The best Jane Austen adaptations to watch before Sense and Sensibility

Jane Austen’s novels have been adapted for the screen many times, but a few versions have become almost as well known as the actual books. Her stories have also proven surprisingly easy to move into different settings. For instance, a romance between wealthy young people in Regency-era England can become a teen comedy set in Beverly Hills.

With a new Sense and Sensibility movie on the way, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles as sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who have two very different approaches to romance, now is the perfect time to revisit the best Austen stories that have made their way to film. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the author’s work, these movies don’t require any previous knowledge.

Persuasion (1995)

A second chance at love

Credit: BBC Two

Persuasion follows Anne Elliot (Amanda Root), who made the difficult decision to reject a marriage proposal from Captain Frederick Wentworth (Ciarán Hinds) when she was younger. Her family didn’t think Wentworth was wealthy or important enough for her, and Anne allowed herself to be persuaded. Eight years later, Wentworth returns after becoming successful and financially secure.

Meanwhile, Anne’s family struggles to maintain a lifestyle they can no longer afford. The two are forced to spend time around each other again, even though Anne still has feelings for him. But Persuasion has very little interest in the excitement of falling in love for the first time because Anne and Wentworth already know each other.

The real question is whether they can move past what happened between them. Root gives Anne a much quieter personality than some of Austen’s more outspoken heroines. A lot of her story is about what she doesn’t say, especially when she is forced to watch Wentworth move on with his life. This adaptation of Austen’s novel is also much stronger than the 2022 version.

Clueless (1995)

Emma gets a Beverly Hills makeover

Clueless takes the basic story of Emma and moves it from 19th-century England to a Beverly Hills high school. Alicia Silverstone plays Cher Horowitz, a wealthy and popular teenager who enjoys giving other people advice, whether they’ve asked for it or not. After helping two of her teachers get together, Cher decides to give the socially awkward Tai (Brittany Murphy) a makeover and find her a boyfriend.

Cher thinks she understands exactly what Tai needs, but her plans go sideways as Tai becomes more confident and starts making her own decisions. The biggest Austen connection is Cher’s relationship with Josh (Paul Rudd), her former stepbrother. The pair spend most of the story arguing and criticizing each other before Cher starts to realize that she has feelings for him.

Clueless is a brilliant adaptation because it doesn’t just copy Emma. Instead, it takes the basic character relationships and fits them into a totally different setting. Emma’s interest in social status and marriage gets swapped out for Cher’s obsession with clothes and popularity. But the character’s biggest flaw, which is thinking she knows better than everyone else, remains true to the source material.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Elizabeth Bennet meets Mr. Darcy

Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice follows Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley), the second of five sisters whose mother, Mrs. Bennet (Brenda Blethyn), is determined to see her daughters married. Elizabeth isn’t interested in marrying simply because it’s expected of her, which becomes a problem when she meets the wealthy but seemingly arrogant Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen).

Elizabeth quickly decides that she dislikes Darcy, while Darcy’s feelings for her become more complicated. At the same time, Elizabeth’s older sister Jane (Rosamund Pike) falls in love with the wealthy Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods), and the Bennet family gets caught up in the increasingly messy behavior of Elizabeth’s younger sisters.

The movie is more romantic than other Austen adaptations, and director Joe Wright puts a lot of attention on Elizabeth and Darcy’s growing attraction. Knightley gives Elizabeth plenty of personality, while Macfadyen’s Darcy is much more reserved. Although some parts of the novel are condensed, the central relationship remains easy to follow.

Release Date

November 23, 2005

Runtime

127 minutes

Director

Joe Wright

• 

  Keira Knightley

  Elizabeth Bennet

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  Matthew Macfadyen

  Fitzwilliam Darcy

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  Brenda Blethyn

  Mrs. Bennet

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  Rosamund Pike

  Jane Bennet

Love & Friendship (2016)

Austen’s most manipulative heroine

Credit: Lionsgate

Love & Friendship is based on Austen’s novella Lady Susan and follows Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale), a recently widowed woman who is looking for a way to secure her future. Unlike most of Austen’s better-known heroines, Lady Susan doesn’t really care whether the people around her think she’s a good person. She eventually sets her sights on Reginald DeCourcy (Xavier Samuel).

Since DeCourcy is a wealthy young man, his family immediately distrusts her. At the same time, Lady Susan tries to arrange a marriage for her daughter Frederica (Morfydd Clark) while maintaining a complicated friendship with Alicia Johnson (Chloë Sevigny). The movie places a lot more focus on manipulation and social games than the romantic longing found in Sense and Sensibility.

Lady Susan knows exactly what she wants, and the best parts of the story come from her finding increasingly clever ways to get it. The movie doesn’t ask you to take her too seriously. Instead, it turns Austen’s sharp observations about marriage, money, and social expectations into a comedy about people constantly trying to outmaneuver each other.

Release Date

May 26, 2016

Runtime

94 minutes

Director

Whit Stillman

Producers

Kieron J. Walsh, Katie Holly, Lauranne Bourrachot, Nigel Williams, Collin de Rham

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  Kate Beckinsale

  Lady Susan Vernon

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  Xavier Samuel

  Reginald DeCourcy

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  Morfydd Clark

  Frederica Vernon

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  Emma Greenwell

  Catherine DeCourcy Vernon

Emma (2020)

An era-accurate take on Austen’s matchmaking heroine

Credit: Universal Pictures

This movie is a period version of Emma that follows the titular heroine (Anya Taylor-Joy), who enjoys interfering in other people’s romantic lives. Emma is convinced that she has a talent for matchmaking, so she decides to help her friend Harriet Smith (Mia Goth) find a suitable husband. The problem is that Emma doesn’t always understand what the people around her actually want.

Emma’s plans become more complicated when Harriet starts developing feelings for someone else. To make matters worse, Emma finds herself becoming more interested in George Knightley (Johnny Flynn), who is one of the few people willing to challenge her ideas. Their relationship also gives the movie a more traditional romantic arc as Emma realizes that she may not understand her own feelings.

The story has a much more colorful and playful style than some other Austen adaptations, but it still keeps the basic story intact. Taylor-Joy gives Emma plenty of confidence without making her unlikeable. The elaborate costumes and carefully designed sets give the whole thing a distinct visual style. And Bill Nighy as Emma’s hypochondriac father adds a good dose of added humor.

Which Austen adaptation should you watch first?

It depends on what you’re looking for

There’s no need to work through these movies in any particular order. Each adaptation stands on its own, and part of the fun is seeing how filmmakers have interpreted the same basic ideas in completely different ways, though Clueless is probably the most accessible choice if you’re not usually interested in period dramas.

Of course, none of these movies can completely capture what makes reading Austen. Her novels spend so much time inside her characters’ thoughts that even the smallest details become important. But the movies give you a chance to see how much of Austen’s appeal comes from the stories themselves and how much comes from the way each filmmaker chooses to tell them.

Release Date

October 16, 2026

Runtime

132 minutes

Director

Georgia Oakley

Cast

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  Daisy Edgar-Jones

  Elinor Dashwood

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  Esme Creed-Miles

  Marianne Dashwood

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  Caitriona Balfe

  Mrs. Dashwood

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  Bodhi Rae Breathnach

  Margaret Dashwood