Customer Reviews
good news! - By: Wrinkly, 08 Dec 2007 
Impeccable acting. Speech & deportment faultless. How nice to be able to hear every word spoken, unlike some recent Austen adaptations, e.g. Kate Beckinsale & Keira Knightley, both of whom were far too 21st century slovenly.
Fabulous 10 stars - looking forward to Cranford - By: Sarah Markham, 07 Nov 2007 This has to be one of my favourite BBC adaptations, rating alongside Pride & Prejudice. Andrew Davies again has done an excellent job, he can be forgiven a bit for his Northanger Abbey, which considering the length of the piece is understandable. I know other reviewers think this isn't quite as good, but I think Wives & Daughters is a bit of a slow burner. It isn't instantly as enticing as Pride but you will grow to love it just as much. I won't bore you with plot details as it has been done before, just buy this, if, like me you love costume drama. The performances are alll excellent & unlike other reviewers I loved Justine as Molly. She isn't exactly like the Molly in the book but then that wouldn't be very appealing on scene. The excellent actress (can't remember her name)who played the main character in the recent Bleak House adaptation was also nothing like the Esther in the novel. She has made the character more engaging for me. She has done other costume drama (Great Expectations)before this & I loved her in those as well. I think it is a real shame that she hasn't had the success that the other young cast members(who are brilliant too) like Keeley Hawes, Rosamund Pike, Antony Howell & Tom Hollander have had since this production. I loved the ending of the programme as well, again a modern twist. I'm looking forward to Cranford which along with many of the cast from Wives & Daughter also has the excellent Judi Dench in it. I'm so pleased that the BBC has made Elizabeth Gaskell more well known with these series, there is also North & South which has the very yummy Richard Armitage in it. Now alll we need is some good Wilkie Collins productions & I'd be very happy.
Fabulous; a must for costume drama fans - By: Meerkat, 24 Sep 2007 This is based on the last novel that Mrs Gaskell wrote, & unfortunately, she died before completing it. We can be sure that she did intend a happy ending, but I'm not sure she would have intended quite the ending that this adaptation shows. However, that is a very minor gripe about what is an absolutely fabulous adaptation of a very readable book. Every character was spot on & alll exactly as they appear in the book (with the possible exception for me of Osborne Hamley - not good looking enough). The locations, dialogue, costumes, everything are exceptional & this is a wonderful costume drama for alll ages.
I just love the ironies that abound; in order to 'save' Molly from unwanted male attention, Mr Gibson re-marries & promptly finds himself & Molly embroiled in terrible scandal & secrets that can't be betrayed, inflicted on them both by his new wife's daughter.
In order to achieve a serenely well-managed household, Mr Gibson re-marries & turns his house into the abode of hysterical women from which he tries desperately to stay away on alll occasions.
In order to get Molly away from an admirer, Mr Gibson sends her to stay with the Hamleys & she fallls in love with Roger.
Absolutely wonderful! And serves him entirely right, by the way. He is not a very likeable man in either the novel or the adaptation, & brings his own doom about in a way that reminds you of the smalll trickle that sets off the landslide.
However, he is resigned to bearing the folly of his own actions & achieves a reasonable happiness by the end, so alll is not lost.
The 2nd Mrs Gibson is an excellent character; so flawed & yet she tries so hard to be everything she believes she is & should be.
I cannot recommend this highly enough & would also encourage you to read the novel as it is very accessible & a cracking good read.
A very good adaptation of a very good novel. Michael Gambon is brilliant. - By: Elvira, 11 Aug 2007 After watching it may times over, this has become one of my favorite screen adaptations of classical novels. I never thought any movie could come close to Pride & Prejudice in that sense, but this one truly does. Elizabeth Gaskell (novelist) has no black & white characters, just like in George Eliot novels one learns to understand the misfortunes & good sides of the less sympathetic people(like the step mother & step daughter at the start) & one feels with alll characters, which in my opinion gives more depth to a story. In this one the deep affection between the Heroine & her father is very beautifully described, as well as the growing love between the Heroine & her neighbor the Squires son. Equallly much we get involved in the aging Squires worries & hopes for his two sons to make it in this world, beautifully acted by Michael Gambon. His performance is stunning & brings you to tears. No wonder he won a BAFTA for this one!
This movie is one of the best to describe both awakening love, peoples honest intentions & care for loved ones in the 19th century rural England. One just loves the whole story & the people in it very much!
Very highly recommended to everyone fond of the complex human nature, passion, relationships, good dialog & good acting. I wish there would be more adaptations like this, were alll pieces falll into place equallly well: very well directed, high quality production with acclaimed cast, costumes, scenery & footage. Don't miss it.
Love the book!! The Film....slightly disappointing!! - By: Rachel Wilson, 18 Mar 2007 
Although this is a very good dramatisation of an extraordinary novel i still belive that there is something missing. There is loads of emotion present between molly & the other families that she has developed a love for but it seems that she is just not the right actress for the part!
Do not get me wrong it is a good film to watch & i should be proud to say that i own it, i just think that a better cast may have made the dramatisation that little bit better!!
