Mansfield Park

PG-13

Released Nov 19, 1999

1 hr. 50 min.

History

Drama

List

78%

73 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Fanny (Frances O'Connor), born into a poor family, is sent away to live with wealthy uncle Sir Thomas (Harold Pinter), his wife (Lindsay Duncan) and their four children, where she'll be brought up for a proper introduction to society. She is treated unfavorably by her relatives, except for her cousin Edmund (Jonny Lee Miller), whom she grows fond of. However, Fanny's life is thrown into disarray with the arrival of worldly Mary Crawford (Embeth Davidtz) and her brother Henry (Alessandro Nivola).

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Critics Consensus

Solid performances, bold direction.

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J. M

Did not enjoy Fanny's breaking the 4th wall to talk to the camera. Frances O'Connor is lovely but didn't work for me in the title role (and seemed older than the character was supposed to be.) I'm not a prude but I didn't think the nudity was necessary. The moment where Edmund expressed his love was almost-but-not-quite there.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/24

Full Review

matthew d

It's a pretty and often funny romantic comedy from Jane Austen. I think Frances O'Connor is very charming as the intelligent and outspoken Fanny Price. However, they include a baffling subplot about slavery that drags on and distracts from the main romance and character arcs. I bet they were trying to feel more modern and inclusive, but it simply feels contrived like this family benefitting from profits off slavery, would care about anyone other than themselves. James Purefoy is fine as Tom as he squanders his family fortune all because of his guilt over slavery and hatred of his plantation owning father, I guess. Victoria Hamilton very selfish and easy to hate as the loathsome Maria. Hugh Bonneville is a great idiotic rich fool. Embeth Davidtz is deplorably selfish and disgusting as Mary Crawford. She's most charming when she's flirty with Frances O'Connor, but her character feels so opportunistic that you never trust her or her cad brother. Alessandro Nivola plays the handsome womanizer well, but you never quite believe he'd love someone poor and smart like Fanny over someone easy to manipulate like Maria. Sophia Myles is so pretty as Fanny's sister Susan Price, that I wish her adorable and sympathetic character were in the story more. Jonny Lee Miller is very subtle and romantic as the gentle Edmund. He suits Frances O'Conner well with a sweet romantic chemistry.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

abigail s

If you are expecting anything close to being historically accurate or a faithful adaptation of the book, prepare to be more than disappointed. The movie specializes in 4th wall breaks and forced comedy. Within the first 15 minutes, it was clear there is no Fanny Price in this movie; instead there is a brash, extroverted, improper young woman making her opinions on every subject clearly known to everyone about her while attempting to hit Edmund with a coat. Instead of being meek and not realizing how ill-used she is, Fanny cries whenever asked to do anything. Lady Betram, in stead of constantly working on embroidery and worrying about Pug, instead is in a laudanum induced coma in every scene. Mary Crawford appeared good at first, but once she started smoking while playing pool that idea was crushed. One of the only things historically accurate is Mr. Rushworth's hair. One of the only things accurate to the book is Hugh Bonneville's portrayal. On top of all this, the first half of the book is covered in a mere thirty minutes and many things are completely out of order, for no apparent reason. An added note: The house itself looks like it's in disrepair, the walls bare, the plaster cracking. The movie also turns into an argument of why slavery is bad, which, though admirable, is not even close to the theme of the book and feels very forced.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

dave j

Adapted from Jane Austen's novel of the same name, has Fanny Price moving to an estate as a young child to act as some sort of servant who makes friends with Edmund.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

farah r

Not as fancy as Austen adaptations that came after, Mansfield Park makes the best use of its means to bring the source material to life. I didn't feel that there was chemistry between Miller and O'Connor and their relationship turned from friendship to romantic unexpectedly. The script is lengthy and multiple plot points felt unnecessary but I suppose it's important to stay true to the novel and include as much of it into the film. Should Mansfield Park be remade into a movie today, I think it might turn out greatly better than this one.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I haven't read the Jane Austen book, so this was the first hearing of the story with no literary comparison. I enjoyed the film; a great story and a cast of marvellous actors delivered a great film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

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Patricia Rozema

Director

Embeth Davidtz

Mary Crawford

Jonny Lee Miller

Edmund Bertram

Alessandro Nivola

Henry Crawford

Frances O'Connor

Fanny Price

Harold Pinter

Sir Thomas Bertram

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Rozema's handling of the entangled amours and social gamesmanship at Mansfield Park is delightful...It's impure Austen, but potent moviemaking.

Mar 6, 2018

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Wonderful book adaptation with strong female character.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 25, 2010

Full Review

Louis B. Parks

Houston Chronicle

While this version plays somewhat fast and loose with the original story, and even more so with the heroine's character, it is still much more Jane Austen than not.

Jul 21, 2005

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

It’s swoony and biting and just a little bit gay

Feb 13, 2024

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Rozema’s direction is rich and tactile—she’s... sensitive to the quiet moments and intimate details of small character interactions within larger scenes—and Frances O’Conner delightfully brings Fanny to life with charm and intelligence.

Sep 9, 2023

Full Review

Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

Takes some chances but underrated among Austen adaptations

Feb 14, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

Fanny (Frances O'Connor), born into a poor family, is sent away to live with wealthy uncle Sir Thomas (Harold Pinter), his wife (Lindsay Duncan) and their four children, where she'll be brought up for a proper introduction to society. She is treated unfavorably by her relatives, except for her cousin Edmund (Jonny Lee Miller), whom she grows fond of. However, Fanny's life is thrown into disarray with the arrival of worldly Mary Crawford (Embeth Davidtz) and her brother Henry (Alessandro Nivola).

Director: Patricia Rozema
Executive Producer: David Aukin, Colin Leventhal, Trea Leventhal, David M. Thompson, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein
Screenwriter: Jane Austen, Patricia Rozema
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: HAL Films, Miramax Films, Arts Council of England, BBC
Rating: PG-13
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 19, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 19, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.8M
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital

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