A year after the world celebrated Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, the author’s enduring legacy continues to inspire new adaptations. Earlier this year, the BBC and BritBox delivered The Other Bennet Sister, the acclaimed adaptation of Janice Hadlow’s novel starring Ella Bruccoleri as Mary Bennet, the often-overlooked middle Bennet sister.
Bruccoleri has earned widespread praise for her performance, while the series received two nominations in major categories at this year’s British National Television Awards. The Other Bennet Sister is also set to return later this year with a three-part Christmas special following Mary and Tom’s marriage.
But before Austen fans return to the Bennet family for the festive continuation, another major adaptation is preparing to arrive on the big screen. This time, the focus is on Sense and Sensibility, Austen’s first published novel.
The new film is led by Normal People star Daisy Edgar-Jones and Pond Life actress Esmé Creed-Miles, who play Dashwood sisters Elinor and Marianne. The cast also includes Outlander star Caitríona Balfe as Mrs. Dashwood, alongside Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, and George MacKay as the sisters’ respective suitors.
Directed by Georgia Oakley, the new interpretation faces an obvious comparison with Ang Lee’s beloved 1995 adaptation. That version starred Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman and remains one of the best-known screen versions of Austen’s story.
Now, ahead of the new Sense and Sensibility’s theatrical release, the review embargo has been lifted, giving audiences their first indication of how critics have responded to Oakley’s adaptation.
The film currently holds a 75% score on Rotten Tomatoes, giving it a solid early reception from critics. However, that score remains well below the 97% achieved by Ang Lee’s 1995 version.
What Have Critics Said About ‘Sense and Sensibility’?
Sense and Sensibility debuts in the UK this weekend before arriving in the U.S. on October 16. The first reviews, which are largely coming from critics across the pond, have been notably divided.
Some critics have praised the film as a fresh and ambitious take on Austen’s classic, while others have been far less impressed with the adaptation. One reviewer criticized what they described as the film’s “the grimy, dark, drab appearance”, while another praised it as “fresh, occasionally electric, and wholly inviting to a new generation.”
With opinions already split, audiences will soon have the opportunity to decide for themselves whether this new version of Sense and Sensibility can establish its own place alongside the celebrated adaptations that came before it.
