Hi friends!
Was February actually 9 years or just 2 months ago?
On the bright side, there is always more to stream. Even bad content is a blessing cause it occupies our brains for a few hours. I spent last night watching a Netflix movie called Triple Frontier that would never have made the cut “before” but gave me something to do between having dinner and going to bed.
While I do not recommend watching this pointless macho-fest, I do recommend going outside your typical content streams and seeing what else is out there. Or perhaps treating yourself to one of the theatrical release movies that are currently available. If $19.99 is something you can spare right now, it weirdly feels semi-normal to watch a “new” movie, even if it is still on the same couch you’ve been living, eating, sleeping, working for the past month.
Today’s theme: Emma. and other period content you can stream
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Today’s Must-Watch
I thoroughly enjoyed the British series Traitors, about Russian, British, and American spies in London at the beginning of the Cold War. Although it was not prominently advertised on my Netflix feed, it’s a reminder to browse around for yourself and not solely rely on the algorithm’s “Top Picks For You.”
The show itself is quite outlandish and the plot is more heightened than you’d expect from this genre. But it does star queen Keely Dawes — from The Durrells In Corfu, The Bodyguard, and Upstairs Downstairs — and we can safely take her casting in anything as a very good sign.
Overwrought or not, I was thankful that Traitors kept me engrossed for most of the weekend and I felt satisfied when it was over. If there had been a season 2, I would have binged that as well.
Now to discuss the matter at hand: Should you or should you not spend $20 American to watch the latest retelling of Emma?
Here are some questions that should help:
Do you like Jane Austen's work?
Have you seen the Keira Knightley Pride & Prejudice more than once?
Do you generally like period pieces?
Are you a fan of Downton Abbey?
Would you describe Bill Nighy as “devastatingly charming”?
Would you have ordinarily bought a movie ticket to see Emma. in theaters?
Do you actually have $20 to spare right now?
Can you focus for 2 hours?
Ok, but be honest - can you actually put your phone in another room and pay attention to anything for 2 solid hours?
Do you like colorful things?
Does your inner monologue sometimes sway into an English accent?
Could you use a jolt of joy and happiness right now?
If you answered yes to the majority of these questions (so 6 “yes”es or more) AND you answered yes to number 7, then it’s safe to say you actually should go ahead and rent Emma.
To really get your money’s worth, watch it twice during the 48-hour rental period.
It is beautifully filmed, with each shot exquisitely composed. Plus the acting is sly, cunning, and subtly hilarious. Bill Nighy as Emma’s hypochondriac father is magnificent but then, Nighy is always magnificent. And I thoroughly love director Autumn De Wilde’s vision of Highbury as a pastel dreamland.
If you have rented Emma. and want to indulge in more period pieces
OR
if you decided the $20 is ultimately not worth it (which is entirely fair), here are a few more forthy, escapist suggestions:
If you want to see more Emma adaptations
Emma (1996) - HBO
The feature film with Gwyneth Paltrow.
Emma (1996) - Prime of iTunes rental
The iTV film with Kate Beckinsale that I only just heard of while Googling. Notice it came out the same year as the theatrical Emma version. This one was written by Andrew Davies, who also wrote the 1995 Pride and Prejudice (see just below).
Emma (2009) - Hulu
The BBC series remake with Romola Garai.
If you want to see more Jane Austen adaptations
Pride and Prejudice (1995) - Hulu
This 6-episode BBC production starring Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy is the reason there’s a character named Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones’s Diary and also why Colin was cast to play him. Legend has it that Bridget Jones creator Helen Fielding was so smitten with Colin in Pride and Prejudice — particularly the scene where he comes out of the lake in his soaking wet white shirt — that she named the love interest in her book after him. Then when it came time to turn her book into a movie, she cast her original inspiration.
Like Helen of Troy before him, soaking wet Colin Firth launched 1,000 art projects. Remember this?
Sense and Sensibility (1995) - Starz
Mansfield Park (1999) - Netflix
Pride and Prejudice (2005) - Starz
Becoming Jane (2007) - HBO
Love and Friendship (2016) - Prime
If you want to see more modern takes on Jane Austen
Clueless (1995) - available to rent
Obviously Clueless remains the gold standard of modernized adaptations. Even without the Austen tie-in, it’s excellent. But in the context of Emma, it’s super fun to see which characters match up and how they depict the ridiculous-but-well-meaning Mr. Woodhouse.
Bridget Jones’s Diary - Hulu
Austenland - available to rent
If you like Mr. Knightley and just want more Johnny Flynn on your TV
Lovesick - Netflix
It’s important you know this UK rom-com series was originally called Scrotal Recall and started out about a guy who discovers he has an STD and must call all of his exes to let them know. It was canceled (likely because no one watched it due to the horrible title). Then Netflix picked it up, the name got changed, and it continued to be a very sweet, lovely show about finding love, messing up, and trying again.
Song One - YouTube (seriously)
Love is Thicker Than Water - available for rent
Vanity Fair - Prime
And a few more British period dramas while we’re stuck inside
Gentleman Jack - HBO
I talked about Gentleman Jack last year here and here. It’s still my favorite period piece about a lesbian living in 1800s England not only because the entire story is based on a real person, which is extremely cool, but also because the show treats complex adult emotions with respect and care, which is extremely rare.
Downton Abbey - Prime
Final thoughts
My writing services are available for hire and I’d love to write a piece for your publication.
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Stay safe. Learn how to sew a face mask. Be kind to one another.
xoxo,
-delia