Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Sense and Sensibility’ on The Hallmark Channel, A Worthy and Entertaining Adaptation Of Jane Austen’s First Novel

There have been many on-screen adaptations of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, but this month on the Hallmark Channel marks the arrival of the newest. This version is a faithful adaptation, with one obvious twist: The Dashwood family is a blended-race family and sisters Marianne and Elinor are Black. Though references to race are not re-written into the story, the fact that this story is being told through the lens of Black women is central to the plot, offering a take on the story that we haven’t seen before. The result is a snappy and successful version that honors the original text’s wit and social commentary.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: A dying Henry Dashwood (Julian Firth, no relation to Colin) knows that he’s not long for this world. When his son, John (Daniel Boyd) arrives to say goodbye to him on his deathbed, Henry makes his son promise that, as the sole male heir set to inherit Henry’s estate, he’ll look out for his wife and daughters, Elinor (Deborah Ayorinde), Marianne (Bethany Antonia), and Margaret (Beth Angus) who are John’s half-sisters.

The Gist: As you might expect, John Dashwood did not quite keep the promise he made to his dear old dead dad. After Henry’s death, John and his demanding and snobbish wife Fanny (Carlyss Peer) moved into the family home, and Fanny essentially forced the rest of the family out. Before they leave to go live in a cottage belonging to a distant cousin at an estate called Barton Park, Elinor meets Edward Ferrars, Fanny’s half-brother who comes to stay with them. The two take a mutual liking to one another despite the fact that Fanny seems to want to keep them apart, citing Elinor as a woman whose reputation isn’t suitable to match her family’s expectations.

After moving in to the cottage, Marianne meets the older, respectable Colonel Brandon, who takes an immediate liking to her, but she’s more drawn to the young and impetuous John Willoughby, who is set to inherit a large nearby estate from his aunt. Meanwhile, Edward visits the Dashwoods, but something feels amiss between him and Elinor. Later, some local friends, Anne and Lucy Steele come to visit Barton Park, and Lucy, knowing that Elinor and Edward are acquaintances, confides in Elinor that she’s secretly engaged to him.

The rest of the film follows the original text, with Edward getting disinherited once his stepmother learns of his engagement to Lucy (and Lucy dumping Edward when he gets disinherited), and Colonel Brandon revealing Willoughby to be something of a scoundrel and winning over Marianne in the process. I’d do it a disservice to try and cram in all the plot hijinks, but Austen’s message of social and marital mores of the 19th century are neatly wrpped up by the end, just as she intended.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of? I guess it goes without saying that this will remind you of any of the previous iterations of Austen’s novel, but its probably most comparable to 1995’s Sense and Sensibility starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet.

Our Take: This version of Sense and Sensibility remains faithful to the original text in many ways; it takes few liberties with Austen’s sharp plotting and precisely drawn characters, many of whom have intentions and secrets that are closely held for most of the movie. Where it differs from the source material is in the use of a predominantly Black cast to reframe the story and add an additional layer to Austen’s first novel. A lot of care has also been given to who worked on this project, including the involvement of historian Vanessa Riley, who has researched the lives of Black people during the Regency era in England and served as a consultant on the film.

The resulting film is successful, despite its most obvious constraints: that this a made-for-TV movie required to cut away for numerous commercial breaks. If anything, Austen’s works flourish when they’re given a chance to breathe in a six-part mini-series or two-hour-plus movie, and the words on the page can be built on with lush scenery and leisurely pacing. Here, we’re rushed through the story faster than you might hope. (But then again, if you’re new to Austen, this would be an excellent was to ease in.) Credit is due to the talented cast who do justice to the story; Deborah Ayorinde is perfect as the dutiful Elinor, and Bethany Antonia deftly pivots through Marianne’s emotional swings, they simply would have been better served if given just a bit more screen time.

Sex and Skin: None

Performance Worth Watching: Carlyss Peer, who plays the controlling and status-obsessed Fanny is so icy and cruel that she makes it easy to hate her.

Memorable Dialogue: “I will not marry for fortune, nor out of obligation. I want to marry for love,” Edward tells Elinor. That essentially boils down the whole theme of the story, that there are two kinds of men in this world, and Edward is one of the good ones.

Our Call: STREAM IT! This may not be the very best version of Sense and Sensibility, but it’s certainly a good one. Much loving attention has been paid to all the details that went into this film, from costumes to hair, and the cast serves the material well. It’s a beloved story, and it’s treated as such by the cast and everyone else involved.