Before Jane Austen began writing the novel Emma, she wrote, “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” Emma was characterised as an intelligent, attractive and privileged nearly 21-year-old aristocrat who lived with her ageing father in a sprawling mansion in Hartford, Highbury, England, and lived a worry free life. Because this was the 1800s, the idea of a headstrong and confident woman already scared the bejesus out of most people, but Jane Austen chose to write Emma as something of a spoiled busybody who hadn’t earned her cockiness.

If Jane Austen was ever wrong about something, this was it. Although it initially earned mixed reviews, Emma went on to become one of the most popular novels written by the English novelist. Not only did readers love the titular character, but they enjoyed the comedy and the author’s continued commentary on local sensibilities about marriage and class structure.

When it was announced that a new cinematic adaptation of Emma was in the works, many Jane Austen fans were cautiously optimistic. Writer/Director Douglas McGrath’s 1996 film starring Gwyneth Paltrow had been well-received despite the scandal of an American actress playing the lead role, and fans didn’t know what a new adaptation could bring to the table. However, when news broke in 2018 that Anya Taylor-Joy was cast as the lead, many fans were horrified.

Now, here’s the thing about Jane Austen fans. If you’ve seen Marvel fans fight DC fans, Microsoft fans fight Sony fans, Bernie Sanders fans fight Donald Trump fans, or Jemimah Goldsmith fans fight Pinky Peerni fans on the internet, then you still haven’t seen the pinnacle of bitterly angry online debates. To put it lightly, Jane Austen fans are the most hardcore fans on the internet.

Emma is as endearing, funny, and clever as it should be. It somehow feels like a new take on the novel while still staying very faithful to the source material

And while you would think that comic book fans put together the most extraordinary cosplays, this isn’t true either. Jane Austen fans put the period in period-piece cosplays. When such dedicated followers heard that an American-born Argentine English actress, who had starred in horror films such as The Witch (2015), Morgan (2016), Split (2016), and Glass (2019), was cast as the lead, they spit their tea.

Thankfully, Anya Taylor-Joy turned out to be an excellent casting choice. She captures the charm, wit, confidence, and interfering nature of Emma perfectly. What’s more, her chemistry with the ensemble cast, including Johnny Flynn (George Knightley), Bill Nighy (Mr Woodhouse), Mia Goth (Harriet Smith), Callum Turner (Frank Churchill), Josh O’Connor (Mr Elton) and others, is also excellent.

The screenplay by New Zealand writer and 2013 Man Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton is equally good. It’s as endearing, funny, and clever as it should be. It somehow feels like a new take on the novel while still staying very faithful to the source material. I especially enjoyed how the narrative flows smoothly and naturally. Often, cinematic adaptations of novels can feel jarring, as screenwriters struggle to consolidate a book for the silver screen. But Eleanor Catton’s work is very good. My only minor critique is that the film could have swapped a dash of the faithfulness for a bit more of a bite, though it would have certainly set off those dangerously nitpicky Jane Austen fans.

But Emma’s crowning jewel is the production design. The set and costume design are extraordinary. Emma feels every bit the period piece thanks to fine, detailed, and loving work from costume designer Alexandra Byrne and the production team. Byrne has already earned five Academy Award nominations and should earn a sixth for her work in Emma. This is a good film and a worthy adaptation of perhaps Jane Austen’s most clever novel. It should entertain purists and newcomers alike.

Rated PG for brief partial nudity

Published in Dawn, ICON, March 1st, 2020