Masterpiece Theatre: Northanger Abbey Reviews

• The best of the recent Jane Austen adaptations. An absolute gem!!!

  
  By A2X9AXCWH4MT4I on 2007-12-08
  This version of Jane Austen's novel "Northanger Abbey" is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. I've seen 3 out of the 4 new adaptations of Jane Austen's novels ("Sense & Sensibility" will not be broadcast in the UK/US until Jan. 08), and this is - in my opinion - the very best of them all.
  
  What the early 80's version of "Northanger Abbey" (starring Peter Firth and Katherine Schlesinger) lacked, this version more than makes up for. NA 07 (as it is fondly known among Janeites) stars newcomers Felicity Jones (Servants), JJ Feild (Nicholas Nickleby, Ruby in the Smoke), William Beck (Robin Hood) and Carey Mulligan (Pride & Prejudice), and British tv and stage veterans Liam Cunningham, Sylvestra LeTouzel ('80s Mansfield Park) and Gerry O'Brien. Screenplay is by Andrew Davies, who also penned the well-loved and swoon-inducing period drama favorites Pride & Prejudice (1995), Daniel Deronda, Doctor Zhivago (2002 tv version), Middlemarch and Wives & Daughters. True British period drama fans do not need introduction to him or his work.
  
  Those have read the books know the story. For the novice, the story is as follows: young 17-year old Catherine Morland accompanies the wealthy Mr. and Mrs. Allen to Bath for her first introduction to Georgian society. She meets the charming Henry Tilney and gregarious John Thorpe who both vie for her attentions, and befriends John's sister Isabella and Henry's sister Eleanor. She meets General Tilney (Henry's father), who mistakenly takes her for an heiress. After the whirlwind social life of Bath, she is invited by the Tilneys to their country estate, Northanger Abbey, where - due to the influence of her fondness for gothic novels - she thinks up some fanciful ideas about the General. She falls in love with Henry, but her fancies and the General's discovery of her family's true social standing land her in trouble and threaten to tear her and Henry apart.
  
  This adaptation triumphs in many ways. Fans of the novels know Henry Tilney as one of the most memorable and well-loved of Jane Austen's heroes. He is charming, outgoing and witty as Mr. Darcy is serious, proud and aloof. Henry as played JJ Feild is aptly charming, handsome and swoon-inducing. Young and naive Catherine is played perfectly by the delightful, lovely and talented Felicity Jones. JJ and Felicity have an undeniable chemistry that echoes through every scene that they share. They are - beyond a doubt - perfectly cast. Also well cast are the lovely Carey Mulligan as the ambitious, shallow Isabella and William Beck is perfectly sleazy as her brother John. Liam Cunningham adds a certain gravity to the role of the imperious General Tilney while Sylvestra Le Touzel and Julia Dearden are endearing and often funny as the flighty Mrs. Allen and maternal Mrs. Morland.
  
  The screenplay blends romance, satire, humor and drama perfectly while still staying true to Jane Austen's novel. The costumes and production values are top-notch. The only things I could really find fault on was that I wish ITV had made this into a 2 or 3 hour miniseries (instead of only 1.5 hours) and that Bath was actually used for the Bath locations. Viewers like me who have actually been to Bath will be able to tell the difference. And there is certainly enough material in Ms. Austen's novel to warrant a longer running time.
  
  Nevertheless, this is an excellent period drama and is rightly one of the best Jane Austen adaptations since the 1995 versions of Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion and Sense & Sensibility (though I also admit a fondness for Pride & Prejudice 2005 & 1980, and Emma (with Gwyneth Paltrow)). Of the 3 recent adaptations that will be shown in Masterpiece Theater in 2008, this is my favorite. "Persuasion" comes next, and "Mansfield Park" comes last. Time will tell how the new version of "Sense & Sensibility" will compare to these three. As it stands, however, "Northanger Abbey" is an absolute gem and a crowd-pleaser that is sure to delight period drama fans. I trust that female (and some male) viewers will become a JJ Feild fans after they see this.
  
