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This scene in the 2022 Netflix adaptation of Persuasion is extremely awkward, intended to be funny, no doubt. It’s likely that people would have allocated places at the dinner table, either according to rank or as directed by the hostess. No one would wander the table trying to find a place. Nor would a lady be forced to pull in her own chair, if there was no gentleman to help, then a servant certainly would.

The lyric speaks of feeling out of place which Anne certainly does, she’s trying to find her footing with people she’s usually comfortable around. In the novel she plays at the pianoforte so Captain Wentworth can dance with the Miss Musgroves’, her eyes filling with tears as she, and any eligibility she may have, is ignored. Captain Wentworth is still aware of her, he asks whether she dances and in the above scene he watches her, only sitting once she’s found her seat.

If you’d like to discuss an Austen novel with me privately you can book a “Read With Me” session.

And then there’s Kitty Bennet…

Austen describes Kitty as “weak-spirited, irritable, and completely under Lydia’s guidance.” Lizzy attempts to warn her father of the danger of Lydia’s character out in the world and highlights how much Kitty, though two years older, is influenced by her.

Our importance, our respectability in the world, must be affected by the wild volatility, the assurance and disdain of all restraint which mark Lydia’s character… Her character will be fixed; and she will, at sixteen, be the most determined flirt that ever made herself and her family ridiculous… In this danger Kitty is also comprehended. She will follow wherever Lydia leads. Vain, ignorant, idle, and absolutely uncontrolled!”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, C41

Lizzy turns out to be more right than she could have imagined. Kitty is so heavily involved in Lydia’s schemes that the elopement is “not wholly unexpected” by her. When Lydia is married Kitty is left drifting, she no longer has a stronger character to lead her.

At the end of the novel:

Kitty, to her very material advantage, spent the chief of her time with her two elder sisters…her improvement was great…removed from the influence of Lydia’s example, she became, by proper attention and management, less irritable, less ignorant, and less insipid. From the further disadvantage of Lydia’s society she was of course carefully kept…”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, C61

Till Elizabeth entered the drawing-room at Netherfield, and looked in vain for Mr. Wickham … a doubt of his being present had never occurred to her… She had dressed with more than usual care, and prepared in the highest spirits for the conquest of all that remained unsubdued of his heart…”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, C18

Wickham doesn’t appear at the Netherfield Ball to avoid Darcy, who he’s been telling lies about. His absence merely increases Lizzy’s dislike of Darcy, though at least Wickham never broke a promise to dance with her. The high hopes she had of conquering Wickham’s heart make her feel the disappointment so much more.

When she discovers the truth about Wickham she berates herself:

His behaviour to herself could now have had no tolerable motive: he had either been deceived with regard to her fortune, or had been gratifying his vanity by encouraging the preference which she believed she had most incautiously shown.”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, C36

Wickham’s elopement with Lydia be a final F you to both Darcy and Lizzy (who’s taken Darcy’s side). He attempts to charm Lizzy again but she’s having none of it.

If you want to discuss Austen with me you can book a time

Audio from You’re On Your Own Kid by Taylor Swift

Video from Pride and Prejudice 2005

And then there’s these lines that seemed to fit Charlotte:

Different adaptation but same story.

Charlotte does her best to not be embarrassed by her husband who she married very clearly for the security he could provide her and not his jokes. He does “save” her and she “takes the money.” Lizzy is bewildered that Charlotte would make such a choice – her eyebrow raise speaks volumes.

Summary

This truly terrible Hallmark-esque movie stars a wooden Alicia Witt (who I recognise from Cybill) as Wren, a New Yorker working for a PR/Advertising/Events firm run by rich siblings who’ve never had to work a day in their life. She is the real brains behind the business which is currently in financial difficulty and has had to relocate to (shock, horror) Brooklyn. Her college boyfriend shows up as a client wanting to launch his preposterous social/charity website. Turns out her Aunt (who she lived with after her mother died) “persuaded” her to not follow Owen to San Francisco where he’s since become successful because the situation reminded the Aunt of the mother who was disappointed by the father. A “work” trip to the Hamptons where Wren conveniently has to wear a colleagues skimpy clothes ends at the hospital when said colleague breaks a leg while attempting to go night swimming. Owen feels responsible and stays behind, along with his heartbroken CFO friend who ends up with the girl. Confusion ensues when Owen thinks Wren is with a guy her Aunt set her up with while Wren thinks he’s with broken leg girl. They quote the letter from Persuasion to each other (badly – yes, the novel exists in the film) and kiss.

Highlights

• A snarky pregnant lesbian eating everything, her stomach is literally a beach ball (it’s like they didn’t even try) in a stand out performance by Liza Lapira (The Equalizer)
• Bebe Neuwirth (Frasier) who is much too good for this sh*t show as the Aunt who wisely says a woman should not choose a mans career over her own
• Awful attempts to integrate fictional social media into the movie and cliché “young girls in the office”
• Token racial diversity in stock minor characters (sassy black woman, cold Asian woman)

Critique

• The title sucks and is unnecessary
• As above Alicia Witt was wooden and flat, there were a few good performances amongst the side characters
• A good way to waste 90 minutes and some brain cells but don’t expect anything profound
• Some hilarious one liners delivered by the boss (Sir Walter insert) and other bosses wife (Mary Musgrove insert) hidden amongst clunky dialogue
• Awkward fake running and dancing

In the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, the main couple doesn’t kiss. Why? Even Mr and Mrs Bennet kiss! (Do not get me started on their relationship in this movie.)

