Ranking Mansfield Park Adaptations

Another #janeaustenjuly ranking video - in this one, I rate films and series based on Mansfield Park (1814), possibly Austen's least-loved novel, and consider how it could be done better.

Adaptations mentioned:
Metropolitan (1990) film Whit Stillman, Audrey Rouget, Edward Clements
Mansfield Park (2007) TV film Iain Mcdonald, Billie Piper, Blake Ritson
Mansfield Park (1999) film Patricia Rozema, Frances O'Connor, Johnny Lee Miller
From Mansfield With Love (2014-15) Web series Foot In The Door Theatre, Harvey Trust over, Wesley Buckeridge
Mansfield Park (2011) opera Jonathan Dove, John Rawnsley, Nuala Willis
Mansfield Park (1983) BBC series David Giles, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Nicholas Farrell

[AaronReadABook]

I love Mansfield Park and I will fight anyone to the death who criticises it or my beloved Fanny Price, however I have never watched an adaptation because I do see how it is the hardest one to do well plus none of them are well regarded, bless you for watching six! I did watch Love & Friendship based on one of your previous videos though and it was a lot of fun.

[scallydandlingaboutthebooks]

Have some faith in the book. Yes! People often don't get Mansfield Park and want it to be P&P. Austen never wrote the same book twice.
This was very entertaining 😊

[katiejlumsden]

This was great. I love the quote in the thumbnail. 😅 I hate the 1999 film so much, because they completely reverse Fanny’s character. You’re right – people who don’t love and understand Mansfield Park have no business adapting it! I think you ought to make the next one, as you would do a better job 😁 I’m very fond of From Mansfield with Love because, as you say, it is just made with so much love and appreciation of Mansfield Park. Didn’t know there was an opera or Mansfield Park – must look into that! I saw a stage play of it many years ago, and that was great. I must rewatch the first 1983 adaption – I thought it very slow when I watched it, but that was years and years ago, so I should try it again. I don’t remember much of it.

[betinaceciliafeld]

You should write the next adaptation of Mansfield Park! That interpretation of Fanny's heritage is so fascinating to explore, I loved it!

[SariH]

Hi! Love this video! As a fan of Mansfield Park I watched the movies and both series, web and tv, and I'm so happy to watch you talking about them. To be fair, it's a difficult book to adapt but there are better ways of doing it, a quiet protagonist is not a bad idea and an introspective, soft film is not impossible to watch, especially with the love of different aesthetics in this era. I agree with your opinions and it would be lovely to see an interracial Fanny Price as a way to really touch the theme insinuated in the book, to be fair I think it would challenge all of the consequent interactions with her, from Lady Bertram and Mrs, Norris to Edmund and the Crawfords themselves (it would probably end as an inspired work instead of an adaptation or a mix though). I have to check that first movie and the opera, quite curious to see how they go about it.

[CoynieReads]

"Maybe people wanted different things in the 90s, maybe they didn't want to be entertained!" 😂

[lisainbookland]

I love your thumbnail! That is a perfect quote. Potentially lucky for me I’ve only ever seen From Mansfield With Love and had the same thoughts as you — too spoilt by the Pemberley Digital ones to be able to get past the production quality. I do have the Billie Piper one on my shelf and I’ll probably watch it some day out of sheer curiosity. It can’t be as bad as 2022 Persuasion, surely?

[faithbooks]

I have only seen the Billie P film and the Frances M one both of which I thought were dreadful! I think the future director should steer clear of trying to sex up Mansfield Park and instead carve out ‘a bit of ivory’ by telling what is rather quiet story with nuance and subtly. It is ok to make a.quiet movie about a.quiet person. Make it lovely with beautiful cinematography, exquisite acting and great period clothing! Let the audience see how trapped Fanny is and how she overcomes by her strong moral instincts even as she is surrounded by everyone who is at sea when it comes to personal integrity.

[bookingthroughlife]

I have Metropolitan and I totally agree with you. I haven’t been able to finish it.
A Mansfield Park opera sounds intriguing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[ad]

The 1983 version is the only one worth your time. A modern adaptation will always fail because modern audiences do not want to see a virtuous heroine. People's moral compasses are so messed up today that many believe Henry Crawford to be a good guy.

[viviennehayes]

A big problem is making a movie or miniseries of MP that is going to make money, and the story as written may not, sad to say!

[librarian-D]

Doesn't it depart from the entirety of the Antiga argument about slavery and why brother Tom was so ill?
Crawford siblings seemed more sweet than the book. Almost like it was a sugary covered adaptation, the 6-part mini-series and not following the book. To me, Mansfield Park is slightly gothic (for Austen, that is), and this adaptation had no edges or depth.
I was disappointed, and honestly, it wasn't easy getting through it.
I think there are no good film adaptations of this Austen novel.
Oh, I definitely agree with you about the hairstyles.. very very odd..