  

• Charming but Insipid

  
  By A226HIHIVFUPLL on 2008-01-21
  Northanger Abbey is a hard book to adapt because more than the other Austen novels, it relies on the narrative voice, which is an often hilarious satire on the Gothic Romance (The Mysteries of Udolpho, The Romance of the Forest, The Italian especially). These were books of kidnappings, terror (not horror), dark secrets, castles, storms, brooding heroes and put-upon heroines. Catherine is not heroine material but she tries to make the materials given to her into a Gothic story. She fails, but love triumphs.
  
  Without knowing these books Austen poked fun at (as opposed to read because she was a closet romantic according to Gillian Anderson's witless intro on PBS), the discovery of ancient laundry lists in a chest has little resonance, and Catherine's suspicions about what happened to Tilney's mother really seem to come out of nowhere in this version. Gothic romances were full of cloistered, mistreated wives, poisonings, tragic journals discovered by candle light, etc.
  
  This adaptation moved much too quickly, compressed events too much, and seemed cheesy in its attempt to give life to her reading. Worse still, not one of the books she was reading physically looked like a book from the period--this was very annoying, as was the overt sexuality. Are we so dumb we can't get hints--does it all have to be shoved in our faces?
  
  More significantly, the irony of the story disappears and this turns into just another romance about a young girl who goes to Bath blahblahblah. Yes, there are good choices in casting, but the pace is ridiculous and story-telling suffers. I suppose the producers think that an American audience is too jaded by thrillers to accept something more leisurely, but without a slower pace, you miss the interplay of characters, the glories of setting, and most of all, the ironic turn of events.
  
  All that aside, there are some lovely moments, some charming scenes, and for fans of the period, a fairly decent entry into another time. For a truly deft handling of Austen, nobody beats Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility--she is utterly true to the original book, its feeling, its style, its tone. This Northanger Abbey is tepid stuff at best.
  
  

• Finally, a version of Northanger Abbey I can enjoy!!

  
  By A2L6QS8SVHT9RG on 2008-01-09
  Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Northanger Abbey were all three done as 90 minute iTV adaptations this year, and Northanger Abbey I like second best, just behind Persuasion (it was a tough choice for me: read my review below and you may understand why). I was so extremely thankful that someone had FINALLY undertaken to make a new version of Northanger Abbey! (the 1986 version being so difficult to enjoy)...although I must say I sincerely wish they had undertaken to make a longer version, with less editing of the book, and more accuracy!
  
  On a trip to Bath Catherine Morland meets two men who immediately become interested in her romantically: Henry Tilney and John Thorpe. Felicity Jones as Catherine Morland is a great choice: she is so sweet and innocent and yet imagines such dark and sensual goings on in her dreams as well as during her trip to Northanger Abbey, ancestral home of Henry Tilney (JJ Field). The wild imaginings and fantasies of Catherine that are sparked by her love of gothic romances (novels), lead her down a path that may change the course of her future!
  
  Content: there are some things to be aware of: mild swearing (few uses of d*mn), some cleavage shown, a scene were Catherine dreams of a man coming into her presence while she is in a bath (she takes his hand and leaves the bath), nothing shown; there is a scene where a woman is covered by sheets and it is implied that she and a young man have just had `relations' together; there are mentions of possible schemes & violence, which turn out to be untrue; there is a lot of sexual innuendo, and fantasies of swordfights, etc., but all in all it is kept to a fair minimum.
  
  What a nice, new adaptation of Northanger Abbey! Finally we have a halfway decent adaptation of this book to enjoy on the screen: I give them extra points for this alone, and then have to subtract some for things like the overtly sensual content and the switching of 'Udolpho' for 'The Monk', but really, I am just so pleased to have A VERSION of Northanger Abbey to watch on a regular basis (I'm sorry, I just can't very often stomach the older BBC version in this instance), I can almost forgive anything. The casting is so well done and the story played out very well (with most all the key points, and I'll give them their 'errors' and omissions) that I must say bravo for a job FAIRLY well done!
  
