x The Story : When Mr. Dashwood dies, he must leave the bulk of his estate to the son by his first marriage, which leaves his second wife and three daughters (Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret) in straitened circumstances. They are taken in by a kindly cousin, but their lack of fortune affects the marriageability of both practical Elinor and romantic Marianne. When Elinor forms an attachment for the wealthy Edward Ferrars, his family disapproves and separates them. And though Mrs. Jennings tries to match the worthy (and rich) Colonel Brandon to her, Marianne finds the dashing and fiery Willoughby more to her taste. Both relationships are sorely tried. But this is a romance, and through the hardships and heartbreak, true love and a happy ending will find their way for both the sister who is all sense and the one who is all sensibility.

x Takes on Emma :": Thompson has enriched what could have been a dull period piece (see Persuasion for a frightening example of this) with an unexpectedly hilarious series of vignettes that underscores the endless procession of romantic misunderstandings and entanglements that weave through the girls' lives ":
----Christopher Null @ filmcritic.com

x ":Emma Thompson's Elinor can join the actresses' characters from Howards End, The Remains of the Day and Carrington as examples of top- notch, finely nuanced performances. Here, perhaps borrowing a leaf from Anthony Hopkins, she develops a poignant portrait of a woman who must conceal a broken heart beneath a proper, civilised exterior. Thompson, who has never before played a character suffering from this kind of repression, proves she's as good at this as she is being the free spirit."
----James Berardinelli @ britmovie.co.uk

x Emma on Sense & Sensibility:" "It's not just the love affairs. It's family as well. We're so hung up on our romantic paradigms we only tell stories about boy meets girl. That's all we've seen and want to tell. But there are so many different kinds of love and betrayal between people and they're just as interesting to watch, I think. I'm just as interested in the love story between the sisters as I am in seeing Marianne have her heart broken and her illusions shattered. She learns how life is not all about what she projects. And Elinor learns that it's perhaps not good to deny what her feelings are and not to repress her emotions. It's as much about family as it is about love and, indeed, as about money."
----jam @ december 7 1995

<-rewind