The Emmas of Yore: Miramax's "Emma"
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at 11:37AM 
Following the Jane Austen cinematic frenzy of 1995, the author was Hollywood's it-girl. At least, as far as classic writers were concerned. The following year nobody could get enough of Emma, with Clueless being adapted into a sitcom, and two other adaptations of the book being produced on both sides of the Atlantic. Today, we're here to talk about Miramax's lavish Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Toni Collette, and Ewan McGregor, among many other wonderful thespians. It's one hell of a cast.
Still, despite its enviable collection of actors, this isn't the best screen version of Emma. For one, the project could have used a bit less fidelity to the source material and a lot more narrative ingenuity…
Emma is Jane Austen's longest novel and is positively full of colorful characters, some of which only appear halfway through despite being crucial parts of the story's overall arc. For a feature-length adaptation, this wealth of detail and personalities can pose a challenge, especially if one wants to keep the novel's biting humor intact as well as its main plot points. Douglas McGrath makes a valiant effort at solving this problem, but his final script shortchanges numerous characters. Jane Fairfax, for instance, is of considerable importance but here she's a non-entity. Thankfully, McGrath is a better director than he is a screenwriter, at least when it comes to this singular project.
His vision of Emma is a peculiar thing, lost in a limbo between Oscar bait and a bucolic take on the tale. The look of it is strange, full of pastel colors, overstuffed compositions and deep shadows contrasting with a diffused glow, as if a handful of Vaseline had been smeared on the camera lenses before each take. The costumes, on the other hand, suggest an attempt at finding eroticism in the Regency-era Fashion. Ruth Myers' designs play with anachronistic levels of formality and gauzy textiles, simplifying historical styles until they evoke the chicness of a minimalistic Calvin Klein from the mid-90s. As for the score, it's a delightful affair that rightfully earned Rachel Portman an Oscar.
On another positive note, Gwyneth Paltrow's modern GOOPing affects the way we consider this Emma Woodhouse, a rich girl who thinks she knows what's best for everyone and is constantly giving silly advice to better the lives of others. While Gwyneth's Emma is more ethereal as well as more irritating than the provincial girl Austen described, she fits the character's comedic immaturity. As for Collette and Northam, they are perfect and deliver the best screen interpretations of these two characters. Those two can look fondly at this past project, unlike Ewan McGregor who is miscast and suffers the misfortune of having a wig that looks like a taxidermic puppy plopped on top of his head. Few filmmakers can say they made McGregor visually unappealing, that's for sure, so... congratulations(?) to the crew of Emma.
Were you charmed by Gwyneth's Emma or do you prefer Alicia Silverstone's Cher Horowitz?
Reader Comments (10)
To be honest, the only one I remember from this adaptation is Juliet Stevenson's vivid and hilarious Mrs Elton. Stevenson's Mrs Elton even controlled the last scene of the film where she was wishing the newlyweds well, then turned around, broke the fourth wall, and talked about how the wedding didn't have lace or satin. It was Stevenson's genius that made it all work. I will watch this film again just for Juliet Stevenson's Mrs Elton.
Owl -- She's brilliant, though there's very little of her in the film. That line about the lack of satin is great and Stevenson's delivery is utter perfection.
Toni Collette is hysterical in this, and her physicality is right on the mark.
As mentioned, key plot points get skimmed over too quickly such that it can be a little confusing. I haven't seen this in years, but I think the script is more to blame than the editing.
Clueless is its own kind of classic, but I love this adapation of Emma - first and foremost because of Juliet Stevenson (who is always wonderful) but also because of Toni Collette and Sophie Thompson.
Jeremy Northam is a fine actor, but he is completely miscast. He's so good looking that every woman in the county would be throwing themselves at him and Emma looks like a dimwit for taking so long to notice. Mr Knightley should be older and a more avuncular figure, a man whose appeal shouldn't be so obvious, with charms that need time to make themselves felt. Otherwise, I think this is a pretty good Austen adaptation.
It's been a very long time for me but I can remember thinking the actresses were great in this and the men, not so much.
Watched this a couple of years ago. Didn't find it too accessible, or visually appealing...but Collette was worth watching, as always...
I have never been a fan of Paltrow and as the years wore on and she became the irresponsible and out of touch GOOP girl even less so but this is the one film where I enjoyed her performance and thought she fit the role well.
But while she's fine it's the performers surrounding her that make this film rock. Alan Cumming is properly unctuous as Mr. Elton and Juliet Stevenson delightfully intolerable as his Mrs. Toni Collette sweetly befuddled as Harriet. I love Greta Scacchi's measured patience as Mrs. Weston and even if he's probably more attractive than the book would lead you to believe Jeremy Northam has Mr. Knightley down. Polly Walker is wasted as Jane Fairfax but the little she's given to do she does well.
But my absolute favorite is Sophie Thompson as the dithering Miss Bates. She plays her just right, never aware that her endless drivel puts people on edge she is completely destroyed when Emma's harsh response makes her realize how she's seen.
It's a beautiful looking film as well. Maybe not period perfect but awful pretty.
Thought Sophie Thompson should have received a Best Supporting Actress nomination.
I want to rewatch the old one but I'm afraid I won't like it.