  
  

• Beware, this is a cut version of Northanger Abbey (2007)

  
  By A3A26KXJFGW83C on 2008-01-21
  Of the 3 adaptations produced by ITV in 2007, Northanger Abbey was the best (or the least bad to be honest). I have received the DVD now and I notice to my disappointment, anger and outrage that PBS is cheating its public by selling a cut version of the adaptation. PBS had acknowleged it was going to broadcast a cut version, but it had also promised that the full and complete version would be in the DVD, and that is NOT true. They are selling the cut version only. So beware, do not order this DVD unless you want only an incomplete version. Furthermore, it is advertised as close-captioned, and that is not true, there are no subtitles nor close caption in this DVD
  
  

• Don't Buy This Version - Buy It From the UK

  
  By A11A5PF7X3XJJD on 2008-01-10
  This was an excellent adaptation of Northanger Abbey. Unfortunately, the powers that be decided to edit 34 minutes of the program!! 34 minutes?!?! Over 1/4 of the film has been chopped off?!?! The run time is listed on the Region 1 DVD as 86 minutes, yet the Region 2 DVD has it as 120 minutes. I've seen the Region 2 120 minute version and can't imagine what they removed? Get a multi-region DVD player and buy it from the UK.
  
  
• Danger alert: 30 minutes cut!
  By A1YA61R98ZW11M on 2008-02-05
  Just a quick note -- I went over to Amazon.com.uk -- Northanger Abbey is 120 minutes in UK -- in US, only about 90 minutes.... No wonder it felt a bit clunky in the Masterpiece Theatre version!
  
  
• Jane Misunderstood
  By A3V70MH6N9QYC0 on 2008-01-22
  Lev Raphael's review said it best, so I'll add only this. Jane Austen didn't write this novel as a romance novel, but as a parody of one. This irony escaped the screenwriter as well as Gillian Anderson. In the book, Tillney's feelings for Catherine remain ambiguous to the end (note to readers: a spoiler comment follows) -- does he propose because he loves her or because his father forced him to court her and he now feels bound by honour to marry her?
  
  Jane Austen was so much more than a romance novelist -- why do adaptations insist on reducing the complexity of her? I agree with other reviewers -- for the real Jane, try Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility, and the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth. Other adaptations fall too far short.
  
  
• very cute
  By A1NLD7JAQBLEML on 2008-01-06
  Loved this light hearted witty adaptation of northanger abbey. Of the itv new adaptations, I enjoyed this one and persuasion the most. The actors in this piece are superb. I just wanted to eat JJ Fields up, he's just adorable. And the actress who portrayed Catherine was just perfect, a good combination of innocence combined with overzealous imagination. A must have for any Jane Austen fan.
  
  
• Viewer
  By A14HMP62A37RVX on 2008-01-21
  Not a bad production, cast nicely, lovely scenery, costumes and easy to understand story, but not as true to the book as it could be. A bit too short, for one thing. The scene about the umbrellas is missing, some parts are condensed, to make room for others not in the book, like Cathy's gothic musings and reading raunchy passages from books, or the bedroom scene between Isabella and the Captain. Lots of cleaveage, too. And tossing Lord Byron in the mix was so ridiculous. Not enough time covered in Bath, nor at the Abbey, though this version did add a few quick scenes of other parts added in. The best part...Cathy finding the scrolls of paper in a hidden drawer of a Japaned chest is left out. Instead she finds large lists in an old chest by the bed. So, if you have read the book, you realize a lot was condensed, changed about and not quite in order. Better than the recent Persuasion production, but not as gothic in feel as the Northanger Abbey of the 1980's.
  
  
• Doesn't Do Justice To Austen's Wit
  By A2IG2FG7L85RMU on 2008-01-21
  "Northanger Abbey" is the Austen novel that has received the least attention from adapters during the Jane Austen craze of this and the last decade. Perhaps the reason is that, even more than the frequently ill-adapted and much greater "Emma," it relies for its genius heavily on the ironic observations of the authorial voice. Without recourse to endless voiceovers, it threatens to devolve into just the standard Regency Gothic romance its witty author was largely bent on parodying. Not surprisingly, such voiceovers are largely missing here. While it is a vast improvement over the 1986 TV production, this adaptation remains as a consequence mostly deficient in capturing the youthful author's satiric wit and charm.
  
  Further, Catherine Morland at the outset lacks the clueless nature that is a large part of her attractiveness for Henry Tilney. She sounds more like a would-be Elizabeth Bennet than a good-hearted but amusingly ignorant country girl on a first visit to fashionable Bath. Henry Tilney, in turn, lacks the sprightly wit of the novel's character, emerging as more of a sugarstick than a wonderfully clever clergyman. Catherine complains of his incessant teasing, but any noteworthy, verbally memorable example of such is hard to find. Consequently, their exchanges pretty much fall flat.
  
