Everyone loves a good period romance, frolicking through 19th century England in long dresses and wavy updos, but sometimes you’ve got to spice it up a bit, and who could have guessedJane Austen’s works would work so well in 1990s Los Angeles? Austen lived from 1775 to 1817, completing only six novels during her lifetime:Sense and Sensibility,Pride and Prejudice,Mansfield Park,Emma,Persuasion, andNorthanger Abbey, along with a final, posthumously finished book calledSanditon, and the epistolary novel,Lady Susan. Now, more than two centuries after her death, Austen’s influence has grown exponentially, with her writings transforming into many different mediums, including a lot of on-screen adaptations.
Considering how brilliant Austen’s writing is, especially the depth and complexity she puts into her female protagonists, it’s no wonder that people continue to remake and reinterpret her novels over the years. Though there honestly should be more adaptations out by now, particularly for her later novelsPersuasionandNorthanger Abbey, and we’ve yet to see these stories brought to life on-screen for more than a few different languages and cultures.
Looking at the current catalog of Austen movies, you’ll find great adaptations, practically perfect adaptations, and very bad adaptations. While some movies bring a brilliant new angle to Austen’s classic stories, some ideas fall flat. The safest bet is usually a straightforward adaptation of the material, and thankfully people still love to see old-fashioned romance.
But where does your favorite Austen film adaptation land on this list? Read on to see which movie takes the cake. To note, this list only includes theatrically released features. So sorry to say, but the 1995Pride and Prejudiceminiseries withColin Firth’s iconic portrayal of Mr. Darcy is not in the running.
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14. From Prada to Nada
In 2011, Austen’s 1811 novelSense and Sensibilitywas brought to life in modern Los Angeles inFrom Prada to Nada. StarringCamilla BelleandAlex PenaVegaas Nora and Mary Dominguez, two privileged sisters whose life is turned upside down when their father’s death forces them to move in with an aunt they barely know in East Los Angeles. The film adaptation aims to bring Latino representation to Austen, infusing the original story of sisters Elinor and Marianne with a story of Mexican heritage and identity set in a historical area of LA. The heart is definitely there, butPrada to Nadalacks the emotional depth to really make an impact.
13. Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy
If you ever wanted to see Austen’s works transferred to the modern Mormon lifestyle, look no further.Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedyhas got you covered. The 2003 comedy takes place in modern-day Utah, with Elizabeth Bennet (Kam Heskin) as a college student trying to become an author, while everyone around her continues to pressure her into getting married. Elizabeth has multiple suitors, including an arrogant businessman named Will Darcy (Orlando Seale). The film’s humor is heavily catered to a Mormon audience, so it’s safe to say that this adaptation isn’t for everyone. But if you are looking for a simple, fun watch with a familiar story, this might be a good pick.
In 2010,Aishawas released, a modern adaptation of Austen’s 1816 comedic romance novel,Emma. The protagonist is Aisha Kapoor (Sonam Kapoor), a young woman who belongs to a rich, upper-class family in Delhi, India, living a glamorous, privileged life. Aisha strongly believes that she’s the one best-suited to match up her small-town friend Shefali Thakur (Amrita Puri) with a businessman named Randhir Gambhir (Cyrus Sahukar), while her neighbor Arjun Burman (Abhay Deol) chides Aisha for her nosiness. While the story can be a little shallow at times, Kapoor as Aisha is magnetic, especially in her banter with Arjun, makingAishaan enjoyable watch that doesn’t go much deeper than surface level.
11. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Everyone seems to rag onPride and Prejudice and Zombies, but honestly, it’s not that bad. WithLily Jamesas lovely as always as Elizabeth Bennet andSam Rileyas the haughty yet handsome Mr. Darcy, the movie has two charismatic leads with great chemistry to hold up the story. Add to thatCharles Dance,Lena Headey,Matt Smith, and a boatload of other recognizable faces, and there’s plenty to like. EspeciallyJack Huston, who plays a particularly smarmy George Wickham. The main shortcoming with the film is that as a zombie movie, one of the adaptation’s biggest draws, it doesn’t really commit to the concept. The action starts rather late in the story, and it could have definitely been more intense and gruesome.
