Jane Though, plain-looking, smartass, and solidly middle class, with a spacious room and acerbic disposition, seemed to love Regency-era romances; and had lived nearly thirty-one years in the world reading and watching Jane Austen books and live-action adaptations.
The latest in the list of said Regency-era romances is the 2020 adaptation of Emma (stylized as Emma.) starring Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role and directed by Autumn de Wilde. With great production value, fresh reinterpretation, and solid performances by the actors, it’s a nice breakaway from all the serious news that have been troubling us lately.
If you’ve ever seen Clueless or even the 1996 adaptation starring Gwyneth Paltrow, then you already have a solid idea of what the story is all about: Emma Woodhouse likes playing matchmaker but ends up getting it wrong all the time because of her cluelessness. This cluelessness is brought about by her sheltered upbringing due to his overprotective father.
The 2020 Emma leaned in on the comedic aspect of this situation more than the book and previous adaptations (Clueless may be the only exception). Right from the bat, you can see how ridiculous and over the top both Emma and his father are. I have some reservations about Taylor-Joy’s accent work, but she nails Emma’s clever-but-also-kind-of-stupid character for the most part. Bill Nighy is born to play Mr. Woodhouse, enough said.
But the real revelations are Mia Goth as Harriet Smith and Johnny Flynn as Mr. Knightley. Let’s be honest, Britanny Murphy’s Tai Frasier will probably be the most iconic portrayal of Harriet, but Goth is a great support for Taylor-Joy. Goth plays Harriet with a certain subtlety and effectiveness. She doesn’t outshine Taylor-Joy in their scenes together, but at the same time she stands out as her own character. It’s not hard to root for her even though she’s not as pretty or rich as Emma.
Flynn, on the other hand, portrays Mr. Knightley with the right balance between someone who likes Emma but is critical of her actions at the same time. Unlike the mysterious Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Knightley has always been openly kind to others and honest about how he deems Emma’s actions to be misguided. Flynn conveys this in a way that’s less fatherly than in the book.
This brings me to another thing that I think the film did right. In the book, Mr. Knightley is 16 years older than Emma. He has known her from when she was a baby, and he was more of a father figure until they fell in love. While age gaps like this were acceptable when the book was originally written, modern sensibilities preclude us from easily accepting such power dynamics in a relationship. Admittedly, Taylor-Joy and Flynn have a 14-year age gap in real life, but I didn’t get a father-daughter vibe in their relationship. If anything, they felt more like obnoxious peers who oppose each other at every turn.
As can be expected, the movie incorporates lush sceneries. If you like movies featuring the English countryside and Regency-era manors, then it’s a no-brainer to watch Emma. The movie is most certainly a looker, with a very bright and cheerful color palette, which is complemented by Isobel Waller-Bridge’s musical score. The costume design is also commendable. Just looking at Emma’s wardrobe throughout the movie, they managed to be beautiful and charming while also being playful and over-the-top like Emma herself.
Your biggest question might be whether or not it’s better than Clueless, which remains to be the most popular adaptation of the novel. Honestly, no. Clueless is just plain iconic. Case in point, it’s still a pop culture staple despite being released almost 25 years ago. As a Jane Austen adaptation, Emma will also have to live in the shadow of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice and 1995 Sense and Sensibility adaptations.
That said, it’s still worth watching. I don’t want my money and time back. It’s certainly one of the better films that came out this year right before movie releases got cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of time in her hands, must be in want of a movie to watch. So, watch Emma and let us know what you think in the comments!
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