those who have never read Jane Austen's novels or seen the other (more faithful) theatrical adaptations to her stories.
I was perfectly disgusted by this rendition of Jane Austen's novel. I cannot believe that Patricia Rozema could have had any love for the book to create a story so blatantly ignorant of its origin.
The characters, which were distorted beyond recognition, had no constancy as they were rapid-fired from scene to scene, without direction and without guide.
Had Rozema at least had the decency to pace the story as it should have been, to select lines from the book which did serve as character-building stepping stones, and given Fanny the goodness, the gentility and submissiveness she carried through-out the novel, I could have looked less harshly on this film.
I was also furious at Lady Bertram's opium addiction, at Mary Crawford's hints at lesbian tendencies, at Sir Thomas Bertram's motives and dealings in Antigua, and the complete unnecessary, though brief, nude scene with Maria Bertram and Henry Crawford. These were completely out of place and did not contribute to the story in the least.
Altogether a great disappointment and a poor introduction for those who have never read Jane Austen's novels or seen the other (more faithful) theatrical adaptations to her stories.