  The adaptation is thematically faithful to the novel in an important way, though: its ironic insight that life IS truly horrible, though not in the manner the heroine expects. True horror in the England of the day doesn't involve ghosts and murdered wives in old abbeys replete with secret passages. It rests rather on "crimes of the heart," here those inspired by a shameless love of money before all else. General Tilney and Isabella Thorpe emerge for this reason as true comic monsters, but of a sort Catherine had least expected to find around her. Still, though, except for the General's shocking eviction of Catherine from Northanger, the treatment of these characters is far too heavy-handed, lacking anything of the "light, bright, and sparkling" that gives the novel its witty balance.
  
  
  
  
• At least it's a bit better than older BBC version
  By A533YH6B9JNFQ on 2008-01-22
  I hated the version of Persuasion that they just broadcast, but this one does a nice, concise job of telling the tale and it's fairly easy to follow for non-Janeites. It's actually better than the murky one done years ago with Peter Firth as Tilney, so that's something. It isn't the greatest, but it's a bit better.
  
  
• Best of the New PBS Adaptations
  By A3JVO72QW8R9VY on 2008-01-28
  Northanger Abbey is in my opinion the funniest of Jane Austen's novels. Written as an intentional parody, it is lighter fare than her other works, with still enough social satire for it to be thought-provoking as well as entertaining.
  
  I was nervous about seeing it adapted for the screen. I haven't seen the old versions because of there overwhelmingly bad reviews, but as I loved and read the book, I felt that it would be very difficult to adapt for the screen. As someone else mentioned, much of the humor is in Austen's wonderful narration and frequent side comments to her readers. Also, the work is a parody of two genres not well known anymore: the "innocent girl enters society" novels of writers like Frances Burney, and the original Gothic novel as typefied by Anne Radcliffe. Even for readers of the book, it is disjointing when the parody switches genres halfway through when Catherine leaves Bath for Northanger Abbey.
  
  Luckily, the film adaptors handled it masterfully, disregarding most of the parodying of Burney-type works for a consistant ribbing of gothic fiction played out in Catherine's over-acted fantasy scenes based on the novels she is reading, which also serve to familiarize the modern viewer with the genre being lampooned.
  
  The only serious problem is roles Catherine is romanticizing in her fantasies. Catherine seems to fantasize about her abductors and captors, giving excited and inviting looks to the imaginary robber as he fondles her gold necklace, and grinning rapturously at her prison guard before fainting into his arms. This is not what Gothic heroines do, at least not the one's Catherine idolizes. What they seem to have missed is that there were two genres of Gothic fiction going on at this time. In Anne Radcliffe's books, the books that Jane Austen actually shows Catherine reading, rape and seduction constant threats, but are never successfully perpetrated, or at least never on the main characters. Villains are never glamorized, and in fact exist only to put the heroines in situations from which they need to be rescued by their real love interests. Their popularity stemmed from the "savior-on-a-white-horse" fantasy.
  
  At the same time, books like "The Monk" and "Tom Jones" were being written by a different set of authors, in a different style, for a different audience. In novels like these, the villains are the main characters, raping and seducing their way through the novels in scenes described in intentionally erotic and provocative language. Though the characters are punished in the end, there are definite elements of sadomasochism, and no nice young lady would let herself be caught reading them. These two genres are sometimes called the "female" and "male" Gothic, because the more innocent novels were often written by women with female protagonists and aimed at a female audience, while the gender was reversed in the second type. (It is unknown how many women read works like "The Monk," but we have evidence that there were a lot more men reading works like "Udolpho" than society perceived.)
  
  Jane Austen would never write a protagonist who would read such novels, nor one who would fixate her desires on her abductor rather than her rescuer. In fact, John Thorpe's relish of "The Monk" and the fact that he would actually recommend it to young lady is yet another clue that he is not a good or proper young man, since he enjoys that book in the first place, and in the second, does not realize how improper it is to tell Catherine to read it. Catherine is too naive to pick up on this, but Austen's readers at the time would have.
  
