I always thought that the Gywneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam version of Emma from Miramax would be my favourite Emma adaptation. It is a lovely film with the most beautiful costumes and a great cast. With so many new adaptations being produced in the last few years I have decided there is no reason to have favourites and I can enjoy them all in their own way. That could be because I can't possibly choose between them.
This new Emma, produced in 2009 by the BBC, has four 1 hour instalments which gives it a two hour advantage over the Miramax version. Lots more time to tell much more of the story. Emma is played by Romola Garai (Vanity Fair, Daniel Deronda), Mr Knightley by Jonny Lee Miller, and Mr Woodhouse is none other than Michael Gambon. I have to say I was mildly unconvinced after the first episode. This adaptation has a very modern feel. The dialogue and language, facial expressions and physical movements have all been translated to appeal to a much more modern audience than most period dramas. It was Romola's facial expressions that really threw me the first time around. But by the third and fourth episodes I was sold on this lovely adaptation.
While I grew to love Romola's Emma by the end there were some other performances I also enjoyed. Tamsin Grieg as Miss Bates is surprisingly heartbreaking. Her guilt in having sent Jane Fairfax away and her loneliness are perhaps extensions of the original story but add a great deal to this adaptation. Christina Cole as the snarky, bitchy Mrs Elton is so easy to hate, perfect for that character. Blake Ritson as Mr Elton is decidedly creepy, especially in the proposal scene. Although it's hard to go past Toni Collette, Louise Dylan makes a lovely, silly, air-headed Miss Smith. My favourite minor character must go to Dan Fredenbaugh as John Knightley. I would have liked him as a brother-in-law, crankiness and all!
So we must of course talk about Mr Knightley himself. I loved Jonny Lee Miller in this adaptation. I especially loved him in the dance at the ball and the proposal scene. I love how he plays Mr Knightley as a man of the world, and very wise and knowledgeable but when he finds himself in a moment of intimacy with Emma, he falls apart like an awkward school boy. The line when he tells her "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more." I just about died. Then when Emma places her hands on his face he seems almost unbelieving that his dream is coming true. Sigh. Yep, pretty sure I'm in love with that scene, and Jonny Lee Miller.
As a side note, did we all know that both Jonny Lee Miller and Blake Ritson have played the role of Edmund Bertram in Mansfield Park? Funny.
Finally, I just want to add a few words about Michael Gambon as Mr Woodhouse. I've read it somewhere that this story is not just about Emma and her love story with Mr Knightley, but also the story of love between Emma and her father. Mr Woodhouse lost his wife to death and his oldest daughter to marriage, and he is absolutely terrified of losing Emma. I know that Emma Woodhouse is disliked by some but this adaptation really shows the good qualities she has, and one of them is that she really just wants the best for the ones she loves. She really would do anything to keep her father from being hurt in any way. Michael Gambon plays her father beautifully with just the right amount on anxiety and caring. I have to admit that Gambon had me crying like a baby in his last scene when Emma is leaving on her honeymoon. "Two weeks? It's an eternity!" Sob.
So there it is, I think my love is plain for all to see... I thoroughly enjoy watching this adaptation and watch it whenever I get the chance!
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