It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

So for the past couple of years I've had this random tradition of really getting into Jane Austen stuff when school's about to end (although I watch the movies any time of the year). I absolutely love Jane Austen's novels and as many of you already know, the five hour BBC version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth is my favorite movie. But most of you don't know how I got into craze, so here's my story...

It all started back in 7th grade when the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice came out. Back then it just seemed like another romance film, so I didn't feel the need to see it in theaters. However, when it came out on DVD, I went to my friend Karli's house to watch it. We watched it in the morning and I thought it was ok, but nothing special. When I got home in the early afternoon, I went to my friend Jessica Ransom's house to tell her about my experience with the movie she absolutely hated. I asked her why she hated the movie and she told me that the five hour version was so much better. I of course thought that any movie over 2 hours was pushing it, so in my mind I thought my friend had gone crazy. But I was curious, so that same day we sat down to watch it. At first it was hard for me to understand what was going on (I was only twelve), but as the movie went on I found myself falling in love with Mr. Darcy. In fact, when the first disk ended, Jessica could not put the second disk in fast enough! So that's when my love for Jane Austen started.

After that lovely day in May 2006, I started to explore Jane Austen's works and I've come to love every single one of them. Although I've only read Pride and Prejudice twice, Sense and Sensibility once, and Emma once, I've seen tons of movies! Here's my favorite versions of the films:

Pride and Prejudice: BBC's version with Colin Firth (given)

This version really captures the characters' thoughts throughout the novel. I promise you that when you watch this version, you will fall in love with Mr. Darcy, as so many others have.

Emma: the one with Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow really is the strength of this version. She brings out the humor from the novel and the arrogance of Emma Woodhouse. But we also can't forget Jeremy Northam who plays an excellent Mr. Knightley!

Sense and Sensibility: the one with almost the whole Harry Potter cast which includes Emma Thompson

Sense and Sensibility is just a sad novel all around, so be prepared to cry in the movie. I love Emma Thompson as Elinor Dashwood, Kate Winslet as Marianne Dashwood, and Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars. Actually, all the characters play their part to perfection.

Persuasion: 1995 (I've only seen this version, so there's not much choice)

I do believe there are other versions of Persuasion that are better, but this is the only one I've seen. I liked this movie only because I have a love for Jane Austen, but overall it wasn't a very interesting film. The lead actress, Amanda Root, seemed a little old to be Anne Elliot, but that's just my opinion.

Mansfield Park: 2007 version (again, the only one I've seen)
This was definitely a modern version of the book. Billie Piper plays Fanny Price and Blake Ritson plays Edmund Bertram. It was pretty entertaining to watch, but it didn't have the normal characteristics that a Jane Austen movie should have. It also seemed a little jumpy as it cut from scene to scene.

And I still have not seen Northanger Abbey.

I can't tell you guys anything about this version, but trust me, in a few weeks I'll have seen it.

So that's the list. I highly recommend getting into Jane Austen because it turns the end of the school year into a bright, happy time of the year!