  Not that this is something the movie should have portrayed (it's way too subtle and not really central to the plot), but it would have been much truer to simply portray scenes from the books she actually is portrayed reading and had her looking at the heroes with desire. It's not true to the book, or the time, or Catherine's character, and seems a really cheap way to add edginess to what is among Austen's most innocent stories.
  
  But it's a minor issue that only the over-educated would probably catch. Overall, it's wonderfully written, skillfully acted, and beautifully shot. The humor is note-perfect, and let me conclude by saying that I'm now even more in love with Henry Tilney than I was when I read the book, and that his actor not only captured his charm and wit perfectly, but is extremely nice to look at besides.
  
  
• Missing scenes?
  By AHY55O8H6N0F0 on 2008-02-03
  I absolutely love this adaptation, but I am disappointed that there are missing scenes in the DVD such as Mrs. Allen and Catherine in the tearoom, Catherine's bathtub fantasy, and Miss Tilney and Catherine's conversation to name a few. Though they were short scenes that don't take away from the overall plot, I expected to get the entire movie for what I paid for. I still love the DVD, but I didn't expect to miss parts from the movie.
  
  
• Disappointed! Cut Scenes
  By A1LAX7AL0TK1LY on 2008-02-05
  I join the other reviewers who were disappointed about the missing and cut scenes that were un-aired on PBS, but a part of the original airing on ITV in the UK. I purchased Persuasion, which is a part of the same Masterpiece Classic series, and the un-aired scenes were included on the DVD. Therefore, I fully expected this adaptation to include those scenes and I am unsure why the few minutes were left out.
  
  Overall, however, the adaptation was quite good, if a bit rushed, especially at the end. Northanger is a hard book to adapt for the screen, as the past BBC version exemplifies. This version is very enjoyable with the two leads capturing the spirit of the roles, and the atmosphere a good balance between the ridiculous and the mysterious.
  
  
• Much better!
  By AKD39TI51YZ2W on 2008-01-14
  I have waited a LONG time for this.
  I just wanted to say that according to the IMDB.
  The extra 34 minutes is in the commercials.
  The movie itself is the 86 minutes according to one UK reviewer.
  
  Definetely the better of the two made for TV movies.
  I wanted to watch it again and again.
  
  It is a lot like the first one(1986?) but without the darkness of it.
  
  Basically Jane Austen is spoofing the thriller chiller novelist of the time and shows how reading this type of material can get you into alot of trouble.
  
  Also, as always, Jane is writing about the socialism of the times.
  How money and title is what makes for a marriage rather than love.
  
  But, as usual, it is very romantic and Jane doesnt disappoint in the end.
  
  This has mystery, betrayal, intrigue and romanticism.
  
  Not as good as her other works but still very enjoyable.
  
  
• great adaptation doesn't quite make it to dvd
  By A2PCZ43PUR7J0D on 2008-01-28
  A fantastic adaptation of Austen's novel, I originally caught the ending on PBS, went to YouTube to find the rest, and eventually had to purchase it when it came out on DVD. Imagine my surprise when I realized that the YouTube version was the original full version while the DVD/pbs version has some scenes edited out. I especially missed one scene where Henry, Eleanor, and Catherine go out apple picking. Overall I am happy with the adaptation I just wish I had known beforehand about the cut scenes. Perhaps I would've gotten the Region 2 DVD which I'm pretty sure is not cut.
  
  
• Best and most infectious of Northanger Abbey adapts.yet!
  By ATXL536YX71TR on 2008-01-21
  Short and sweet.I have never read Jane Austen's novel,but I have seen every screen adaptation.NORTHANGER ABBEY is the only Jane Austen adaptation that never worked for me.Andrew Davies' adaptation did! 93 minutes that moved along with excellent soundtrack and capturing the heart of the overly active and dramatic imagination of Miss Catherine Morland.This was not a static film.Much dialogue is couched in lots of movement and dancing, instead of dry as dust sitting around.As a screenplay, this NORTHANGER ABBEY works best FOR the screen.There is no lag or down time,and Davies knows that this is essential to hold people's attention.Highly recommended as the best screen adaptation available.
  
