Sense and Sensibility

PG

Released Dec 13, 1995

2 hr. 15 min.

Comedy

Drama

Romance

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97%

68 Reviews

Tomatometer

90%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

When Elinor Dashwood's (Emma Thompson) father dies, her family's finances are crippled. After the Dashwoods move to a cottage in Devonshire, Elinor's sister Marianne (Kate Winslet) is torn between the handsome John Willoughby (Greg Wise) and the older Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman). Meanwhile, Elinor's romantic hopes with Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) are hindered due to his prior engagement. Both Elinor and Marianne strive for love while the circumstances in their lives constantly change.

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Critics Consensus

Sense and Sensibility is an uncommonly deft, very funny Jane Austen adaptation, marked by Emma Thompson's finely tuned performance.

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Martha A

One of my favorite movies. So very emotional on all fronts.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/24

Full Review

liz R

Pretty hard to beat as historical romance goes. Great cast, classic Hugh Grant; who cares if Alan's a bit on the old side and Emma Thompson's character's reaction at the end is movingly real. And visually lovely too.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/28/23

Full Review

Gia H

One of my favourite films - Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman are excellent! Slightly different story from the original Jane Austin novel but superb!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/21/23

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Esra Y

Ang Lee's insightful directing combines w great performances, movie truly carries the core of source material. Spirit of the book is there caring, sarcastic, playful. My most favorite Jane Austen adaptation and one of the best book adaptation movies.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/01/23

Full Review

Dan S

Excellent!! 90s was an excellent time for films especially for Jane Austen!! Sets and the acting was so good! Emma was great but it is true a 36 year old playing a 24 year old but the end 25. Stretch! But I could not imagine anyone else. They cannot do this today!! 2007 version was so good too Eleanor actress was so good and better age but I do prefer the 90s version! If they did this today, they would change everything even how the characters look! Updating films the past 10 years most are disasters. I am so glad they made films so good in the 90s and early 2000s before they started updating most films terribly. 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice was a beginning of a disaster of a film. They changed slowly over time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/07/23

Full Review

Matthew B

Sense and Sensibility is a rare success among literary adaptations in that it managed to capture the essence of Jane Austen's novel whilst also updating it enough to appeal to modern tastes. Emma Thompson's script effectively caught the irony of Austen's original book, and showed a good understanding of the context of its age as seen from the viewpoint of our own age. What Thompson's script wonderfully achieves is to humanise the ‘good' characters in a way that prevents them from seeming dreary. In the book Edward Ferrars is pleasant but dull. In the film, he is portrayed by Hugh Grant, who brings a shy humour to the role, delivering his lines in a droll way that stops him from seeming stuffy, despite his buttoned-down clothes. Edward is not the only character who benefits from a warmer treatment. Margaret herself is here a lively and vivacious child, if a little thoughtless at times, and a welcome contrast to the idiotic character in the book. Mrs Dashwood (Gemma Jones) too is given a quiet dignity here, whereas Austen portrays her as rather silly. More important though is the film's treatment of Colonel Brandon. In the book Brandon is an unglamorous second choice after Marianne's first lover lets her down. In the film he is played by Alan Rickman, who lends him a romantic quality. It takes a long time for Marianne (Kate Winslet) to see his merits, as she is put off by the age disparity between Brandon and her. This objection might have been overcome by time, but Marianne instead falls for the superficially charming John Willoughby (Greg Wise). How do you make a good modern film based on a book that holds opinions that are out of touch with today's society? Thompson had the unenviable task of finding a way to skilfully sail a path between keeping the film authentic to its time while giving it enough modernity to prevent it from becoming a museum piece. Not everyone will be happy with the result. The film has been criticised for reducing the role of the female characters to that of waiting around for the men to marry them, and for not addressing issues of class. Certainly the focus of the film is on the women finding the right husbands, but this is just as true of the book. Similarly the film presents a limited view of the class system, with barely any interaction with lower class people, but again so does the book. Thompson could hardly add new working class characters or add new roles for the women characters without rendering the source material an absurdity, and this would have offended Austen fans just as much. The film is not so caught up in its interest in the economics of the time that it forgets the central premise of Jane Austen's novel – the two opposing strands of sense and sensibility. Jane Austen firmly takes the side of sense, and this is in some ways a weakness in the novel since the advocates of sensibility (Marianne, Mrs Dashwood, Willoughby, Margaret) are all portrayed as wrong or silly. In our own age, sensibility is more popular, and there is more interest in the open expression of feeling, even in Britain. While the film ultimately comes down on the side of Sense, just as Austen's book does, there is more ambiguity about the virtues of putting reason over emotion here. There are occasions when it is hard not to feel frustrated by the constant reserve and restraint of the characters. They often close down the uninhibited speeches of others, and moments of intimacy are lost amidst bowing, curtseying and drinking cups of tea. They are obliged to politely put up with the unbearable conversation of vulgar or snobbish relatives without openly saying what they think of them, because this would be considered a social faux pas. Sense and Sensibility makes a good template for how adaptations of classic literature should be made. It balances historical context against the values of our own age. It is filmed in a fetching and pretty manner, although the unforgiving use of bright light and camera close-ups does draw our attention to the fact that Thompson is too old and Winslet not pretty enough for their roles. Each scene is carefully mounted by director Ang Lee in a manner that allows the actors to convey their emotions on screen, often by use of deft and subtle touches. However the film is democratic towards its cast. No actor is allowed to dominate the movie or steal scenes from anyone else. The result is a film that is poised and assured, perhaps the best of all literary adaptations. I wrote a longer appreciation of Sense and Sensibility on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2018/07/08/sense-and-sensibility-1995/

