Charming movie turns overly melodramatic

Votes

Vote!

Mansfield Park starts with a young Fannie Price being sent away from her poverty stricken family to live with her Aunt and well to do cousins. It quickly becomes clear that Fannie is not thought of as a person of equal status at her new home. Sir Thomas says to his young daughters of Fannie as soon as she arrives...."You girls must never be arrogant towards her. She is not your equal but that must never be apparent to her." Fannie escapes into writing and books in order to cope with her new life. She also starts a friendship with her cousin Edmund.
The movie then quickly moves to a 20-something? Fannie and the melodrama begins. This is also where the movie starts losing a lot of its charm that it had started with. The main plot of the movie moves to the unwed adults trying to figure out who they will place themselves with. The problem I had with trying to connect with all the "coupling" was that almost all the potential matches are first cousins. I understand that in 1809 it was likely not rare for first cousins to pair up, but in this day and age it is generally thought of as indecent. Maybe my own prejudice clouded my judgement..but I just could not feel the romance that was trying to be created for any of the characters. This movie started out with a whole lot of charm and then just slowly progressed into doom and gloom.
I never read the Jane Austen novel that inspired this film...but if the book is anything like the movie, I think I will take a pass on reading the novel.
I will rate the movie 6/10 because even with its faults I do think the movie is worth a viewing...also the costumes and acting are at the top of their game. What brings the movie down is the script.

6/10

Comments

No comments for this entry have been posted

Added by Anonymity 1 month ago on 16 May 2008 08:30