Emma

Emma: A True Masterpiece Classic

“People – their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations – there I am the expert.” -Emma Woodhouse in Emma

Now I have always been a fan of Jane Austen classics. When the latest version of Pride and Prejudice came out (the one with Kiera Knightley) I fell in love with the story and then was finally able to get through Austen’s novel. This was followed by watching the mini-series Sense and Sensibility and then reading the book, finishing it on my flight to France in the summer of 2009.

The Jane Austen bug has hit me again, and I may have a new favorite Austen novel. Kirstin and I were looking for Fantastic Mr. Fox the other day at the locally awesome Cosmos Videos and stumbled upon the BBC mini-series Emma that neither of us had seen. We decided to get it and loved every minute of it.

From PBS: Emma Woodhouse (Romola Garai, Atonement) was born with the sun shining down on her. The radiant, privileged girl grows into a remarkable talent for matchmaking, as observed by her loving but disapproving father (Michael Gambon, Cranford) and childhood friend Mr. Knightley (Jonny Lee Miller, Endgame). When the decidedly less privileged Harriet Smith arrives, Emma meddles with fate to find her a match, until her flawless intuition is called into question. Dissuaded from more matrimonial predictions, Emma nonetheless continues to cheerfully contemplate superior men — and meets one of her own in the handsome, gleaming Frank Churchill. But after being so busy managing everyone else's heart, does Emma know her own? A fiercely funny new version of the Jane Austen novel, Emma was adapted by Sandy Welch (Jane Eyre).

The music was fantastic, the scenes were charming, the story line enthralling, and the cast was endearing: Romola Garai played the adorable Emma who reminded us of a softer Drew Barrymore in Ever After and of course the charming father figure, our favorite wizard, Michael Gambon as Mr. Woodhouse. Several other studs are included in this mini-series that will keep you envying their wardrobe and wishing your life had a soundtrack such as theirs.

I started reading the novel this week and am enjoying it, but not as much as I enjoyed this charming film that is a must-see for anyone who likes Austen, romance, or period films. This Emma was much better than the 1996 film with Gwyneth Paltrow.

Emma just might be my new favorite Jane Austen character, seeing as we share some of the same feelings as of late. I must say, it may be a bad thing that I enjoy meddling in my friends’ love lives. Move over Mr. Darcy, Mr. Knightley is my man now! Oh, and if I ever have a child named Emma, you’ll now know why.