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/18/23

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Ang Lee

Director

Emma Thompson

Elinor Dashwood

Alan Rickman

Col. Christopher Brandon

Kate Winslet

Marianne Dashwood

Hugh Grant

Edward Ferrars

James Fleet

John Dashwood

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Sense and Sensibility: Official Clip - Happy Tears

2:12

Sense and Sensibility: Official Clip - A Way With Kids

2:06

Sense and Sensibility: Official Clip - Yes, No, Never Absolutely

2:06

Sense and Sensibility: Official Clip - A Far More Pleasing Countenance

1:31

Sense and Sensibility: Official Clip - John Willoughby at Your Service

2:11

Sense and Sensibility: Official Clip - Marianne Falls

2:07

Sense and Sensibility: Official Clip - Willoughby!

2:12

Sense and Sensibility: Official Clip - Edward and Elinor

2:13

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Sense and Sensibility: Trailer 1

2:08

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

Ang Lee’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s first novel respects the timeless material while bringing a contemporary energy and humour to the tale.

Jun 21, 2023

Full Review

Michael Wilmington

Chicago Tribune

This movie, made with love and wit, reminds us how much charm, liveliness, passion, good sense--and sensibility--Jane Austen provides.

Rated: 3.5/4

Nov 27, 2019

Full Review

Deborah Brown

Empire Magazine

A beautifully-crafted, witty, moving film likely to overcome even the stiffest Austen prejudice.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 27, 2019

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Quentin Crisp

Christopher Street

It is a gem. Miss Austen’s sly humor is everywhere present but never caricatured.

Apr 25, 2022

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Spirited and luminous romantic film.

Rated: A-

Mar 15, 2022

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Mal Vincent

The Virginian-Pilot

Screenwriter Thompson and director Ang Lee maintain a rare balance. The actors, as well as the writer and director, constantly let us know that they know better than these characters.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 25, 2022

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Synopsis

When Elinor Dashwood's (Emma Thompson) father dies, her family's finances are crippled. After the Dashwoods move to a cottage in Devonshire, Elinor's sister Marianne (Kate Winslet) is torn between the handsome John Willoughby (Greg Wise) and the older Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman). Meanwhile, Elinor's romantic hopes with Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) are hindered due to his prior engagement. Both Elinor and Marianne strive for love while the circumstances in their lives constantly change.

Director: Ang Lee
Executive Producer: Sydney Pollack
Screenwriter: Jane Austen, Emma Thompson
Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Video, Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 13, 1995, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $42.0M
Sound Mix: Surround

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