  
• So-So Adaptation
  By A3HD7SVBY4JZOW on 2008-01-31
  Northanger Abbey is not, as noted by others, the easiest story to adapt to film and here I think they've only done a so-so job. The casting is all right, the heroine is appealing if pretty sappy and the story hasn't been mutilated too badly. However, like all the other new "Masterpiece" productions, Northanger rips along leaving out a lot and creating gaps that make the plot seem murky and/or really silly. Overall, not that good and definitely not up to previous versions. And, please, who decided that Gillian Anderson would make a good introducer for the new Masterpiece? She's terrible and the new format, if that is what it is, is not an improvement.
  
  
• This movie is Great!
  By A2OPQVRG7YKFL6 on 2008-01-21
  Many people have been giving these Masterpiece Theatre movies bad reviews, and I can almost understand why. I watched Northanger Abbey last night, and I was very pleased, as it was quite like the book, and very interesting, opposed to the BBC version in which you almost fall asleep of the bore. The characters had depth and it was very well acted. Kathy and Henry make a great couple, Henry being up there with Bingley, Darcy, (and, from Elizabeth Gaskell's books,) 'Hamley', and Thornton. Kathy is very loveable and innocent, especially when it comes to Isabella.
  (Just one quick note of WARNING! For younger children, there is one scene with Isabella and Captain Tilney that is not in the book, but is after the fact, and is on the edge.)
  I really enjoyed this movie and would advise all to see it, all women, that is.
  +Though reading the bad reviews for my favorite Austen book, Mansfield Park, I intend to watch and hopefully to enjoy it, when it airs.+
  
  
• Not a Cliff-Notes Northanger Abbey
  By A1RZ92JC5T0FLO on 2008-01-23
  I ordered this dvd the instant the credits began to roll after it aired on PBS 1-20-08. I really enjoyed the movie(though of course it was a bit too short), and I think almost any fan of Austen would enjoy it as well.
  
  The characters in the movie were very well portrayed. Catherine was
  picture perfect to me, as if she had walked right off the page...and Henry was so utterly delightful that I still want to grab him right out of the tv and just hug him until his face turns red. Or...perhaps
  a demure kiss on the cheek at least!
  
  While some reviewers found the film a bit racier than expected, I think the racier scenes representing Catherine's daydreams were in keeping with the tone and content of the novels she was actually supposed to be reading...likewise, the allusion to Byron shows a familiarity with the issues of thought, independence, sensuality and immorality which he represented for many people around the time the novel itself would have been written (or slightly before). The mention of Byron by a particular character ties his image to that of another character in the film in a way that I believe to be a very good representation of Austen's intentions in the novel.
  
  My only warning is that people should definitely be wary of watching this as a sort of cliff notes guide to the novel...especially in order to complete any important assignments. (Not that people would do that anyway, of course...it's very wrong...)
  
  As far as the movie was concerned, I can see how the "do you think she reads too many novels?" comments helped to integrate the wild gothic scenes of Catherine's imagination into the more realistic narrative more fully. In fact, I thought the integration worked pretty well over all... the music, the air of menace around another particular character, and the dark and somewhat hazy lighting of the abbey did a great job of making Catherine's leap of imagination seem plausible (perhaps a smoother transition than in the novel).
  
  I really would have liked to have seen the argument for
  reading and imagination in some capacity, and I think the simple
  inclusion of Austen's own defense (of novels and novel-writing) as part of Henry's observation that he reads novels(or failing that, perhaps a similar observation by him or his sister prefaced by the question to Catherine"what are you reading?" and Catherine's response "Oh, it is nothing, only a novel") would have been simple, effective, and hardly of
  consideration in the final editing for time...but I must admit that I
  know next to nothing about writing for, directing, filming, or editing
  movies...;-)
  
  The omission of such a crucial component of the novel(in this film adaptation)ends up changing the entire message of the novel. The spirited defense of novel writers and readers that Austen states so overtly (and thus so uncharacteristically) is reduced to its corollary--the cautionary tale about letting one's imagination run away with them (and while this corollary starts out quite strongly in the novel, it is quietly reduced by degrees until neither heroine nor reader are completely sure they believe it).
  
