My week started out rough.Â
Relishing in the glory of my statistics exam being over, I thought I was out of the weeds and could finally relax for a few days. Then, sickness kicked in. At first, I could feel my body trying to ward off this illness, leaving me in a weird limbo of feeling sick and simultaneously fine.Â
But one thing about me is that I turn into the most insufferable version of myself when I’m sick. I’m currently writing this from the comfort of my bed after topping off a tray of kimbap. I only recently got my voice back after losing it, thanks to a torrential head cold over the past few days. I’ve been miserable.
However, I temporarily escaped this week’s scaries with one uplifting plan: I had tickets to see the new Sense & Sensibility, a film adaptation based on the Jane Austen novel. I was so excited to go into the theater, eat my popcorn and ICEE, watch a period drama piece full of yearning for the next two hours, and escape the problems of my own life.Â
Naturally, I chose the same friend I went with to see Wuthering Heights when it came out in theaters to come see this with me. We were both afraid after the twisted disaster we sat through in the Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi film (please, I’m begging you to stop casting Elordi in everything). Needless to say, Emily Brontё would be rolling in her grave if she’d seen what they’d done with that film. At least, that’s my opinion.
But as soon as the opening credits began for Sense & Sensibility, I knew this would be different. I’d seen the play a few years back in Nantucket with my parents, but I forgot that the novel was a comedy of sorts. Before I get into all of that, I’ll provide you with a little bit of context.Â
Sense & Sensibility follows the lives of three sisters, specifically the older two: Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Taking place in 18th-century England, their lives are flipped upside down when their father’s death leads to financial uncertainty for the family. While Elinor is practical and level-headed, Marianne is passionate, romantic, and follows her heart no matter the consequence. Each sister experiences her own love story, faces social pressures, and learns more about themselves as she’s forced to make unexpected life changes.
While the movie is marketed as a period romantic drama, I think it’s really about sisterhood. Throughout all of their trials and tribulations, Elinor and Marianne come back to each other, leaning on one another as sisters should. They share a room and a bed, chatting late at night about their love lives. They depict sisterhood quite well, in my opinion, and I’m saying this as someone who grew up with two sisters. Your sister can make you laugh the hardest and cry the most. Sisters are more than siblings or family; their hearts are completely intertwined, and Daisy Edgar-Jones and EsmĂ© Creed-Miles portray this wonderfully.Â
While Elinor spends her days mourning the potential of her relationship with Mr. Edward Ferrars and Marianne longs for a passionate romance away from Colonel Brandon, this hilarious film showcases the realistic nature of sisterhood and female friendships that cannot be replicated by anyone or anything else. Even in the face of conflict, you can tell that these two sisters would do anything for each other, which is what real sisterhood should be.Â
We need to spend less time marketing romance films and spend more time making films about the intimate, unbelievably special nature of sisterhood and friendship. The romance was a subplot in this movie, and I fully supported that. While I loved observing the quiet, growing connection between Edward and Elinor, I was even more fascinated by the Dashwood sisters’ relationship. It made me crave some quality sister time with my own sisters.Â
Little Women (2019) is another perfect example of this. Sure, each sister (excluding Beth) goes on her own personal journey of love, but the film is hardly about that. More than anything, it’s about the grief and beauty of growing up and how the people who grew up with us make our lives important. How beautiful is that? Films like these make me appreciate my relationship with my sisters, because there’s truly nothing like it.
The film truly pulled me out of the sickly week I was having. Despite my stuffy nose and sore throat, all I could think about for those two hours was the delicacy and stunning scenery of this incredible movie directed by Georgia Oakley. I encourage you all to watch Sense & Sensibility.
Even if it’s not a film you could see yourself enjoying, I think you’ll be surprised by the beauty of its cinematography and its ability to make you both laugh and cry in one sitting.Â
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