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63 of 65 found the following review helpful:
 It's worth 5 stars to me... Apr 07, 2001
By Betty Smedley
This version of Mansfield Park is worth 5 stars to me, but it will not appeal to everyone. For it is not a glossy big-screen-adaption which trades Jane Austen's genius for something else. I saw it on television during a Jane Austen marathon about 5 years ago, and have been hoping to find this video ever since. At first I was not impressed, but I kept watching it because I am such a Jane Austen fan. Gradually I became hooked. All the actors looked so real. The actress who plays Fanny Price is especially interesting. She is not movie star beautiful, but she has the eyes and complexion of a nineteeth century doll. She uses her looks to portray the Fanny I imagined; the Fanny who is the antithesis of Elizabeth Bennet. On the other hand, the actress who plays Mary Crawford is beautiful but her looks are almost spoiled by the awful (yet historically accurate) wig she is made to wear. More importantly, her Mary Crawford is true to Austen, and with my modern sensibilities, I liked her very much. The other actors are also adept. I am very much looking forward to owning this video. I know I will watch it again and again, just as I read the book again and again.
67 of 72 found the following review helpful:
Just the way I imagined it! Jul 12, 2001
By jumpy1
Contrary to the other reviewers, I find this version of Mansfield Park is exactly how I imagined it when I read it. I wonder what the others were expecting in a poor girl at the mercy of difficult relatives? And, did they expect it to be more romantic? I found the acting to be exactly what I'd expect for people of the type Jane Austen described in her book. Especially in England at that time. This is not a happy book, by and large. Perhaps the readers imposed their own world onto Ms. Austen's prose when they read it. Perhaps they are not aware of the difficulties of daily life, even for the leisure class, at that time. I've watched it many times, and showed it to my friends and sisters, and we all love it!
41 of 44 found the following review helpful:
Faithful to the book - but slow, also like the book Apr 14, 2003
By Douglas K. Bissell
I think that someone who hasn't read Mansfield Park is going to be bored by this production. And some that have read it, too. But if you have the time to invest, I think that this is about as faithful a rendition as we are likely to get. Mansfield Park is my least favorite of Jane Austen's novels, partly because Fanny Price isn't the same kind of heroine that you find in P&P, S&S, or Emma. So - a producer could make a video with an exciting Fanny Price, but then you wouldn't have Mansfield Park. I give it 5 stars because I believe this video does the best possible job with a complex plot, and because I believe that the actors were apt for the roles they were given.
33 of 36 found the following review helpful:
 Subtle and character-driven, Manfield Park is a BBC gem. Nov 20, 1999
By Deborah Malmborg
Though not my favorite Austen, I have watched this movie again and again and I appreciate it more with each viewing. The characters are excellently portrayed and believable within the context of the mores and manners of Jane Austen's era. Robert Burbage was masterful in the role of Henry Crawford. His attraction to Fanny Price was an appeal to what was still fine and honorable in his dissipated soul, perhaps his last chance to redeem himself.Her refusal, though perfectly understandable even if her heart were at liberty, sealed his reckless fate. Fanny Price, played by Sylvestra Le Touzel, grows from a shy, repressed, vacant-eyed girl into a young woman of firm mind and stellar character. In the end she gets what she well-deserves - the honest and upstanding Edmund Bertram, the man she loves. Perhaps she overplays her part. Her expressions and gestures are rather off-puting at first but, with patience and exposure, you will grow to appreciate her. The wordly and witty Miss Mary Crawford ( Jackie Smith-Wood) is a perfect foil for Fanny's innocence and delicacy. A rival for Edmund's heart, she prevails until he discovers her true character and compares it to that of his cousin and dearest friend Fanny Price. Like her brother she is forsaken at last in favor of real goodness and decency. The supporting cast, especially Anna Massey and Bernard Hepton, are wonderful and a delight to watch. I recommend this film to all avid Austen fans. Please take into consideration, however, that BBC productions often appear more like stage-plays than your typical American movie productions and the action tends to be slower and more elaborate than you may be used to.
30 of 33 found the following review helpful:
 Not Bad Jun 09, 2006
By C. Goette
"Book Geek"
This production is notable for its faithfulness to the novel. However, its main strength is also its main handicap, resulting in a production that adheres so strictly to the book that it feels drawn-out and slow at points. The exception to this is the end scene, which wraps up the story too quickly.
Like the other "early" BBC Austen productions, there are occasional swerves into silliness that aren't intentional and can be distracting. Sylvestra Le Touzel, as Fanny, emphasizes her speeches with odd hand gestures. Mr. Crawford looks like a bipedal mouse in pants, and his sister, Mary, who is supposed to be so lovely, looks about the same except in a bad `80's wig and a dress. I giggle just thinking about Mr. Yeats's wig.
Still, there are some good points. On the balance I liked Le Touzel as Fanny, and Alison Fiske did very well as Mrs. Price. Angela Pleasence's Aunt Bertram reminded me an awful lot of Jessica Tate from SOAP, but I still liked her very much. The costumes and sets are fine but not remarkable, and the sound for the outdoor scenes is mediocre to poor.
On the whole, I'd say that this is a solid, but not great production. It's not a bad choice, but don't expect it to be as attractive or interesting as other, more recent Austen productions such as A&E's Pride and Prejudice or 1995's Sense and Sensibility.
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