Posted by greg on August 20, 1997 at 01:38:26:
In reply to Re: Recasting "Emma"... posted by Laraine on August 19, 1997 at 13:49:50
I agree that Emma Thompson would make a terrific screen writer. How about Emma as Mrs. Weston? How about Hugh Laurie as Mr. Weston? Samuel West as Mr. Elton? or Ciaran Hinds as Mr. Knightley? I really like both Gemma Jones and
] Eileen Atkins, so I think I'd cast one of them as Miss Bates.
bravo for emma t. as mrs. w! "excellent notion". i don't see hugh laurie as mr. w, though, laraine, because he's supposed to be "a man of unexceptionable character, easy fortune, suitable age, and pleasant manners", and "a straightforward, open-hearted man". hugh laurie is better suited for roles like mr. palmer in s&s, i think. even if you want to emphasize the humor in the story(which i'm all for), my guess is you'll need mr. w as a "sane" contrast to the craziness. must say sam west doesn't strike me as mr. e either, and ciaran hinds is better with dirt under his finger nails, which mr. k doesn't have, even in his strawberry garden! what say you to imelda staunton as miss bates(she played mrs. palmer in s&s)? and i'd want to stick with yummy (but nasty)juliet stevenson for mrs. e, or sophie thompson as miss bates if imelda doesn't play her.
I think the mood I'd try to evoke first would be the humour in the novel. It cracks me up every time I read it.
for sure and double-underlined!
One of the things I adored about Thompson's S&S was relationship among the Dashwood women. The moment when Edward is proposing to Elinor offstage and Marianne and her mother hug is other is joyful and moving. I'd try to evoke the importance of relationships as well as that moment does.
] I'd try to keep as much of the dialogue as possible because this is Austen's most dialogue-intensive novel and her dialogue is unsurpassed...
oh yes, excellent points those, and e3 is lacking a little in the first, i believe.
I'd try to keep Emma and Harriet and even Jane quite young, at least in looks. Harriet isn't even out of her teens, and I'd try to preserve that in the casting.
yes, and e3 did that pretty well, "did not it?"
Finally, I'd try to be as completely faithful to the book as time allowed me to be. But for me, details aren't as important as overall feel--it should have sparkle!
] This was fun...
yes, yes, and yes. but i hope you're not using e2 - though one of my all-time favorite movies - as the standard for "sparkle"; just take some of your cues from it, please.
-greg
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