(Photo by Roadside Attractions/courtesy Everett Collection)
All Jane Austen Movies Ranked by Tomatometer
Jane Austen books may have been around for centuries now, but in the movie world she’s as popular as she’s ever been. Austen’s mastery of irony combined with her scintillating insight and ability to mine for humor in relationships has made her novels resonate well past her lifetime and into the cinematic medium that would rise 100 years after her death.
The first significant (and surviving) adaptation was 1940’s Pride and Prejudice, starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier, with the screenplay co-written by Aldous Huxley. Pride has been adapted the most out of Austen’s books, including as the Bollywood-style Bride & Prejudice, and most recently in 2005 with Keira Knightley. Sense & Sensibility, Mansfield Park, and Lady Susan – a.k.a. Love & Friendship – have had one theatrical movie adaptation each. Meanwhile, Emma has had two direct adaptations: The 1996 version starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and this week’s Emma., starring Anya Taylor-Joy.
Before we see where Emma. (note the period) lands on our Tomatometer on Monday, we’ve ranked all Jane Austen movies by their score.
You won’t find the famous BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice in this list – we’re sticking strictly to theatrically releases. But we are opening it up to modernizations and looser adaptations, including Clueless (based on Emma), Material Girls and From Prada to Nada (both borne out of Sense and Sensibility), and Bridget Jones’s Diary (based on Pride and Prejudice). And because Austen fandom has evolved into a lifestyle and state of mind, we’re including movies like Austenland, The Jane Austen Book Club, and Becoming Jane.
So, get ready to dive into a world of sharp tongues and full hearts with our guide to every Jane Austen movie, ranked by Tomatometer.
#16
Adjusted Score: 5.088%
Critics Consensus: Plagued by paper-thin characterizations and a hackneyed script, Material Girls fails to live up to even the minimum standards of its genre.
Synopsis: Stripped of their wealth and forced to fend for themselves when the multi-million-dollar cosmetics company inherited from their father suffers...
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#15
Adjusted Score: 13.947%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: From Prada to Nada is a modern twist on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, is a new romantic comedy starring...
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#14
Adjusted Score: 34.763%
Critics Consensus: Despite an intriguing premise and fine performances from a talented cast, Austenland succumbs to outworn romcom cliches and slapstick gags.
Synopsis: Twilight author Stephanie Meyer makes her first foray into film producing with this romantic comedy about a 30-something woman whose...
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#13
Adjusted Score: 52.102%
Critics Consensus: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies manages to wring a few fun moments out of its premise, but never delivers the thoroughly kooky mashup its title suggests.
Synopsis: A zombie outbreak has fallen upon the land in Jane Austen's classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from...
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#12
Adjusted Score: 62.269%
Critics Consensus: Although Becoming Jane is a well-crafted period piece, it lacks fresh insight into the life and works of Jane Austen. The film focuses too much on wardrobe and not enough on Austen's achievements.
Synopsis: "Becoming Jane," is the story of the great, untold romance that inspired a young Jane Austen, played by Anne Hathaway....
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#11
Adjusted Score: 68.113%
Critics Consensus: A colorful and energetic adaptation of Austen's classic.
Synopsis: The very British sensibilities of Jane Austen are introduced to the exotic flavors of the Bollywood musical in this romantic...
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#10
Adjusted Score: 64.152%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Utah-based filmmaker Andrew Black makes his feature debut with Pride & Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy. The screenplay is an adaptation...
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#9
Adjusted Score: 69.36%
Critics Consensus: Though at times formulaic and sentimental, Jane Austen Book Club succeeds on the strength of its likable ensemble cast. Even those not familiar with Jane Austen's work may find much to enjoy this lighthearted romance.
Synopsis: As five women and one enigmatic man meet to discuss the works of Jane Austen, they find their love lives...
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#8
Adjusted Score: 79.602%
Critics Consensus: Solid performances, bold direction.
Synopsis: At the age of ten, Fanny Price is sent to live with wealthy relatives in Northampton Shire, leaving her impoverished...
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#7
Adjusted Score: 83.95%
Critics Consensus: A funny and clever reshaping of Emma, Clueless offers a soft satire that pokes as much fun at teen films as it does at the Beverly Hills glitterati.
Synopsis: Jane Austen might never have imagined that her 1816 novel Emma could be turned into a fresh and satirical look...
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#6
Adjusted Score: 85.145%
Critics Consensus: Though there was controversy over the choice of casting, Zellweger's Bridget Jones is a sympathetic, likable, funny character, giving this romantic comedy a lot of charm.
Synopsis: Based on Helen Fielding's hugely popular novel, this romantic comedy follows Bridget (Renee Zellweger), a post-feminist, thirty-something British woman who...
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#5
Adjusted Score: 86.386%
Critics Consensus: Emma marks an auspicious debut for writer-director Douglas McGrath, making the most of its Jane Austen source material -- and a charming performance from Gwyneth Paltrow.
Synopsis: Based on a comic novel by 19th century author Jane Austen's , this medium-budget romance features charming, sprightly humor chronicles...
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#4
Adjusted Score: 91.868%
Critics Consensus: Sure, it's another adaptation of cinema's fave Jane Austen novel, but key performances and a modern filmmaking sensibility make this familiar period piece fresh and enjoyable.
Synopsis: Jane Austen's perennially popular story of the game of love among the British upper classes returns to the screen in...
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#3
Adjusted Score: 104.742%
Critics Consensus: Love & Friendship finds director Whit Stillman bringing his talents to bear on a Jane Austen adaptation -- with a thoroughly delightful period drama as the result.
Synopsis: Beautiful young widow Lady Susan Vernon visits to the estate of her in-laws to wait out the colourful rumours about...
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#2
Adjusted Score: 101.718%
Critics Consensus: Sense and Sensibility is an uncommonly deft, very funny Jane Austen adaptation, marked by Emma Thompson's finely tuned performance.
Synopsis: In this costume drama, based on the novel by Jane Austen, Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters are left with almost...
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#1
Adjusted Score: 100.622%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Long before 19th-century novelist Jane Austen became a hot property in Hollywood, MGM produced this opulent and entertaining adaptation of...
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