  Ultimately however, this film is visually delightful, entertaining and engaging, and questions of the "moral" of the story (while instructive) are unlikely to detract from any viewer's enjoyment of the adventure of a young lady's first(and only) romance. :-)
  
  
  
  
  
• Northanger Abbey
  By A14EVHB0TARE8Z on 2008-01-16
  This new adaptation of Jane Austen's book is FANTASTIC (the best of all of the new Jane Austen movies)! The actors (JJ Feilds and Felicity Jones) are first-rate and the whole movie is very entertaining. There is great chemistry between the two leads and there are scenes that will make you laugh out loud. All in all, a great adaptation of one of Austen's funniest books-- and for those of you who love men in breeches, you will not be disappointed by Henry Tilney! This one is worth owning!
  
  
• FANTASTIC
  By A2DZA442AH4TUP on 2008-01-21
  I am in the US and have been anxiously waiting for the Jane Austen season to begin here. I had watched this on youtube in bits for the last month and was finally able to watch it on PBS last night. And I still found it to be amazing (though certain things were cut out). This being one of my favorites of Jane's books I was ecstatic to finally have a movie version of this book that I will actually buy.
  JJ Feild is perfect as Henry Tilney and just made me fall in love with his character again. Carey Mulligan was also good as Isabella Thorpe. She made me despise her instantly which is necessary.
  I highly recommend it.
  
  
• Is it possible to read too many novels?
  By A2TXR85WQLE32N on 2008-01-22
  "Northanger Abbey" is a nicely done screen adaptation of one of Jane Austen's earliest novels. The familiar elements of a Jane Austen are here, along with a surprising dollop of satire.
  
  The heroine, young Catherine Morland (played with appropriate wide-eyed innocence by Felicity Jones), a middle class addict of gothic novels, is invited by wealthy family friends Mr. and Mrs. Allen to accompany them to Bath. Bath is the big city for young Catherine, who is dazzled by the shops, the night life, and the young men.
  
  In the course of her travels in Bath with Mrs. Allen and with young friend Isabella, Catherine meets and is almost immediately wooed by two very different gentlemen. The aggressive and rather obnoxious John Thorpe is brother to Isabella, who shares Catherine's taste in Gothic novels and who is about to become engaged to Catherine's brother. The Thorpes are under the impression that Catherine's family has money. The second gentlemen is Henry Tilney, quiet, unassuming, yet witty and with an air of mystery about him. Henry's father, the dour and forbidding General Tilney, shares the impression that Catherine comes from money.
  
  Catherine finds Henry and his sister Elinor to be better company, and is ultimately invited to the family seat of Northanger Abbey, where Henry's mother died a few years earlier. The air of mystery about the Abbey excites Catherine's already overheated imagination, and she puts at risk her budding relationship with Henry by entering the forbidden chambers of the dead mother. Her thoughtless act triggers unhappy confrontations with Henry and with General Tilney. A saddened Catherine returns home, vowing to put Gothic romance behind, only to get another chance at happiness.
  
  "Northanger Abbey" features excellent period costumes and authentic sets. The movie is fairly brisk at just 90 minutes and seems to be hurrying itself along in the last half hour, during the scenes at Northanger Abbey. The acting is good to excellent, especially Carey Mulligan as the selfish and duplicitious Isabella and Felicity Jones as the innocent and imaginative but good-hearted Catherine. This movie is highly recommended as good entertainment for fans of Jane Austen and PBS's Masterpiece Theater.
  
  
• Very good but not perfect.
  By A1DU8G4KYPXP09 on 2008-02-01
  This version is far better than the old 1980's BBC version. The cast is excellent. The actress playing Catherine Morland was very close to how I pictured the character to be. The actor playing Henry Tilney was actually handsome and charming, something the previous actor in the role definitely was not. It was amusing seeing Sylvestra Le Touzel (my apologies if I spelled her name wrong), the Fanny Price from the old BBC version of Mansfield Park, as Mrs. Allen. She was also good in the part. I also found the little fantasy sequences from Catherine's novel reading to be very amusing.
  
  I do have a few complaints about this version. One is that it was too short. Some of the action felt a bit rushed and I found myself explaining a lot of things to my husband, who has not read the book. Secondly, I would have preferred it if the writer had used a bit more of Jane Austen's dialogue from the book. I could not believe they left out the best lines, "I cannot speak well enough to be unitelligible." "Bravo!-an excellent satire on modern language." And of course, there were those several small deviations from the book that annoy die hard Jane Austen fans like myself.
  
  Criticisms aside, for those who want a DVD version of this book, I would definitely recommend this version over the older one.
  
