Sense and Sensibility (Classic Masterpiece Book & DVD Set) |  | Director: Ang Lee
Actors: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, James Fleet, Tom Wilkinson, Harriet Walter
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.94
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Rating:  449 reviews
Sales Rank: 83064
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Limited Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), Chinese (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Portuguese (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 99
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 136 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.3
MPN: COLD07718D
ISBN: 1404965114
UPC: 043396077188
EAN: 9781404965119
ASIN: B0002O7Y8A
Theatrical Release Date: December 13, 1995
Release Date: September 28, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: PG
Release Date: 28-SEP-2004
Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com essential video
Emma Thompson scores a double bull's-eye with this marvelous adaptation of Jane Austen's novel. Not only does Thompson turn in a strong (and gently humorous) performance as one of the Dashwood sisters--the one with "sense"--she also wrote the witty, wise screenplay. Austen's tale of 19th-century manners and morals provides a large cast with a feast of possibilities, notably Kate Winslet, in her pre-Titanic flowering, as Thompson's deeply romantic sister. Winslet attracts the wooing of shy Alan Rickman (a nice change of pace from his bad-guy roles) and dashing Greg Wise, while Thompson must endure an incredibly roundabout courtship with Hugh Grant, here in fine and funny form. All of this is doled out with the usual eye-filling English countryside and handsome costumes, yet the film always seems to be about the careful interior lives of its characters. The director, an inspired choice, is Taiwan-born Ang Lee, who brings the same exquisite taste and discreet touch he displayed in his previous Asian films (such as Eat Drink Man Woman). Thompson's script won an Oscar, and 1995 was a fine year for Jane Austen all around: Persuasion was made into an excellent picture, and Emma became the spritzy high school comedy Clueless. --Robert Horton
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 449
 A favorite for years February 7, 2010
Todd N. Vallie (Rochester, NY United States)
This adaptation is wonderful. It does a great job of hitting the major points of the book. Look, no movie could really do the whole book justice, but this does a fantastic job of telling the beautiful story. My only beef is that Hugh Grant seems to play the same character in every movie, but he fits well in this one.
As far as the negative reviews some have given, I'll just say this: Subtlety and nuance is lost on a FOOL.
Is love a fancy or a feeling? January 1, 2010
E. A Solinas (MD USA)
One of the Dashwood daughters is smart, down-to-earth and sensible. The other is wildly romantic and sensitive.
When those daughters are from Jane Austen novel, you can guess that there are going to be romantic problems aplenty for both of them -- along with the usual entailment issues, love triangles, sexy bad boys and societal scandals. Ang Lee deftly adapted Ausen's "Sense and Sensibility" into the sort of movie it should be -- a lushly beautiful, quietly passionate period drama.
When Mr. Dashwood dies, his entire estate is entailed to his weak son John and snotty daughter-in-law Fanny. His widow (Gemma Jones) and her three daughters are left with little money and no home.
Over the next few weeks, the eldest daughter Elinor (Emma Thompson) begins to fall for Fanny's studious, quiet brother Edward (Hugh Grant)... but being the down-to-earth one, she knows she hasn't got a chance. Her impoverished family soon relocates to Devonshire, where a tiny cottage is being rented to them by one of Mrs. Dashwood's relatives -- and Marianne (Kate Winslet) soon attracts the attention of two men. One is the quiet, much older Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman), and the other is the dashing and romantic Willoughby (Greg Wise).
But things begin to spiral out of control when Willoughby seems about to propose to Marianne... only to abruptly break off his relationship with her. And during a trip to London, both Elinor and Marianne discover devastating facts about the men they are in love with -- both of them are engaged to other women. And after disaster strikes the Dashwood family, both the sisters will discover what real love is about...
I have to give Emma Thompson credit -- she not only turns in a brilliant, tightly-wound performance as Elinor (although she does look a bit old for the role), but she also wrote the faithful, solidly written script for Ang Lee's movie. The narrative glides silkily through the story, and adapts Austen's writing into elegantly vivid dialogue ("Can he love her? Can the soul really be satisfied with such... POLITE affections?") with some moments of gentle humor ("How did you find the silver? Was it all genuine?").
And Ang Lee takes what Thompson has wrought and makes it even lovelier, filling it with pale light, misty country hills, luxurious manorhouses, sunlit gardens and yards, and rain-swept fields where handsome men go riding on horseback. He has the knack for coaxing intense emotions from small gestures and words, and evoking budding love that is unsaid and unexpressed until the end (especially for Edward and Elinor). The absolute peak of his skill is right before Marianne's terrible illness, when she's left standing on a hilltop in the rain, whispering a Shakespearean sonnet.
Marianne and Elinor make excellent dual heroines for this book -- that still love and cherish each other, even though their polar opposite personalities frequently clash. Thompson plays Elinor as being tightly wound and a bit repressed, while Winslet races joyously through the dramatic and romantic parts of the story, only for Marianne to crash and burn when Willoughby betrays her.
And the supporting cast is no less brilliant -- Jones and Rickman are particularly good as the girls' loving mother, and the mellow, quiet Colonel Brandon (the man "everyone thinks well of, and nobody remembers to talk to") who stands by hoping for Marianne's happiness. Wise, Robert Hardy, Elizabeth Spriggs and Harriet Walters all give excellent performances, and even Hugh Grant (who usually annoys me like an unreachable itch) did a good job as the shy, studious Edward.
"Sense and Sensibility" is an emotionally powerful tale about two very different sisters, and the rocky road to finding a lasting love. And it was beautifully done by both of the people at its core -- Thompson's writing and acting, and Ang Lee's direction.
Sense & Senbility is thoroughly enjoyable! December 26, 2009
Dawnelle (Buffalo, NY USA)
Thsi version of Sense & Sensibility is wonderful! Emma Thompson did a great job on it. The choice of actors was wonderful. The ensemble cast did a great job. Personally, I would have preferred Colonel Brandon over Willoughby anyday but then I adore Alan Rickman. The ages of the actors in this movie didn't matter because they were so in tune with their characters.
Being a Jane Austen movie I didn't have to worry about excessive nudity, swearing, or gratuitous sex. This was a nice look at a slice of life from a bygone era. I could show this movie to others without having to fast forward through some scenes ( which has happened for some newer movies).
 Subtitles November 29, 2009
C. Q. Forester (San Francisco)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have ordered this movie twice,a used copy, and each has come with subtitles and no way of eliminating them. I don't appreciate them interfering with watching the story unfold.
Chuck
Excellent Film with Great Cast November 19, 2009
dbk636466 (Lyndhurst, Ohio)
This is one of the best films of a Jane Austin book ever made....Emma Thompson wrote a wonderful screenplay and rightfully deserved the Oscar for it....it is wondefully cast and flows nicely...a must for any Jane Austin fan
Showing reviews 1-5 of 449
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