Masterpiece Theatre: Northanger Abbey

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!

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.

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!

"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.

I have been a Jane Austen fan for years! So I was excited to see the new PBS versions of the novels this last year, especially Northanger Abbey since this novel has never really been turned into a good movie (like S&S, P&P, and Emma). I loved this adaptation. The plot moves a little faster than in the book. But over all this movie was very pleasing. The actors were charming and Felicity Jones does a delightful adaptation of Catherine. The scenery is well done, although not quite the image of Northanger that I had in my imagination. The scenes of Catherine's gothic fantasies are funny, but work well with the plot. I wish they could've picked a more handsome actor for Henry, but hey, that's getting picky. Supporting actors are well cast, especially Isabella, Eleanor, and the evil General Tilney. I give this film an B+ to an A-. I love having it in my Austen-adaptation movie collection. Highly recommend it to any Jane Austen fan. Very sweet, lovely film with the happily-ever-after ending we all enjoy.