Sense And Sensibility (1995)

Sense And Sensibility - 1995

Coming up next is one of my favorite films.  1995's "Sense And Sensibility" follows the story of the Dashwood sisters as they navigate life without the comfort of money after the death of their father.  Having no income for dowries, their options for marriage are now extremely limited as well.

The film's cast includes Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Gemma Jones, Harriet Walter, Imelda Staunton, Hugh Laurie, James Fleet, Tom Wilkinson, Emilie Francois, Elizabeth Spriggs, Robert Hardy, Imogen Stubbs, Richard Lumsden, and Lone Vidahl.

John and Fanny Dashwood are headed to their recently inherited country estate.  Along the way they discuss what kind of monetary assistance to provide John's recently widowed stepmother and her three daughters.

Fanny doesn't want to part with a single coin.  Eventually, Fanny decides to not give them anything.  "My only real concern is how long it will take them to move out," she tells John.

The three Dashwood sisters are practical Elinor, romantic Marianne, and tomboy Margaret.  Each miss their recently deceased father, and their lives are in utter chaos as they begin the search for a new home with very little money to live on.

Fanny's brother Edward Ferrars comes to visit, and all the ladies instantly love him.  He's Fanny's complete opposite: likable and very easy-going.

Elinor, in particular, takes a liking to him, and the two spend a great deal of time with each other talking, walking, and riding.

Fanny and Mrs. Dashwood observe the two of them together.  Mrs. Dashwood is happy about the romance, however subtle.  Fanny is decidedly not.  She lets her mother-in-law know that Edward cannot marry a penniless woman.

A place for the Dashwoods to live has been found.  Mrs. Dashwood's cousin Sir John Middleton has offered them a house on his estate.  Now that Mrs. Dashwood knows Edward and Elinor cannot marry, she has no reason to prevaricate.  She packs up the girls and heads off to Devonshire.

The view their new cottage as something of a comedown from the former residence.  (I'd take it in a shot.)

Sir John and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings, arrive.  They are full of life and fun, and the two instantly make the Dashwoods feel welcome, if slightly overwhelmed by their larger than life presence.

The Dashwoods settle into life at Barton Cottage.  Margaret explores her new surroundings outdoors.

They are often invited up to Barton Park to have dinner with Sir John and Mrs. Jennings.  Mrs. Jennings feels that Elinor has left behind part of her heart at home, and she works out (with the help of Margaret) that there is a young man who has a name that begins with the letter "F" that Elinor fancies.

Sir John and Mrs. Jennings waste no time in trying to guess the name.  "Foster?  Forrest?  Fotheringay?  Fortescue?  Fundant?"  "What sort of man is he, Miss Dashwood?  Butcher, baker, candlestick maker?" asks Mrs. Jennings.  "I shall winkle it out of you, you know."  Sir John smiles and says, "She's horribly good at winkling."

When Marianne plays the pianoforte for Sir John, a visitor comes in and stares at her, captivated.  He is Colonel Brandon, a friend of Sir John's.

"Now, Miss Dashwood, it's your turn to entertain us.  And I believe I know what key you will sing in.  'F' Major," says Sir John as he turns to Elinor following Marianne's performance.

Sir John and Mrs. Jennings dissolve into fits of laughter as Elinor rolls her eyes, clearly embarrassed.

Colonel Brandon pays special attention to Marianne as time goes by.  Mrs. Jennings apprises Elinor of the colonel's life story as only she can in her busybody way.

During a walk with Margaret on one rainy afternoon, Marianne falls and injures her ankle.

A handsome stranger arrives on horseback and escorts Marianne home.  She's quite literally swept off her feet.

We find his name is John Willoughby, and he succeeds in completely charming the ladies of the Dashwood residence.

The next day, Willoughby brings Marianne a bouquet of wildflowers he picked for her.

By now, Marianne is head over heels in love.  Willoughby works his way deeper into their heart when they realize their shared love of Shakespeare's sonnets.

She and Willoughby spend a lot of time together, especially carriage riding.  From high speed rides to solitary sojourns without a chaperone, the two are under the gaze of the entire community.  Colonel Brandon, hiding his regard for Marianne, wishes her well.

At a picnic hosted by Colonel Brandon, Elinor makes the acquaintance of Miss Lucy Steele, who mysteriously seems to know a great deal about Elinor.  Unfortunately, the picnic is canceled before we get to know about her connection with Miss Dashwood.

Following their whirlwind romance, Willoughby asks Marianne if he may chat with her alone the next day because there is a particular question he wants to ask her.  She gladly agrees.

Feeling that a proposal is imminent, the entire family is shocked when Willoughby announces he has been disinherited and must return to London immediately.  He refuses to answer their questions.

One by one, the Dashwood ladies disappear crying into their rooms.  Elinor is left to be the strong one.

During an evening at Sir John's home, Lucy Steele talks with Elinor, and we learn of how she seems to know her.  It seems that Edward Ferrars and Lucy correspond, and Edward told Lucy of his great regard for Elinor.

They do more than correspond.  They are secretly engaged, a fact that Lucy drives home by pulling out Edward's monogrammed handkerchief and parading it in front of Elinor, who is shocked, but keeps her feelings to herself.

