What was wrong with Emma?

[ElleRaiser]

Argh, each episode got more and more irritating. Emma was so clumsy and unlikeable. But I found myself irrationally hating it all. But why? I can't work it out - I am usually totally undemanding when it comes to anything with bonnets in it...

The Billie Piper one was utterly, utterly dire. It simply changed Fanny Price's character because whoever the scriptwriter/ director etc. were, were simply not intelligent or empathetic enough to conjure up a version of that (admittedly unattractive) character which would be palatable and attractive to the (thick) audience they were trying to attract.

Totally agree with Bran, the best version ever of Emma, has been Clueless. No-one else has ever got it right.

I liked Michael Gambon in this though - it's the first time I ever got a view of this character which I believed in and instead of being a mad caricature, he was a proper person and I could understand why Emma was so solicitous of him.

He's much better in this than he is as Dumbledore

I agree that the casting just killed the whole thing from the start. Anyone not familiar with the story would have just seen Emma and Knightley together in the first episode, such a similar age and getting along so well, and thought, hmmm they make a lovely couple - they should get together. Which kind of killed the whole story.

Four episodes of it was just way too slow.

Agree that Romola Garai wasn't rightb (neither was the guy playing Mr Elton) but I did enjoy JLM as Mr Knightley. Haven't watched the last episode yet so will keep an eye out for the Frank thing at Box Hill. I'm another one who likes the Gwynneth version though - Jeremy Northam as Knightley is ace in that - and there's much more of the gossipy bitchiness between Emma and Harriet that comes out. Agree that Clueless is the best JA adaptation ever though.

Emma had awful posture and a really bad walk. She also dressed in an odd way, she is meant to be snobby and loaded. She would not dress in a similar way to Harriet Smith or have her hair flowing and deconstructed. Harriet looked like she had a maid for hours, whereas Emma looked like she had slept in her hair.
Her walk and posture and poise would have been pristine at all times. Gah. I don't know if she was miscast or the whole wardrobe and design was badly wrong.

JLM was miscast, whilst I would love to jump him in the hedgerow, looks too young, cute and handsome for Knightly. He acted well, it just didn't look right.

The idea [as I understand it] is these are meant to be like very big older brother/almost father and young, silly, cocky sister. So I guess her silly cocky type thing was right, she just didn't convince me she had the weight and grace of a serious country aristocrat. Mainly because her arms seemed out of her control and she slouched.

Agree Jeremy Northam got it just right

Ha, just read the thread and see I have totally repeated it

So was JF a realtive of Myleene Klass then? So like her.

One thing I did like, the way they had Emma gratefull to her father that she wasn't sent away like the others were, when their parents dies/misfortune befell them. The horrors of flashback were got over quickly [showing the children leaving] and Emma did seem to show a bit more depth in this respect, I haven't noticed this in other adaptions.

Love Johdi May but thought she, as Mrs Weston,was too young - looked the same age as Emma. On the plus side it certainly cleared the room. Peace and quiet!DS has bonnet phobia - I must have traumatised him as a child.He legs it as fast as Usain Bolt at the merest whiff of a costume drama.This is further compounded by me asking him to take a turn about the room.I want them to 'do'Robinson Crusoe. I only ever saw 70's version, can't remember much but can sing the theme tune!

Yes, I wondered briefly about switching Emma and Harriet. Harriet looked more as Emma ought to have.
I too cringed at the incident on Box Hill. Jane Fairfax was not convincing in her role either.

I liked Kate Beckinsale's Emma far more.