  
  
• Same Jane Austen Themes, Delightfully Different Plot
  By A1ZK0OUUCEL0L3 on 2008-03-10
  You'll recognize the typical Jane Austen themes but here the protagonist seems more real, more naive than usual. The parodies of salacious novel material made me smile every time - creating a stark contrast with the very realistic subject matter of the story. Fun!
  
  
• Spicy gothic tale!
  By A3TPAY9WJESG5M on 2008-03-12
  Really delightful adaptation. Some people have gotten upset about the liberty taken with Catherine's fantasies...enough that the American release has been edited by 10 minutes. For some reason, we can watch a grind pool on MTV but not see Catherine's naked back! Go figure...JJ Feild is a charming Henry Tilney and the last kiss is probably the best captured on film! Perhaps not the most stringent adaptation but definitly captures the light satiric tone Miss Austin favored. Highly recommended.
  
  
• An engaging, improved adaptation with excellent casting.
  By A1POFVVXUZR3IQ on 2008-03-25
  This most recent adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey is an improvement over the rather cheesy [though still entertaining] 1986 adaptation, and is well-cast. It is rather hard to review the movie adaptations of Austen's works as too much is lost when the novel is chopped down to fit into a specific time limit, in this case about 90 minutes. But, director Jon Jones has done an admirable job of staying true to the essence of Austen's work without losing too much of its original flavor in cutting out parts of the novel.
  
  The casting is well-done - J.J. Feild is consummate as the 'almost handsome' Henry Tilney [though I personally found him to be quite a dish myself]. Felicity Jones plays the role of Catherine Morland to perfection -equal parts naive, and yet able to see through artifice in people. Cary Mulligan as the trampy Isabella Thorpe shows much promise and is very convincing in her role. Liam Cunningham as the mercenary General Tilney makes a compellingly brooding and villanous character. The other roles are suitably cast as well.
  
  There is much to commend about this adaptation besides the casting - the musical score captures the gothic feel of the novel, especially in the fantasy sequences, and the cinematography is gorgeous. The scenes of Northanger Abbey especially truly evoke a romantic and mysterious feel, and credit surely must go to the able camerawork & direction. Considering that Jane Austen was very descriptive about Northanger Abbey in her novel, the particular attention that is paid in 'showing' the viewer the interior and exterior of the building is very much appreciated.
  
  Purists will have problems with the liberties taken with the novel, and I do personally feel that this production was unnecessarily sexed-up, but on the whole I do think that this is a much improved adaptation than the 1986 version, and also well-made and acted. I would highly recommend it to all Austen fans and those who love period dramas.
  
  
  
• Best movie version of this great book
  By A2BA2P56MIWDEJ on 2008-04-07
  I am a huge Jane Austen fan, and I have never seen a good movie version of Northanger Abbey before. The 80s BBC version did not capture any of the humor or sarcasm, and Mr. Tilney creeped me out. This version does a very good job keeping as much of Jane Austen's wit as is possible (some of the funniest parts of the book just can't translate to film). I would definitely recommend this movie to any Jane Austen fan.
  (Oh, and J.J. Feilds as Mr. Tilney being quite nice to look at didn't hurt the movie at all!) :)
  
  
• Best Northanger Abbey.
  By A1V9647KH44GQT on 2008-01-25
  I have read the book and seen the 1986 Northanger Abbey movie and this one is the BEST!! It captures everything from the book. However, it did cut out some conversations but overall it was the best!
  
  
• Loved It!
  By A39RMEXRQABVDH on 2008-01-25
  I watched Persuasion and now Northanger Abbey on Public Television this month and I absolutely loved Northanger Abbey! Of the two, it was my favorite.
  Let me just say that I have not read many of Jane Austen's books, so I am only commenting on the Masterpiece Theatre Northanger Abbey as a very enjoyable 1 and 1/2!
  The acting was wonderful, the music was wonderful, the dancing...the scenery. Kept my interest greatly and I was sorry when it ended. Luckily, I could record it and watch the next day!
  
  
  

• Masterpiece Theatre: Mansfield Park
• Persuasion
• Emma (A&E, 1997)
• Sense & Sensibility (with Miss Austen Regrets) (BBC TV 2008)
• Persuasion