Wives and Daughters

...Wonderful Maze of Characters...

I watched the Exxon Mobil Masterpiece Theatre production of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel ''Wives and Daughters'' on PBS and fell in love with the wonderful maze of characters. There was a week that seperated the four episodes and I could hardly wait till the next one was aired. I felt totally sympathetic toward Molly Gibson, who's widowered father decides to marry again. He chooses a very talkative and somewhat gossipy woman, Claire Kirkpatrick with a daughter Cynthia. Molly and Cynthia become good friends, but their trust is challenged when Cynthia becomes involved in a jumble of relationships. She is engaged to Molly's true love, Roger Hamley and the mysterious Mr. Preston, claims he has a right to her feelings. Molly becomes tangled in the mess, and her social status is somewhat tried. Everyone will love ''Wives and Daughters'' as I did. I only wish that Elizabeth Gaskell could have finished the remarkable novel!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Lovely Series

Perfect little series to drink hot chocolate and cuddle up by a nice warm fire.

Wives and Daughters - So True to the book!

Elizabeth Haskell was one of the most inspired and underrated writers of the 19th century novel. This DVD rendition of her unfinished masterwork is outstanding because it brings to life the characters and settings of the time in a very real way. It is engrossing and you don't need to read the book to enjoy it. Period dramas are often too melodramatic, but here is satisfying look into one young girl's life journey, with a cast of characters that defy Dickens' genius. The actors bring believability to their characters - just great! I recommend it highly. It is delightful and beautiful to watch.

love the book, love the film

Most of my friends hated the step mother. I just saw her as one of those people that are not meant to be parents. The guy that played the eldest Hamley son also played Mr.Collins in Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley (couldn't get over that) The author died before she wrote the ending, so in the movie the ending was a lot sappier than I felt it should have been. But I watched the film again 2 days later. I really liked the movie over all.

BRILLIANT and BEAUTIFUL!

After watching/reading Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South and loving it (and falling in love with Mr. Thornton!), I went to research some more of her work and discovered Wives and Daughters. I have never read the book and only seen the trailer. After purchasing my own copy and watching it, I truly enjoyed it and now...I am in love with Mr. Roger Hamley. A MUST-SEE!

Charming film

Great film with lots of creativity. I really enjoyed the time spent and it is one of those I will watch again and again.

Infatuation

Wives and Daughters is a movie you will want to see again and again! It has twists and turns that you don't expect and a most surprising but beautiful ending. The character developement is superb throughout the entire movie. Wives and Daughters is most absolutely a must see!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is one you will keep!

Each time you view this movie,you will see it in new light. Great acting, wonderful characters,fun to look at costumes. Good moral virtues. And some not so good. I only wish there were more movies that cause you to want to see them more than once, like this one does. Though i could have lived without the extras, Who's Who-

Don't miss this one if you love period pieces ....

This mini-series is right up there with Pride & Prejudice in my opinion. I enjoyed it so much and watch it over & over again like I do all the Jane Austen productions. The characters go right into your heart -- If you love all the period pieces, don't miss this one -- You will love it.

Great Series- Mutilated DVD

This miniseries was originally broadcast in the UK as a widescreen (16:9) version. When released on DVD in the UK and Australia it retained the widescreen anamorphic format. Sadly, the BBC and Warners don't feel the American public is ready or deserving of such an innovation. Instead we are being sold a horrible reduction that has been crudely cropped at the edges. Rather than a lovely anamorphic widescreen picture it is a grainy, pixillated, slightly matted full frame (about 4.5:3). This wouldn't matter so much if the director and cinematographer hadn't clearly lavished so much care on composing their scenes to fit the widescreen format. The consequence is that in many shots the characters have half their faces missing and often appear to be talking to empty space. If you don't find this sort of thing a distraction, then I strongly reccommend this series - lavish production values, beautifully acted and the usual witty script with a contemporary (but not anachronisitic) feel from Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, House of Cards etc etc). All the more reason I think to blow a big fat rasberry to the BBC for needlessly and crudely mutilating so outstanding an achievement - and not even having the courage to 'fess up on the DVD case!!

Wonderful

The parts are played well; Francesca Annis is a scream as Claire---she plays her so slyly, like Chaucer's hypocritical Prioress--the costumes are the kind of clothes they actually wore in the 1830's, the sets picturesque and, beyond all that, you can easily see how suffocating it was to be a woman with no options in 1830's England. Cousin Phillis and North and South should be filmed now that this one's been done.

You will watch over and over again!

As is usually the case when they make a movie adapted from a novel, the BBC has struck gold. This movie follows Gaskell's story from the very start and takes no ''artistic liberties'' except for adding the ending that Gaskell herself had clearly planned before she died. The actors do a wonderful job of portraying the non-spoken emotions that Gaskell assigns to their characters. Anyone who gives this film a chance will fall in love with it (and hopefully will then read the novel.)

Excellent Movie!!!

I also saw this movie on Exxon Mobil Masterpiece Theatre. I really enjoyed the suspence of having to wait a week to see what happened. If you enjoy British dramas you'll love this movie.

Couldn't be any better!

Wives and Daughters is soooo wonderful! Elizabeth Gaskell was a genius who wrote this fantastic novel! BBC did a wonderful job like they always do when making adaptations! Justine Wadell shines throughout the whole movie! The whole cast portrays their characters just like it is in the novel! I cant say enough about this movie! Spend the money and get the DVD you won't be disappointed!!

I loved this movie.

I too watched it on Exxon Mobile Masterpiece Theater. I feel just as viewer Lydia feels. I hated having to wait for Sunday to come to see what happened next. I really recommend it to anyone that loves Jane Austen type books/movies.

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