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Emma (1996)



The Gwenyth Paltrow version came out the same year, and I also saw the 2020 version recently. These other adaptations have a lot to offer, and I liked each quite a bit. This one isn't bad, but Kate Beckinsale doesn't stand out to me as Emma, nor is the story all that compellingly told. It just feels muted somehow. Maybe it's partly the DVD copy, which feels a bit old and "blurry," too.


When I went back to look at my review for the 2020 version, I noted how the colors "popped" and how everything was sharp and vivid. That's just not the case with this version.

What I do like about this version is the way it handles some of Emma's imagination scenes. We get to do a quick look into Emma's head, and it's fun and instructive to see what she's thinking about as she's matching up different people.

Of course, what's somewhat annoying about the story is the characters: They're all rich. They all live to dance, eat, gossip, and find good marriage partners. Then, there's always the character who isn't quite rich enough, or who doesn't find the match they're looking for, or is in some way "damaged" in the eyes of society. But I'm not judging the film on that... because that's the baggage that comes from the original source material. Emma, herself, learns a lesson or two along the way, which is nice, and we end the film with more or less a happy ending.

I do plan to go back and re-watch the 2020 version and the Paltrow version again, and I'll probably end up watching two more of the BBC versions.... in my never-ending quest to find the best versions of the most adapted novels of all time. I'm probably most looking forward to making time to re-watch Clueless again.

Rating: 3/5 stars
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