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Daisy Edgar-Jones anchors austere new Sense and Sensibility adaptation
A new film adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, directed by Georgia Oakley and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles as the Dashwood sisters, presents a notably more austere and downbeat take on the beloved 1795 novel than the celebrated 1995 version by Ang Lee. The film follows the sisters through financial hardship and romantic entanglements as their family is forced from their Sussex estate to a cottage in Devon, distinguishing itself through a sober, thoughtful mood and the absence of a sugar-rush wedding finale.
The cast delivers mixed results: Fiona Shaw impresses as a scene-stealing Mrs Jennings, whilst the script thoughtfully emphasises Mrs Dashwood's motivations around her daughters' financial security. However, several casting choices prove problematic, particularly Herbert Nordrum as Colonel Brandon, whose unengaged performance fails to capture the romantic longing essential to the character, and the leads, whilst competent, lack the evident sisterly resemblance that defined the 1995 film. Overall, the adaptation is visually accomplished but uneven, with its boundary-pushing intentions not always successfully realised. The film releases 25 September in the UK, 15 October in Australia and 16 October in the US.
In short
- New Sense and Sensibility adaptation offers sober, thoughtful reworking of Austen classic
- Strong supporting cast undermined by inconsistent performances in key roles
- Releases late September and October in UK, Australia and US
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A more austere adaptation can bring out the novel’s attention to women’s financial insecurity and the difficult choices facing the Dashwood family, rather than leaning on the romance of earlier screen versions. Its sober mood, visual care and thoughtful treatment of Mrs Dashwood’s motives offer a coherent interpretation, even if it does not suit every viewer.
The case against
A subdued approach risks losing the warmth, wit and romantic feeling that make the story compelling, especially if key performances do not convey the characters’ longing or close family bond. The mixed casting and uneven execution may leave the film’s changes feeling less like a fresh interpretation than an adaptation whose ambitions are not fully realised.
Explained simply
Sense and Sensibility is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1811. It follows sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood after their family loses its home and faces financial uncertainty, while each navigates love and expectations about women’s roles.
The sisters’ contrasting temperaments give the story its title: Elinor is associated with restraint, Marianne with strong feeling. Their mother, Mrs Dashwood, must consider how her daughters can secure their futures, while other figures, including Colonel Brandon, become part of their romantic lives.
A well-known 1995 film adaptation was directed by Ang Lee and starred Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. New adaptations bring different choices about tone and character, giving audiences another way to encounter Austen’s story.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Sense and Sensibility review – Daisy Edgar-Jones leads sober-minded next-gen do-over of Austen romcom”.