My Thoughts On Mansfield Park 1999

A Tale of Two Fannies

Hello my lovely readers!!!

Welcome back to my little bookish corner of the internet where I talk all things books.

I hope you’re having a lovely weekend! I’m spending this weekend reading North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and so far, am absolutely loving it. But that’s not what I want to talk about today.

So, last Sunday, I watched the 1999 Mansfield Park movie adaptation while re-reading the novel. I understand it’s not exactly a popular adaptation, but it also has a good enough rating on IMDB. I personally found it quite enjoyable. But that is not to say I did not have a few complaints.

My biggest issue was with Fanny herself.

I’m not a Mansfield Park enthusiast, it’s actually my least favourite Jane Austen novel. But I do like Fanny. She’s the meekest of all Austen heroines, is a bit old-fashioned, is religious etc. There are moments in the book when I wish Fanny would speak up and push back, but she doesn’t and yes, it frustrates me. But that’s Fanny, that’s how she is. I find her character very natural for someone in her position. And ultimately the story vindicates her anyway. Is it exactly to my taste? No. But does it work in the story? I think so, yes.

In the movie however, Fanny is a lot more bold and outspoken. There’s one instance where she hits back against Mrs. Norris in a way that feels very satisfying but also, very un-Fanny. I simply cannot reconcile the movie Fanny with the book Fanny, the characters just feel very different. So that remains my major complain.

Another point I disliked was that the movie excludes William and kind of replaces him with Susan. Fanny and William’s bond is one of my favourite things in the novel, so not having that did not work for me. I don’t in general care that much about Susan and her relationship with Fanny in the story and the movie, despite its efforts, couldn’t make me care. So, that for me was a miss.

I also think the movie made most characters a bit more likable. Especially Edmund and Henry, I genuinely dislike both of them in the book. Here I thought they were okay-ish, at least they didn’t elicit the strong sense of annoyance as their counterparts in the book. Especially Henry, I simply can’t stand him in the book. But in the movie, I found him more tolerable. Also, the movie makes Fanny almost fall in love with him which never happens in the story (and had it happened, I’d have lost my mind). Also, the romance between Edmund and Mary was a bit subtler in the movie, while in the book it takes a lot of focus. Even the romance between Fanny and Edmund is a lot more subtle in the movie. But it’s not a point that I have complaints against because I don’t like any of the romances in the novel.

The movie also takes a strong stance commenting on colonialism and slavery which are there in the book, but it’s very surface level. The movie made it quite explicit and I liked that.

In general I think if I were to judge the two as completely separate entities, I enjoyed the movie a lot more than the novel. But if I were to judge the book as an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, I don’t feel like it captures the essence of the novel. So, it almost doesn’t feel like the Mansfield Park I know. So, that’s a conflicted feeling I have. This actually is a problem I have with book adaptations in general where I judge them harshly based on how faithfully they follow the original book, which is why I avoid watching book adaptations in general. But sometimes they’re fun to watch and honestly, I liked this one and am glad I watched it. 

What about you? Do you like watching film adaptations of books? Don’t forget to let me know.

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That’s it for today, I'll be back in your inbox next week.

Until then,

Joyie 🌻