In Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey—the author's parody of the gothic horror fiction that was all the rage in her era—Catherine Morland (Felicity Jones) is introduced to proper society thanks to an invitation to visit the medieval manor of the Tilney family, where her addiction to sensational novels ends up leading her rather astray. Up-and-comer JJ Feild (Ruby in the Smoke) is appealing as Catherine's would-be wooer Henry Tilney, but he's given little opportunity to spread his romantic-leading-man wings as this tepid adaptation hurries through moments of what should be dreamy fantasy and elides over the tender romantic suspense that Austen is all about in the first place. Taking Austen's intent to satirize lurid romance too far in the other direction, this ends up being a bland and insipid treatment of a minor but fun novel. The ambitious efforts of PBS and Britain's ITV to bring new versions of Austen to the small screen are laudable and occasionally wonderful, but in this case it feels as if the viewer is being rushed through a 90-minute Cliffs Notes version. Still, given the popularity of All Things Jane, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. (M. Johanson)[Blu-ray Review—Oct. 11, 2011— PBS, 92 min., not rated, $29.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2006's Northanger Abbey features a nice transfer and a stereo soundtrack. There are no bonus features. Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray debut for an uneven Austen adaptation.]
Northanger Abbey
WGBH, 86 min., not rated, DVD: $24.95 Volume 23, Issue 3
Northanger Abbey
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