Northanger Abbey 

Catherine Morland is a young woman who enjoys reading Gothic Novels. She is invited to Bath by a family friend, Mrs. Allen, and there she meets Henry Tilney and his sister Eleanor. Upon ... See full summary »

Director:

Giles Foster

Writers:

Jane Austen (novel), Maggie Wadey

Stars:

Katharine Schlesinger, Peter Firth, Robert Hardy

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Katharine Schlesinger	...	Catherine Morland
Peter Firth	...	Henry Tilney
Robert Hardy	...	General Tilney
Googie Withers	...	Mrs. Allen
Geoffrey Chater	...	Mr. Allen
Cassie Stuart	...	Isabella Thorpe
Jonathan Coy	...	John Thorpe
Ingrid Lacey	...	Eleanor Tilney
Greg Hicks	...	Frederick Tilney
Philip Bird	...	James Morland
Elvi Hale	...	Mrs. Thorpe
Helen Fraser	...	Mrs. Morland
David Rolfe	...	Mr. Morland
Elaine Ives-Cameron	...	Marchioness
Angela Curran	...	Alice

Storyline

Catherine Morland is a young woman who enjoys reading Gothic Novels. She is invited to Bath by a family friend, Mrs. Allen, and there she meets Henry Tilney and his sister Eleanor. Upon returning to her home with her family, Eleanor invites Catherine to come along as her guest and companion. There Catherine's imagination continues to flourish and she begins to suspect a dark secret at Northanger Abbey.

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Plot Keywords:

reading | novel | secret | young woman | guest | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

PBS [United States]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 December 1987 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Assembly Rooms, Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), A&E Television Networks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The The striped muslin day dress worn by Helen Fraser (Mrs. Morland) at Fullerton is the same costume worn by Kate Ashfield (Ella, the Worrell's maid) in Princess Caraboo (1994), Toni Collette (Harriet Smith) wears while reading Mr. Elton's charade, Sophia Myles (Susan Price) at Portsmouth in Mansfield Park (1999), and Charity Wakefield (Marianne Dashwood) wears when Edward calls at Mrs. Jennings' London house in Sense & Sensibility (2008).

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Connections

Featured in The Real Jane Austen (2002)

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Soundtracks

The Lancer's Quadrilles: Ladoiska
(uncredited)
Composed by Kruetzer
[first dance in Bath Assembly Room on Catherine's first visit)

User Reviews

Completely strips Austen's satire of its spirit

Sometimes, changes to novels when they're made into films are not only necessary, but a good thing. However, in the case of Northanger Abbey, it's a very, very bad thing. Not only is the story itself ripped to shreds, but the satire is almost completely absent from the film, and it's mixture of romance and intrigue doesn't even touch upon the biting commentary that Austen put into her work. It fails to be amusing or satirical at all, and instead turns the character's fascination with her fantasy world into mostly a drama.

This affects the romance as well. It's meandering and aimless. Chemistry and interest are never established. The reasons Tilney is attracted to Catherine are completely absent from the film, leaving the audience to wonder what it is he sees in her at all.

Hopefully some day soon, we'll get a more faithful version if Austen's satire.