Austen Efforts: Emma (1996)

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Emma (1996)

A very lovely adaptation of Emma with lively script and beautiful costumes.

Summary: Based on the Jane Austen novel, "Emma" tells the story of a young woman in England who plays her town's matchmaker. When attempting to match up her friend with the Reverend Elton, Emma starts to run into complications, which multiply amongst themselves with cases of mistaken intentions of love, a cast of supporting characters who each love someone else, but Emma doesn't know who loves who, and Emma finally realizing the one person she truly loves.

Script: Douglas McGrath
Directed by: Douglas McGrath
Produced by: Patrick Cassavetti
Length: Approximately 121 minutes
Release Date: 2 August 1996
Hair Designer: Simon Thompson
Make Up Designers: Susie Adams & Tina Earnshaw
Costume Designer: Ruth Myers
Soundtrack Composer: Rachel Portman

Cast:

Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma Woodhouse

Jeremy Northam as Mr. Knightley

Denys Hawthorne as Mr. Woodhouse

James Cosmo as Mr. Weston

Greta Scacchi as Mrs. Weston

Ewan McGregor as Frank Churchill

Sophie Thompson as Miss Bates

Phyllida Law as Mrs. Bates

Polly Walker as Jane Fairfax

Toni Collette as Harriet Smith

Alan Cumming as Mr. Elton

Juliet Stevenson as Mrs. Elton

Karen Westwood as Isabella Knightley

Edward Woodall as Mr. Robert Martin

Rebecca Craig as Miss Martin

Baby Emma Knightley

Quotes:

Emma Woodhouse: Has an invitation arrived for a party at the Coles?
Mr. Woodhouse: No, thank Heaven. The Coles are nice people, but we should have to go outside to get there.
Mr. Knightley: Emma, you didn't ask me to contribute a riddle.
Emma Woodhouse: Your entire personality is a riddle, Mr. Knightley. I thought you overqualified.
Miss Bates: It left us speechless, quite speechless I tell you, and we have not stopped talking of it since.
Emma Woodhouse: One does not like to generalize about so many people all at once, Mr. Knightley, but you may be sure that men know nothing about their hearts, whether they be six-and-twenty, or six-and-eighty.
Emma Woodhouse: Not one in a hundred men have "gentleman" so plainly written across them as Mr. Knightley!
Emma Woodhouse: Now I need not call you Mr. Knightley. I may call you *my* Mr. Knightley.
Mr. Knightley: Maybe it is our imperfections which make us so perfect for one another.
Mrs. Elton: I do not profess to be an expert in the field of fashion (though my friends say I have quite the eye) but I can tell you, there is a shocking lack of satin!