While Nicholas Sparks is widely recognized for his contributions to the modern romance genre and the many film adaptations of his novels, people can't forget the classic romance literature icon, Jane Austen. Only four of Austen's novels were published during her lifetime, which is minuscule compared to the number of Spark's novels on the market.
One of the four published was Pride and Prejudice, which is also the most recognized film adaptation. Keira Knightley plays the title role of Elizabeth Bennet, opposite Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy. This period romantic drama continues to be a favorite among fans of the genre. However, there are many other film adaptations of Austen's novels that deserve a watch.
10 Love & Friendship Is Based Off Early Writings By Austen - 6.4
The 2016 period comedy film, Love & Friendship, is based on a series of documents titled Lady Susan, written in the early years of Austen's life. Whit Stillman, known for his 1990 Academy Award-nominated film, Metropolitan, directs the film, and Kate Beckinsale stars as the lead role of Lady Susan Vernon. Lady Susan Vernon sets off on a quest to encounter a rich husband for not only herself, but also her daughter.
Beckinsale is known for her role as Lieutenant Evelyn Johnson in the 2001 film Pearl Harbor and as Emma Woodhouse in the 1996 TV film Emma, which is another film adaptation of Austen's eponymous novel.
9 Emma (2020) Is The Most Recent Adaptation Of Austen's Novels - 6.7
The most recent film adaptation of Austen's novels is the 2020 film Emma, which is Autumn De Wilde's directorial debut. The film is based on Austen's 1815 eponymous novel, and stars Anya Tayl0r-Joy, widely known for her lead role as Beth Harmon in the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit, and will voice Princess Peach in the upcoming 2022 Mario film.
Emma's favorite pastime is matchmaking, especially when it comes to the love lives of her friends and family. Although, this pursuit of hers often lands her in trouble. Emma was nominated for Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 93rd Academy Awards.
8 Clueless Takes Emma's Plot To Beverly Hills - 6.9
Some people may not know that the popular 1995 teen rom-com Clueless is actually loosely based on Austen's novel Emma. Alicia Silverstone plays the ritzy Cher Horowitz, who is meant to be the title character Emma Woodhouse, but instead of 1800s England, the film is set in modern-day Beverly Hills.
"Unconsciously, I've been writing an Emma-like character." Because I've always loved it and part of it had sort of stored it away in my brain... So I really related to her and got into it. And the plot was so brilliantly laid out in Emma. So I tried to take all the things that were in this sort of pretty 1800s world and see what would that be like if it was in Beverly Hills," stated writer and director Amy Heckerling in a special feature for Clueless.
7 Many Austen Fans Prefer The Beckinsale Film Over Paltrow's Version - 7
20 years before Kate Beckinsale starred in Love & Friendship, she played the protagonist Emma Woodhouse in the 1996 British television film Emma. The film was released the same year when another Emma adaptation by Miramax premiered, but features Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma Woodhouse.
Many Austen fans prefer the version with Beckinsale over the Miramax, largely due to her stellar performance as Emma compared to Paltrow's. The film also stars Samantha Morton as a friend of Emma's, Harriet Smith. Morton is also known for her performance as Mary Lou Barebone in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
6 Mansfield Park Abandons Certain Aspects Of The Novel - 7.1
This Austen film adaptation abandons certain aspects of the book, like characters, and goes into depth with social issues like slavery more and features details about Austen's life. Mansfield Park is a 1999 romantic comedy written and directed by Patricia Rozema, based on Austen's eponymous 1814 novel.
In addition to leaving out certain characters, Mansfield Park also places the novel's events in a different chronological order. The film stars Frances O'Connor as a young girl named Fanny Price, who is assigned to live with her affluent Uncle and Aunt, since her parents can no longer financially support her.
5 Northanger Abbey Stars Rogue One Actress, Felicity Jones - 7.2
Northanger Abbey is a 2007 TV film adaptation of Austen's 1817 novel with the same title. The film stars Felicity Jones, known for her appearance as Jyn Erso in Rogue One, as the title character of Catherine Morland opposite JJ Feild, who plays her love interest named Henry Tilney.
Northanger Abbey was part of the Jane Austen Season featured on ITV, a British Independent Television Network. The plot follows Catherine and her journey to Bath, England, where she meets Henry at an extravagant ball. However, the financial status of Catherine's family is concealed, as they are actually not ridiculously wealthy.
4 Pride & Prejudice Is A Celebrated 1940 Film Adaptation - 7.4
Before Keira Knightley took the stage as Elizabeth Bennet, Greer Garson starred in the title role of the 1940 version of Pride and Prejudice. Garson stars opposite Laurence Olivier, originally supposed to be Clark Gable, in his role as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.
Olivier is widely known for his appearances in classic films like Wuthering Heights a year before this adaptation, and the Alfred Hitchcock film Rebecca during the same year Pride and Prejudice was released. The film fared well with critics despite not covering the budget back at the box office.
3 A Dumbledore Stars In the Persuasion Film Adaptation - 7.5
Persuasion is a 1995 made-for-television film based on Austen's eponymous 1817 novel and directed by Roger Michell. Michell is widely known for directing another romantic movie, Notting Hill, the 1999 film with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.
The film stars Amanda Root as the protagonist Anne Elliot, opposite Ciarán Hinds as her long-lost love interest, Captain Frederick Wentworth, who comes back from war after Anne turns down his marriage proposal. Hinds is recognized for his minor role as Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus' younger brother, in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part 2.
2 Sense & Sensibility Features Several Big Acting Names - 7.7
Sense and Sensibility is a 1995 period drama directed by Ang Lee, who is best recognized for directing Life Of Pi and the 2003 Hulk. The film is based on Austen's 1811 eponymous novel, and stars Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet as sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood respectively.
The Dashwood sisters are forced to marry due to their family's unexpected financial loss. The pair encounters Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman on their quest to find worthy candidates for marriage. Sense and Sensibility was a massive success for its star-studded cast and costume design. The film earned seven Academy Award nominations as a result.
1 Pride & Prejudice Remains A Romantic Classic - 8.8
The highest-ranked Austen film adaptation according to IMDb shouldn't surprise many, as it's the 2005 film with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. The film follows the lives of five sisters, who are all on the quest to find a worthy suitor to marry.
However, this mission does not come without obstacles. Specifically, Elizabeth and Darcy's love story is nothing short of a complicated one due to their prideful personalities. Although, the pair manages to put aside obstacles and falls in love despite objections to the relationship.