Customer Rating:  
Summary: Ending too abrupt, otherwise a five
Comment: Northanger Abbey
Jane Austen's books all have certain things in common--a heroine who comes from a large family of limited means and loves to read, a hero of better means who is misunderstood in some way, a rogue who will later be revealed as a money-grubbing womanizer, and a clergyman. There will also be at least one ball, lots of music, and dances.
So, the ball, music, and dances spring to life in three of the movies made from Jane's books (Pride and Prejudice--the Keira Knightley version, Sense and Sensibility--the Emma Thompson version, and this version of Northanger Abbey).
Here is the abbreviated story (without going into nauseating detail about what actor/actress played what part):
Catherine Morland is the eldest daughter in a family of ten children. They are much loved and happy. When Catherine turns seventeen, she goes to Bath with the wealthy Allens (who are a very kind couple) where they buy her fancy clothes and introduce her to society. She promptly meets two sets of siblings--Isabella and John Thorpe, and Eleanor and Henry Tilney.
John, assuming that the Allens will bestow wealth upon Catherine if she marries, immediately begins sabotaging her relationship with Henry and Eleanor, while his money-grubbing sister Isabella connives to get Catherine's brother James to propose to her. When both Thorpe siblings discover that neither Catherine nor James expect any wealth from the Allens, Isabella sleeps with the eldest brother of the Tilney siblings, Frederic (a real womanizer), and John spreads the info around town so no other beau will go near Catherine.
Fortunately, Catherine has already been invited to Northanger Abbey, the Tilneys' estate. The "sideline" story deals with Catherine's penchant for gothic romances. She thinks she's seeing ghosts and suspects that the Tilney siblings' father (an evil money-grubbing jerk) killed his wife. When Henry discovers that she believes this, he's rather nasty to Catherine and here's where I part company with the janeites--I never thought Henry was Austen's best hero. No, Darcy could whip the pants off him. So Henry runs off and, in the meantime, General Tilney (the evil dad) kicks Catherine out of the castle in the middle of the night, giving her no money, no carriage, and no methods of getting home. Eleanor gives her some money and Catherine manages to make it home (although things could quite easily have turned out differently).
Sometime later, Henry finally shows up at her family home to apologize and to propose. And the film is wrapped up abruptly in mere minutes.
Where this movie excels is in the characterization. John Thorpe is played by a hideously ugly ginger and oozes evil. Isabella is played by a chesty ginger with so many moles I lost count. Henry always smiles (until he's yelling at Catherine). And James acts the complete idiot. Where the movie falls short is in the abrupt ending. Seriously, the ending is wrapped up in about four minutes, leaving you wondering what happened.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Northanger Abbey
Comment: In our modern day of instant gratification Austin's characters serve a refreshing example of people who persever in the face of frustration of purpose. This story in particular would provide a role model of a young woman who refuses to become destructive to her best self or to others in revenge for delayed gratification.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Delightful!
Comment: Perhaps the reason I'm so impressed by this adaptation is because I had only seen the Wishbone version of Northanger Abbey ;) but then again, this film was extremely well-done and completely engaging. The cast was genuine, and as a reviewer has already mentioned, the chemistry between Tilney and Catherine was thoroughly perceived! Who could help themselves from replaying the garden scene where Catherine shows Tilney the way to the Allens' home? (Though their house can be seen from the Morelands' parlor room window!)
Customer Rating:
Summary: a jewel
Comment: This retelling of the book hits all the right notes. It is charming, witty and all the actors involved do the right things and look the right way. I am very happy with this movie. I thank all involved in its making.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good watching!
Comment: I really enjoyed this version of the Austen classic. It was funny and romantic, much as Austen wrote it. The actors made the characters jump right out of the pages of this story.
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