Mrs. Jennings and her daughter concoct a plan that evening.  She invites Elinor, Lucy, and Marianne to join her in London for the Season.  Marianne is thrilled to go to London.  It means she gets to be closer to Willoughby.

Once in London, Elinor receives a strange visit from Colonel Brandon, who asks if everything is resolved between Willoughby and Marianne.  He leaves almost as quickly as he arrived.

At a ball hosted by Lady Charteris, Mrs. Jennings talks with Fanny.  By now, Mrs. Jennings has worked out that the mysterious "Mr. F." is Fanny's brother, Edward.

However, instead of Edward being at the ball, we are introduced to his and Fanny's other brother, Robert, who dances with Elinor in the absence of his brother.  Lucy looks on suspiciously.

Elinor ends up dancing with Willoughby, who is also at the ball.  Marianne sees them and rushes up to talk to them.  However, Willoughby begs a hasty retreat.

We find he is engaged to Miss Grey, a wealthy lady who looks down on the Dashwoods as soon as she sees them.

Marianne nearly collapses and has to be helped to remain on her feet.  Mrs. Jennings decides it is time to go.

She is understandably crushed.  Trying to comfort her as best as she knows how, Mrs. Jennings says, "I will look out something to tempt her.  Does she care for olives?"

Colonel Brandon visits Elinor again and tells him about Willoughby.  It seems that Willoughby got a girl pregnant and ran out on her.  When his aunt, Lady Allen, heard of it, she promptly disinherited him.  However, Colonel Brandon says that Willoughby had every intention of proposing to Marianne, and would have done so had it not been for the money.

Meanwhile, Lucy is staying with Fanny at her London residence.  She decides to confide to Fanny that she is secretly engaged.

When Lucy confides the name of her fiance, (Fanny's brother), Fanny knocks her down, screams "Viper in my bosom!" and turns her from the house.

Edward is disinherited by his mother for being engaged to Lucy.  Colonel Brandon has Elinor offer him the living of the parish on the colonel's estate (a job Edward has long dreamed of), which should enable Edward and Lucy to marry quickly.  Elinor assures Edward of her friendship for life.

Elinor makes the decision to take Marianne (whose spirits are very low) home.  They wave goodbye to Mrs. Jennings as they depart from London followed by Colonel Brandon, who will see them safely home.

They stop to rest at the home of Mrs. Jennings' daughter, Charlotte.  For a little peace, Marianne decides to take a walk.

She ends up walking five and a half miles away to the boundary of Willoughby's property.  There in the rain she recites their favorite of Shakespeare's sonnets with deep regret in her heart.

She catches an infectious fever and is put to bed.  Doctors can do nothing for her, and they advise Elinor to send for her mother.  Colonel Brandon instantly leaves to fetch Mrs. Dashwood.

Marianne's fever breaks just as her mother arrives.  She catches the colonel's eye and thanks him for bringing her mother to her.

Colonel Brandon spends a lot of time with Marianne as she recovers from her illness, and Marianne begins to find herself attached to him.

He goes to London and sends her a piano, promising to follow it within a day or so.  Marianne sits down and begins to play the new composition he's sent her.

A surprise visitor comes in the form of Edward.  All of the Dashwoods had heard he was married.  He tells them that it was in fact his brother Robert who got married.  Lucy fell in love with him when they were lately in London, and he released her from their engagement.

This, of course, frees him up to propose to Elinor, the one whom he loves.  She is overjoyed and accepts his proposal.

Marianne and Colonel Brandon also get married.  Elinor and Edward (who married the couple) follow them from the church, also happily married.

Willoughby watches Marianne's wedding proceedings from a distance before galloping away full of regret.

Cast rundown:

   Emma Thompson..............................Elinor Dashwood

   Alan Rickman....................................Col. Christopher Brandon

   Kate Winslet.....................................Marianne Dashwood

   Hugh Grant.......................................Edward Ferrars

   Greg Wise........................................John Willoughby

   Gemma Jones...................................Mrs. Dashwood

   Harriet Walter....................................Fanny Dashwood

   Imelda Staunton................................Charlotte Palmer

   Hugh Laurie.......................................Mr. Palmer

   James Fleet.......................................John Dashwood

   Tom Wilkinson...................................Mr. Dashwood

   Emilie Francois...................................Margaret Dashwood

   Elizabeth Spriggs................................Mrs. Jennings

   Robert Hardy.....................................Sir John Middleton

   Imogen Stubbs..................................Lucy Steele

   Richard Lumsden................................Robert Ferrars

   Lone Vidahl.......................................Miss Grey

And that's it for Sense And Sensibility.  Emma Thompson wrote the screenplay for this film, and she also starred in it as Elinor.  After winning the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for this film, Emma Thompson became the first person to win Oscars for both writing and acting.  A great many grand and historic residences were used for filming.  These included Saltram House (which was the Dashwood home the girls left), Trafalgar Park (which was Sir John's home known as Barton Park), Montacute House (the residence of Mrs. Jennings' daughter, where Marianne was taken ill), and Compton Castle (which served as Willoughby's country residence).

As always, if you wish to leave a comment, please remember our posting rules.