A new Jane Austen adaptation just dropped! Beware: Spoilers ahead!
It’s been 215 years since Jane Austen published her first novel, Sense and Sensibility, and three weeks since the film adaptation arrived in theaters across the country. Walking into an early screening of the film was like walking into a soft, cozy tavern — everyone was dressed either in Regency-era-inspired attire or silky pajamas. We all laughed, clapped, and shed a few tears during the film (peek the pic from the screening!).
It was a beautiful film, truly. It was so good that I think it’s comparable to Pride and Prejudice (2005). So, you can imagine my surprise when I hopped on TikTok and saw that people weren’t enjoying it very much because of the PG rating, meaning there was zero “spice.” To that, I say: Emotional intimacy is so much better than spice!
Sense and Sensibility follows 2 sisters, Elinor (Daisy Edgar Jones) and Marianne Dashwood (Emsé Creed-Miles) as they navigate the death of their father, which causes them to lose their estate and move to a modest cottage with their mother (Caitríona Balfe) and younger sister, Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach). The story centers around the eldest sisters as they navigate financial burdens, society’s expectations, and heartbreak.
Much like Pride and Prejudice and Austen’s writing, the love stories in Sense and Sensibility are driven by stolen glances, careful hand touches, conversation, occasional dancing, and, of course, tension. They take us on an emotional rollercoaster as we witness the characters grow closer, only to be pulled apart by societal expectations or fear of unrequited love. Their looks across the room that scream, “It’s you” (like the Lana Del Rey song) take yearning to another level. It’s much like the infamous hand flex that Mr. Darcy does after touching Elizabeth’s hand.
One of my favorite intimate moments in the film is when Elinor and Edward Ferrars (George MacKay) are standing by the window before Elinor leaves the estate. She looks out the window while he watches her every move so intensely. It’s painfully obvious that he’s in love with her, even without him having to say it. This has been shown in the various scenes where they talk and walk, when he stares at her in the same way.
His feelings are almost too much for him to handle, and he nearly proposes right then and there. As she’s turning around, just as he’s about to ask the question, she quickly replies, “Yes?” interrupting him in the process. They simply stare at each other. It’s a moment of nonphysical intimacy, as they look at each other with such love and anticipation, quietly acknowledging one another as if no one else exists. Then, they have to snap back into reality.
Another emotional and intimate moment takes place between Marianne and Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum), when he repeats a line Marianne had previously said to him: “A man must have his passions or else he’d be dull.” He’s responding to someone else, but he’s looking at her. It’s an intimate moment between them because only the two of them know the context behind his words. He’s signaling that he remembers what she said and, more importantly, that he paid attention. It’s a quiet reassurance of mutual understanding — he echoes her, literally.
You know I had to talk about the scene we were all waiting for: the confessions of love between Elinor and Edward! This is what all the yearning and emotional intimacy lead up to, making the moment so much sweeter. It was so cinematic when Elinor was running through the hills to get to Edward, followed by tears of relief when he confirms that he isn’t married. Top tier. We all clapped in the theater when Edward got down on one knee in front of Elinor and said, “I love you, Elinor. I have since we met.” It’s the first time they actually touch and kiss, but the moment is about the words they’ve finally expressed and the eyes that met long before.
Lastly, the last scene between Marianne and Colonel Brandon is so underrated. I know a lot of people wanted something more grand, but it was very fitting for the characters and their quiet, gentle love. The Colonel is very calm, and Marianne gradually learns to be through the nature of heartbreak and growth. They sit beside each other in the stream, acknowledging their feelings in a way they both understand without needing to say much. I love how he asks her if, “in time,” she might be able to love someone else as she did before. He doesn’t expect her to immediately return his affections. Even as he sits beside her, he doesn’t get too close. It’s his way of prioritizing her comfort before asking her to accept a proposal.
This is the type of intimacy that is not being appreciated enough! It’s knowing someone so deeply that words aren’t needed to communicate what the other is feeling. It’s taking the time to know the other person to the point where you don’t know where you begin and where they end in your soul. It’s the subtle glances that give away everything both people feel but are too afraid to admit. It’s spending enough time getting to know someone that you can fall in love with the mere graze of a hand. To me, this kind of intimacy is so much deeper than physical intimacy because it takes time, respect and a genuine appreciation for the other person.