Northanger Abbey

The other reviews have judged this production quite harshly. I disagree. It's from 1987, and was produced as part of a BBC television series, so it's unfair to compare it with much bigger budget features. I found it charming, and faithful to the novel. This novel is different from the usual Austen. It was written as a homage to the Gothic novels of the day and so it's more dramatic and less nuanced. It's a fun, short novel rather than a serious novel. This production captures the wonder and excitement of a naive girl making her first foray into society. The movie characters that are black and white villains are also villainous in the novel. Don't be put off by the low rating. It's worth a view.

Sometimes, changes to novels when they're made into films are not only necessary, but a good thing. However, in the case of Northanger Abbey, it's a very, very bad thing. Not only is the story itself ripped to shreds, but the satire is almost completely absent from the film, and it's mixture of romance and intrigue doesn't even touch upon the biting commentary that Austen put into her work. It fails to be amusing or satirical at all, and instead turns the character's fascination with her fantasy world into mostly a drama.

This affects the romance as well. It's meandering and aimless. Chemistry and interest are never established. The reasons Tilney is attracted to Catherine are completely absent from the film, leaving the audience to wonder what it is he sees in her at all.

Hopefully some day soon, we'll get a more faithful version if Austen's satire.

When Jane Austen wrote 'Northanger Abbey' she intended to poke fun at the trashy Gothic literature of her day, aimed at silly, young, impressionable females. The story was meant to gradually draw the character of Catherine Morland out of the fantasy world she had built for herself, and into reality. The typical language, characters and themes of a Gothic romance were sent up the whole way through and were shown to be the epitomy of bad writing.

However, this adaptation seemed to embrace and flatter what it was that Jane Austen was attempting to satirise. It retained a gothic feel throughout and seemed to 'put back' what it was that Jane Austen was trying to 'take out'. Northanger Abbey became the mysterious castle, Henry Tilney became the intriguing Gothic hero, and the 'secret' which Catherine believed existed at the Abbey turned out to be real. One cannot help thinking that the makers of this adaptation hadn't read the book very closely as they seemed to have missed the point.

Unfortunately with an adaptation of this type, when Jane Austen was writing she was assuming that her readers would be familiar with the Gothic genre. Filmmakers today would need to explain to the audience what the Gothic genre was all about, explaining why this adaptation contains so many fantastical elements that Jane Austen was attempting to escape from.

All of this aside, it works quite well. The adaptation keeps to the storyline pretty much, and retains much of Jane Austen's witty dialogue. The music helps contribute to the eerie atmosphere very well. One cannot help but wonder at the beauty of this version. Perfectly cast and impeccably acted.

Over all the movie was "ok." It ruined the story from the book and made it seems like the director was making fun of the whole story. I love Jane Austen and i've just about read all of her books. Northanger abbey is one of my favorites and I wanted so much to see it one film. So I bought the movie thinking I was going to love it but when I watched it I hated it. The movie turned the relationships upside down and gave her these stupid day dreams that just left you confused and tired of the movie. The end left you wondering if she was dreaming or if it was real. Over all if you love Jane Austen I would definitely tell you NOT to watch it. It's not worth it.

The errors of this film have been pointed out a myriad of times in previous reviews: The Marchioness is an added character with little apparent use. The Abbey was NOT supposed to be the creepy castle of Gothic lore, but a disappointingly normal and modern building that Catherine's imagination tries to make frightening, but cannot. Most of the actors are hamming it up left and right (I actually found that amusing in a not-so-negative way. Isabella Thorpe is not one whit more obvious than Lucy Steele in the celebrated Emma Thompson version.) The music is weird and entirely too present… had they toned it down a bit it wouldn't have been so intrusive.

What saved it for me was Peter Firth. Yes, he was affected and simpering, but personally, I found him sexy as all get out. When he first appeared, I had never seen him before, and didn't think he was handsome at all, nor right for the part of Henry Tilney. But when he smiles at Catherine, it looks so warm, so genuine, that I stopped chewing my popcorn for a moment and thought "Oh, I take it back. He's cute!" He's got wonderful lips, too.

And despite what others have said, he portrayed Tilney pretty much as the book does, in my opinion. Tilney is a strange fellow, folks. He's rarely serious, says bizarre things one right after another, quips and smirks, and masks his feelings utterly. I am certain he grows up to be Mr. Bennet. I never liked him till I saw this adaptation, but now, he's rather my favorite. But only if he looks like Peter Firth.