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10. Pride and Prejudice (1940)
The first full-screen theatrical adaptation of Austen’s famous novel, 1940’sPride and PrejudicestarsGreer Garsonas Bennet andLaurence Olivieras Mr. Darcy. Directed byRobert Z. Leonard, the famous story is moved forward a few decades into the Victorian Era, a choice mostly made to make the film more visually interesting. Remarkably, authorAldous Huxleywas one of the screenwriters, and the movie won a well-deserved Oscar for Art Direction. While both Garson and Olivier give charming performances, the chemistry’s a bit lacking, and the movie cuts out some of the best parts of the original story.
9. Bride and Prejudice
FromGurinder Chadha, the director ofBend it Like Beckham, 2004’sBride and Prejudiceis a Bollywood musical adaptation of Austen’sPride and Prejudice. The movie brings the 19th-century English tale to the modern-day in a small town in India, where Lalita Bakshi (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) aims to avoid her parents’ ideas for an arranged marriage and marry for love. At a family friend’s wedding ceremony, Lalita meets an American businessman named William Darcy (Martin Henderson) who initially puts her off, but over time the two grow closer as they start to understand each other, and well, you know the rest.Bride and Prejudicesuccessfully adapts the original romantic story, while adding Chadha’s signature humor and style, celebrating Indian culture and bringing an unexpected warmth to the film.
8. Mansfield Park
In 1999, the only film adaptation of Austen’s third published novel,Mansfield Park, was released, starringFrances O’Connoras Fanny Price, a woman sent from her poor, overwhelmed family to live at her aunt and uncle’s fancy estate as a child, growing up as the odd one out. Fanny’s family wants her to conform to privileged society and follow her expected path, but Fanny isn’t one to do as she’s told.Mansfield Parkis one of Austen’s more challenging novels to understand, exploring classism and deeper political quandaries, which the film, unfortunately, doesn’t go too deep into. Despite that, the adaptation is an enjoyable, feel-good movie, making it a solid entry in the world of Austen on screen.
7. Kandukondain Kandukondain
Another Bollywood musical,Kandukondain Kandukondainis an Indian Tamil-language film adaptation ofSense and Sensibilityreleased in 2000. The movie starsBride and Prejudice’s Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in an earlier role as Meenakshi, the counterpart to Marianne, whileTabassum Fatima Hashmi(known by her stage name Tabu) plays Sowmya, the counterpart to Elinor. DirectorRajiv Menonbuilds a complicated tale exploring class, war, gender, and other issues on top of the traditional story, creating a well-made, culturally relevant film that stands on its own.
6. Love & Friendship
This 2016 comedy is based on Austen’s novelLady Susan, written sometime in the 1790s but not published until 1971. Austen never submitted the work for publication for unknown reasons, but it eventually made its way to us, and in 2016, the first-ever big-screen adaptation was released asLove & Friendship, directed byWhit Stillman.Kate Beckinsaleplays the flirtatious and highly intelligent Lady Susan Vernon, a recent widow who comes to visit her brother unexpectedly, stirring up trouble with her manipulative ways. Throughout her stay, she romances Reginald (Xavier Samuel), a young man oblivious to her selfish, scheming nature, and her married lover, Lord Manwaring (Lochlann O’Mearáin).Love & Friendshipperfectly captures Austen’s sharp humor, while Beckinsale is brilliant in her portrayal of Lady Susan, an extremely modern woman who cares little for emotion when money’s on the line.
5. Emma (1996)
The 1996 adaptation ofEmmastarsGwenyth Paltrowas the title character, with a stacked supporting cast that includesToni Colletteas Harriet Smith,Jeremy Northamas Mr. Knightley,Ewan McGregoras Frank Churchill,Polly Walkeras Jane Fairfax, andAlan Cummingas Mr. Elton. Paltrow’s Emma is appealing despite her constant meddling, while the rest of the cast keeps an equal pace, creating a colorful and hilarious adaptation of the classic novel. Honestly, Collette as Harriet should be enough to convince anyone to love this movie.
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