Masterpiece Theatre: Northanger Abbey | JJ Field, Felicity Jones

Masterpiece Theatre: Northanger Abbey | JJ Field, Felicity Jones | Northanger Abbey: Masterpiece Theatre's Little Masterpiece

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	Masterpiece Theatre: Northanger Abbey JJ Field, Felicity Jones WGBH Boston, 2008 average customer review:based on 75 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

In Austen s gentle parody of gothic fiction Felicity Jones (Meadowlands) plays romance addict Catherine Morland. Invited to a medieval country house that appeals to her most lurid fantasies she forms a close friendship with the younger son on the estate Henry Tilney (JJ Feild The Secret Life of Mrs. Beeton) but their budding romance is mysteriously cut short. Adapted by Andrew Davies.System Requirements:Running Time: 90 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/WGBH BOSTON Rating: NR UPC: 783421421899 Manufacturer No: WG42199

Finally, a real "Northanger Abbey"

"Northanger Abbey" has never been a favorite with me; Catherine is too naive to suit my tastes. Still, I wanted to see what would happen with this one, and Andrew Davies shows again why he's a master.

Catherine here is displayed in all her glory. Her naviete is evident, but she demonstrates some very great character qualities; her eagerness to think well of people is very sweet, and her loyalty to her brother is beautiful. Felicity Jones shows very clearly but very properly Catherine's unhappiness and suspicion (even in Catherine Morland!) of Isabella Thorpe's flirtation with Frederick Tilney. Her sadness and regret when she discovers how easily she's been swayed by her Gothic novel reading is palpable. The writing is fantastic and Jones carries off the character brilliantly with all the wide-eyed innocence necessary for the role.

JJ Feild's Henry Tilney is fantastic. He's everything that he should be: smart, gentle, upright, friendly, and patient with Catherine. Tilney's the sort of guy people would have a drink with *and* entrust their children to, and Davies and Feild capture that. Sorry, Peter Firth, Feild's got you beat on every single count here.

I have to mention Carey Mulligan's Isabella Thorpe. Mulligan plays all that sweet-faced innocence while being a money-grubbing jerk underneath; she's fantastic. When she gets her comeuppance at Frederick Tilney's hands, it's hard to be sympathetic. Still, Davies puts in that moment when Frederick Tilney outmaneuvers Isabella and she gets her comeuppance - excellent addition - and Mulligan carries it off brilliantly. That momentary pathos Mulligan infuses into Isabella really manages to drive home Elinor's warning to Catherine that Isabella will be hurt.

Eleanor is lovely - a wonderful, female version of her brother Henry, with all the spirit and gentleness he has. (They're my favorite brother-sister pair in all of Austen.) Frederick Tilney is wonderfully rakish. The Allens are very cute.

There are flashes of Davies in the script. He sort of does the over the top sometimes, and the visualizations of Catherine's Gothic imaginings fit that over-the-top bill. Still, Davies is a master at catching Austen's humor, and the joke's on Catherine - which he manages to capture with brilliance.

Beating the 1986 Maggie Wadey-written "Northanger Abbey" isn't a huge feat (sorry, Ms. Wadey), but this version does more than that. As of right now it's set a pretty high mark to beat.

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Northanger Abbey: Masterpiece Theatre's Little Masterpiece

This film adaptation of Northanger Abbey has been a long time coming for any true Janeite. It was absolutely dripping with the very charm and wit of Miss Austen herself, and maintained the integrity of the text. A dash of British humour, a gleam of gothic fright, and a full cup of the endearing romance from the Regency Era.

Cheers!

Excellent Entertainment

I thought the story was interesting from beginning to end. The actors were convincing and showed great depth of character. I didn't want it to end and I wish there was a sequel.
It was well worth the price I paid. I was not familiar with this particular story and I was so pleased with the ending.

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Masterpiece Theatre: Northanger Abbey

I really enjoyned Masterpeiece Theatre's Northanger Abbey. I loved the way they captured Catherine's dramtic imagination, and they really caught the horribleness of John Thorpe and his sister Isabella. The actor who played John Thorpe was not good looking either. So there is no way you could possible like this person. He played his part well. At first I wasn't sure if I liked the actor who played Henry Tilney, but he was such a good actor that his looks grew on you and you really ended up liking him.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this movie and felt it stayed true to Jane Austin's version of the story "Northanger Abby"

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Interesting

For someone who has not read the book, the movie was very interesting with an unexpected twist! And as always, Jane Austen delivers a happy ending!

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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