We begin with the traditionalists, and nothing has bewitched audiences body and soul more than the classic 2005 film Pride and Prejudice starring Kiera Nightly and Matthew Macfadyen. Relive the iconic scenes and revel in the stunning environments of this pillar of Austen cinema.
Next, we enter a Wes Anderson-esque world of pastels and quirk in this hilarious and refreshing 2020 adaptation of Emma, in which Anya Taylor Joy charms as our titular it girl and Bill Nighy makes us wish he was our dad too.
We love our sassy, opinionated Austen heroines just like everyone else, but this one is for the introverts. BBC’s Persuasion (2007) is one of the most beloved Austen adaptations of all time, and Sally Hawkins plays a devastating and perfect Anne Elliot in this story of love lost and regained.
We know Austen adaptations can be hard for the purists out there, so we are easing you in with Mansfield Park (1999), a film that while still set in Regency England, does make strategic changes to the plot and characters. Ultimately, we think you’ll forgive us when you encounter this lively, charming version of Fanny Price played by Frances O’Connor.
Becoming Jane (2007) is a stunning and heartbreaking film detailing the real life and love of a young Jane Austen and Thomas Langlois Lefroy. Drawing on details from Jane Austen’s life, we watch the formation of the stories we love and the iconic writer herself, as she struggles to find love among the pressures of money and class that proved her most fruitful inspiration.
We now depart Regency England for an equally iconic era, the mid-90s! Clueless (1995) adapts Emma to the world of the rich, beautiful, children-of-celebrities that occupy Beverly Hills. Full of iconic lines (“you’re a virgin who can’t drive!”) and hilarious shenanigans, Alicia Silverstone stars as our modern-day Emma, the impeccably dressed icon Cher Horowitz herself!
Oh to be caught in a Colin Firth, Hugh Grant love triangle! Austen herself couldn’t have written those men any better. Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001) stars Renée Zellweger as our modern-day Elizabeth Bennet, or Bridget Jones, as she begins a journey of self-improvement in the hopes of finding love.
In Austenland (2013) protagonist Jane searches for love in a regency-era, Jane Austen-themed resort. Her mission becomes more complicated as her life begins to mirror the events of her favorite novels. This clever play on Pride & Prejudice brings new meaning to meta, while still maintaining all the lighthearted hilarity of the classic rom-com.
The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) tells the story of five women and one lone man who form a book club in which they read and discuss Jane Austen’s six novels. As they read, each member’s real life begins to mirror the novel they are assigned and they must confront the love they want, and ask, what would Jane do to get it.
Loosely based on Sense and Sensibility, From Prada to Nada (2011) follows two wealthy sisters whose lives change with the death of their father, who was secretly bankrupt. Forced to sell their house and move in with their father’s Mexican family in East LA, the two find love and discover new family against the class and cultural differences of Los Angeles.
We conclude our journey exactly where we began, with Jane Austen’s most beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice. Fire Island (2022) brings new meaning to the title, follows a group of young, gay men navigating the turbulent waters of class and romance while on vacation.
There you have it folks! An Austen marathon that takes you from the stately grounds of Pemberley to the palm tree-lined boulevards of Beverly Hills. We hope you enjoy this eccentric assortment of films, all of which pay homage to the masterful writer herself. And of course, if you have any suggestions or favorites that didn’t make it onto this list, let us know!
Grab some snacks, perhaps your favorite ballgown, and settle in.
