Sense and Sensibility (Books on Film Series) » (Special Value)

Jane Austen's delightful, carefully wrought novels of manners remain surprisingly relevant, nearly 200 years after they were first published. Her novels -- Pride and Prejudice and Emma among them -- are those rare books that offer us a glimpse at the mores of a specific period while addressing the complexities of love, honor, and responsibility that still intrigue us today.

Jane Austen's first novel, Sense and Sensibility, published in 1811, is a wonderfully entertaining tale of flirtation and folly that revolves around two temperamentally opposite sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. While Elinor is thoughtful, considerate, and calm, her younger sister is emotional and wildly romantic. Both are looking for a husband, but neither Elinor's reason nor Marianne's passion can lead them to perfect happiness—as Elinor becomes attached to a suitor who is already betrothed to another and Marianne falls for an unscrupulous rascal. Startling secrets, unexpected twists, and heartless betrayals interrupt the marriage games that follow. Filled with satiric wit and subtle characterizations, Sense and Sensibility reminds readers that true love requires a balance of reason and emotion. Featuring a new introduction by Laura Kern, managing editor at Film Comment.

This beloved romantic comedy—the first English-language film by director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain)&3151;topped critics' ten-best lists and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture of the Year in 1995. Based on Jane Austen's classic novel, Sense and Sensibility tells of the Dashwood sisters, sensible Elinor (Emma Thompson, who also wrote the screenplay) and passionate Marianne (Kate Winslet), whose chances at marriage seem doomed by their family's sudden loss of fortune. Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant and Greg Wise co-star as the well-intentioned suitors who are trapped by the strict rules of society and the conflicting laws of desire.