The English-Bollywood modern adaptation, Bride and Prejudice, didn’t include a kiss for cultural reasons. It’s pretty standard in an Austen adaptation to get at least one kiss, usually right near the end. Some movies have gone further with minor characters (see 1999’s Mansfield Park).

The proposal scene includes a gorgeous almost kiss, something that came about naturally when Kiera and Matthew read for the roles. But unless you see the American ending there is no payoff. Tension builds in this scene and the second “proposal” where Lizzy kisses Darcy’s hand, the sun rises behind them, foreheads touch. No lips meet.

It’s a weird choice. But so is the “American ending.” It’s overly affectionate and informal, it feels out of place in an Austen adaptation – it might slot quite nicely into Bridgerton (which came later). There are other odd parts to the movie; Lizzy walking alone through Derbyshire back to the inn, the Bennet’s poverty, Lizzy’s gown billowing while she stands upon a Stanage Edge, not to mention the Bennet’s marriage and the Lucas’s who barely appear.

Perhaps the only scripted kiss was that in the alternate ending, which was a push too far for Janeites considering the many other changes.

Bride and Prejudice has a similar “almost kiss” scene with the actors drawing together framed by the sun behind them.

If you’d like to discuss Austen with me privately you can book a “Read With Me” session.

..than being with Willoughby “who didn’t know what he had when he had it.”

I had no other intention …than to pass my time pleasantly … Your sister’s lovely person and interesting manners could not but please me… at first I must confess, my vanity only was elevated by it. Careless of her happiness, thinking only of my own amusement, … I endeavoured, by every means in my power, to make myself pleasing to her, without any design of returning her affection.”

Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility C44

From the beginning of their acquaintance Willoughby sets out to please Marianne, to amuse himself. Any woman deserves better than this. It’s not till he loses her that he realises her value. He fools himself into thinking it didn’t mean anything but when Marianne contacts him upon reaching London –

…this note made me know myself better. I felt that she was infinitely dearer to me than any other woman in the world”

Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility C44

Marianne acknowledges, when she understands his past behaviour to Eliza Williams, she could have never been happy with him. She was deceived in his character. After, she focuses on her studies, her piano and her family, there is a struggle but she finds joy in every day life.

Elinor points out that even if Willoughby had been able to marry Marianne, he would likely have been unhappy and made her unhappy too.

..he regrets what he has done. …Because … It has not made him happy. .. he thinks only that he has married a woman of a less amiable temper than yourself. But does it follow that had he married you, he would have been happy?… He would have had a wife of whose temper he could make no complaint, but he would have been always … poor…”

Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility C47

Marianne does find a man who truly appreciates her and fulfils all her romantic ideals; he enjoys reading, is passionate and has a tragic backstory. But most importantly he’s a good man, bonus he’s also rich.

If you’d like to discuss Austen with me privately you can book a “Read With Me” session.

The same could be said of Fanny Price as regards Edmund Bertram…

It’s painful to read (later) about the friends drifting apart. There is a “restraint” and Lizzy is sure there can never be “real confidence” between them once Charlotte accepts Mr Collin’s proposal. They maintain contact after the marriage:

..their correspondence was as regular and frequent as it ever had been: that it should be equally unreserved was impossible. Elizabeth could never address her without feeling that all the comfort of intimacy was over; and, though determined not to slacken as a correspondent, it was for the sake of what had been rather than what was.”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, C26

Lizzy never really acknowledges her position of privilege, not only does she have more money than Charlotte, she’s younger and more attractive too. She begrudgingly accepts the marriage, though she never tells Charlotte, later (in a startling disclosure to someone she isn’t close with) she says to Darcy:

I am not certain that I consider her marrying Mr. Collins as the wisest thing she ever did. She seems perfectly happy, however; and, in a prudential light, it is certainly a very good match for her.”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, C32

At Hunsford Lizzy gives “Charlotte all the credit” for the interior of the house and admires her way of managing Mr Collins, not only does she send him often into the garden to get him out of the house (allowing him to be forgotten) but:

When Mr. Collins said anything of which his wife might reasonably be ashamed…Charlotte wisely did not hear.”

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, C28

Charlotte has made a good choice for herself, she knew she didn’t have options and could manage Mr Collins which we see her doing. In this adaptation once Lizzy visits Hunsford it’s as though all is forgiven. But in the book it seems Lizzy never really forgives her for marrying Mr Collins rather than remaining a spinster in case someone better came along. It would be interested to see what choice Lizzy would have made in Charlotte’s circumstances.

Book a time with me to discuss Austen

Audio from You’re On Your Own Kid by Taylor Swift

Video and Audio from Pride and Prejudice 2005

Mr Bingley has real Labrador energy which comes through so clearly in this adaptation. His watching Jane like an infatuated school boy is somehow adorable rather than creepy. He is very clearly Enchanted to meet her.

Jane is modest and doesn’t realise she’s “about five times as pretty as every other woman in the room” as Lizzy puts it. She’s flattered and didn’t expect Mr Bingley to ask her to dance a second time (only two dances were allowed), but Lizzy did. Lizzy has also overheard Bingley praising Jane as “the most beautiful creature”. Even Darcy can’t deny it and calls her, in his cynical way “the only handsome girl in the room.”

If you’d like to discuss Austen with me you can book a session

Audio from Enchanted (TV) by Taylor Swift

Video and Audio from Pride and Prejudice 2005