Mansfield Park (2007)

At age 10, Fanny Price is sent by her destitute mother to live with her aunt and uncle, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram. As a child she was often made to feel that she was the poor relation but... See full summary »

Director:

Iain B. MacDonald

Writer:

Maggie Wadey

Stars:

Julia Joyce, Douglas Hodge, Maggie O'Neill

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julia Joyce	...	Young Fanny
Douglas Hodge	...	Sir Thomas Bertram
Maggie O'Neill	...	Mrs. Norris
Tara Berwin	...	Young Maria
Lucy Hurst	...	Young Julia
Zachary Elliott-Hatton	...	Young Tom
Greg Sheffield	...	Young Edmund
Billie Piper	...	Fanny Price
Blake Ritson	...	Edmund Bertram
James D'Arcy	...	Tom Bertram
Michelle Ryan	...	Maria Bertram
Rory Kinnear	...	Rushworth
Catherine Steadman	...	Julia Bertram
Hayley Atwell	...	Mary Crawford
Joseph Beattie	...	Henry Crawford (as Joesph Beattie)

Storyline

At age 10, Fanny Price is sent by her destitute mother to live with her aunt and uncle, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram. As a child she was often made to feel that she was the poor relation but by the time she reaches 18, and in the absence of her uncle who leaves on a business trip for an extended period, she begins to enjoy herself. When Henry Crawford and his sister Mary become neighbors to the Bertrams, opportunities abound. Edmond Bertram falls in love with Mary but she wants to marry a man with money, not someone destined to life as a clergyman. Meanwhile, Fanny's love for her cousin Edmond prevents her from accepting Mr. Crawford's proposal of marriage.

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Plot Keywords:

female protagonist | cousin cousin incest | uncle | aunt | estate | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

ITV [UK] PBS [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 January 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mansfield Park

Filming Locations:

Newby Hall, Skelton on Ure, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Company Pictures, WGBH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The black patterned muslin gown worn by Billie Piper (Fanny Price) at Maria's wedding is the same gown Gemma Jones (Mrs. Dashwood) wears in Sense and Sensibility (1995) when Edward comes to Barton Cottage, and Janet Dale (Miss Briggs) wears at Park Lane in Vanity Fair (1998). The same costume is also worn in Byron (2003) by Pauline Moran (Mrs. Curtain) when Byron arrives for the wedding, and by an extra at the Meryton Assembly Ball in Pride & Prejudice (2005).

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Quotes

Fanny Price: I can't guide you, we all have our best guides within us.

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Crazy Credits

Jemma Redgrave was only listed in the opening credits and was not included in the cast/character list in the closing credits.

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Connections

Featured in The Story of the Costume Drama: The Greatest Stories Ever Told (2008)

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Soundtracks

Mansfield Park Theme
(uncredited)
Written by John E. Keane

User Reviews

Don't bother, it's not worth it

This is the worst adaptation of 'Mansfield Park' I have ever seen, even worse than the 1999 film version. I struggle to see how it could even be described as an 'adaptation', being only very (and I mean very) loosely based on Jane Austen's plot and characters. At best, this is 'inspired' by the story of 'Mansfield Park' and I'm sorry to say that it's barely recognisable to the original.

I like Billie Piper. I enjoyed her in 'Doctor Who' and do think she is an aspiring actress. However, I'm sorry to say that she is completely miscast as the lead in this, and when I first heard that she would be playing Fanny Price I thought it was a joke. What were the writers thinking? Billie is the polar opposite to her character, both in looks and sensibility. One reason why this novel is so difficult to adapt for a 21st century audience is that the character of the heroine is, by modern standards, incredibly dull. She's a product of the time in which she was written and is meant to be humble, pious, respectful and not in the least bit outspoken or inappropriate. Many modern adaptations feel the need to shake up the story and make Fanny Price more like Elizabeth Bennet which is exactly what they've done here. The writers have also completely disregarded issues of 18th century etiquette and fashion - Billie as Fanny runs around permanently bareheaded (which simply wouldn't have happened then, Fanny would have worn a bonnet in public) and with her hair all loose and flowing (which looks pretty but still wouldn't have happened in the 18th century - it would have been tied up and styled in some way).

But essentially it's the plot that I objected to - where was it? Nothing happened. Also, I'm guessing this must have been a budget adaptation as they could clearly only afford to buy one set. Every happened either in the sitting room or the garden. The ball that is thrown in Fanny's honour in the book is here transformed into a summer picnic on the lawn. In addition, a key event in the story involves Fanny going back to Portsmouth to visit her parents, something that makes her realise that perhaps life at Mansfield Park is not so bad in comparison with where she would have otherwise grown up, and that helps her to discover a sense of her own identity. In this adaptation, Fanny is simply left home alone at Mansfield while the rest of the family go off somewhere, which merely results in her feeling (shock horror) lonely and rejected – and viewers like me suspecting that the producers didn't have much money. What was the point of that? Bravo Blake Ritson. You were the best thing in this and were the only one who bared a passing resemblance to the character you were playing. Other than that, it looks pretty, Billie Piper puts in a spirited performance and it's not unlike 'Cinderella' in many ways. Kids and young teenagers would probably love it, but anyone aged about 15 and over, with even a slight acquaintance with Jane Austen's work would do well to avoid.

5/10.