''Mansfield Park'' is a 2007 British television film directed by Iain B. MacDonald and starring

Billie Piper Billie Paul Piper (born Leian Paul Piper; 22 September 1982) is an English actress and former singer. She initially gained recognition as a singer after releasing her debut single "Because We Want To" at age 15, which made her the youngest woman ...

Michelle Ryan Michelle Claire Ryan (born 22 April 1984) is an English actress. She played Zoe Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2000–2005). In 2007, she starred in the short-lived American television series ''Bionic Woman''. She appeared as th ...

, and

Blake Ritson Blake Adam Ritson (born 14 January 1978) is an English actor and director. Early life Blake was born on 14, June, 1978 in London and attended the Dolphin School in Reading, Berkshire until 1993, before going to St Paul's School in West Londo ...

. Adapted from Jane Austen's classic 1814 novel of the same name, the film is about Fanny Price, who is sent by her poor mother to live with wealthy relatives at their Mansfield estate. By the age of eighteen, Fanny is in love with her sensitive cousin who is studying to be a clergyman. Her feelings for him and her moral sense prevent her from accepting a marriage proposal from a much wealthier suitor. ''Mansfield Park'' premiered on 18 March 2007 on the United Kingdom network ITV at 9:00 p.m., as part of ''

The Jane Austen Season ''The Jane Austen Season'' is a British television series of dramas based on the novels by Jane Austen. The season began on ITV at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday 18 March 2007, with '' Mansfield Park''. The following week, ''Northanger Abbey'' was ai ...

''. It was filmed at

Newby Hall Newby Hall is a country house beside the River Ure in the parish of Skelton-on-Ure in North Yorkshire, England. It is 3 miles south-east of Ripon and 6 miles south of Topcliffe Castle, by which the manor of Newby was originally held. A Grade ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

, England. It made its TV debut in Canada on 23 December 2007 and in the United States on 27 January 2008. The drama ran for two hours (including advertisement breaks) in the United Kingdom, 90 minutes without the breaks.

Cast

Reception

Writing for ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', Kathryn Flett wrote of the adaptation "if you didn't mind your Austen both mucked about with and a little bit mucky—then it was all good fun, though I think Billie ipermay have avoided delving too deeply into the source material in favour of renting the 1996 adaptation of Emma, so uncannily like

Gwyneth Gwyneth (sometimes Gweneth) is a Welsh feminine given name which derives from the kingdom of Gwynedd. Notable people: * Gwyneth Boodoo, an American psychologist and expert on educational measurement * Gwyneth Cravens, an American novelist and jou ...

doing British did she sound."

Paula Byrne Paula Jayne Byrne, Lady Bate, (born 2 August 1967), is a British biographer, novelist, and literary critic. Life Byrne has a PhD in English Literature from the University of Liverpool, where she also studied for her MA, having completed a BA ...

, in analysing the way the film industry deals with the works of Jane Austen, says "it remains to be seen whether it is possible for there to be a faithful dramatisation of ''

Mansfield Park ''Mansfield Park'' is the third published novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1814 by Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray, still within Austen's lifetime. The novel did not receive any public reviews unt ...

''". In

Fanny Price Frances "Fanny" Price (named after her mother) is the heroine in Jane Austen's 1814 novel, '' Mansfield Park''. The novel begins when Fanny's overburdened, impoverished family--where she is both the second-born and the eldest daughter out of 10 chi ...

, Austen dared to portray a diffident, anxious heroine who nevertheless displays an iron will. Byrne argues that "In this regard, Fanny Price is the most interesting of Austen’s heroines and the one whom the conventions of modern cinema and television are least well qualified to serve". She concludes that the 2007 ITV adaptation of ''Mansfield Park'' failed "because even as fine an actor as Billie Piper failed to capture the simultaneous strength and weakness of Fanny Price".Byrne, Paula (2017) ''The Genius of Jane Austen,'' ''Her Love of Theatre and Why She Is a Hit in Hollywood,'' HarperCollins Publishers. ch. 11 Kindle Ed. loc.4702

References

External links

''Mansfield Park''
at pbs.org. * {{Authority control ITV television dramas Television series set in the 19th century Television shows based on works by Jane Austen Television series by All3Media British television films 2007 television films 2007 films Films based on works by Jane Austen Mansfield Park