There is something special about a Jane Austen adaptation that makes you want to romanticize your life or wonder if you were born in the wrong time period. From the beautiful scenery and loving sisterhood with some complicated romances, Sense and Sensibility (2026) blew me away and made love feel so timeless. The recent adaptation, directed by Georgia Oakley and starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, brings such a fresh perspective to a story that is still just as relevant today as it was when Austen first wrote it.
The film follows the Dashwood sisters — Elinor and Marianne — as they navigate heartbreak, familial struggles, financial uncertainty, and the expectations of being a woman during this time. Although both sisters approach life very differently, one stands for sense and the other for sensibility. Their experiences reveal something very important: there is no single right way to navigate life and growing up. Here are my biggest takeaways from what I learned from the movie.
Feeling everything is not a weakness.
Marianne is very emotional, passionate, and not afraid to express how she feels. She truly wears her heart on her sleeve, even if it leads her to get her heart broken. Meanwhile, Elinor tends to keep her emotions to herself, chooses to be practical, and has self-control when it concerns how open she is about her feelings.
Watching the two sisters reminds us that neither approach to how we express ourselves and our feelings is wrong or right. Sometimes we are Marianne, feeling everything all at once, and other times we’re Elinor, trying to keep everything together even when life feels overwhelming.
One of the biggest takeaways is that having emotions does not make you weak, but it is important to learn how to navigate them. You do not have to hide how you feel and act nonchalant, and you also do not have to act on every emotion to prove what matters.
Love should not come at the expense of yourself.
If Jane Austen understands one thing, it is complicated romantic relationships. The film not only explores the excitement of falling in love, but also the disappointment when someone may not be who you thought they were, and the complications that arise from expressing or receiving the love you want.
The film reminds us that love should not come at the expense of ourselves and our peace of mind, *cough cough* Marianne and Willoughby. In life, it can be easy to get caught up in mixed signals or the idea of what someone could be, but the right relationship or person should involve honesty, respect, and consideration, not mixed signals or chaos.
Sisterhood matters.
Beyond romance, the relationship of Elinor and Marianne is more at the center than the romances of the film. It reminds us that friendships and family deserve just as much attention and appreciation as romantic partners do. Having people to support you through life’s hurdles can make a difference.
Especially through the heartbreaks, both characters experience romantic and familial losses. The one thing that was a constant in the film was the friends and family that helped both Marianne and Elinor through the tough times they experienced.
Final Thoughts
Sense and Sensibility was an amazing movie. The cinematography was beautiful, as were the story and the scenery — I could go on. It was great. The story ultimately reminds us that growing up is all about finding balance and learning that you can be emotional without losing yourself, be romantic without being unrealistic, and be independent while still allowing others to help you along the way.
Maybe the biggest lesson is learning to listen to your heart and trusting your head, which defines Sense and Sensibility.