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This episode covers the turbulent yet triumphant production of Ang Lee's 1995 masterpiece Sense and Sensibility, starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman. The hosts detail Jane Austen's modest life and posthumous literary legacy, producer Lindsay Doran's decade-long crusade to bring the unconventional novel to the screen, and Emma Thompson's harrowing five-year screenwriting process that ended up winning her an Academy Award. They also explore the major culture clashes on set between the formally trained British actors and director Ang Lee, whose understated directorial style and demand for Tai Chi left the cast bewildered, alongside the massive media distraction caused by Hugh Grant's arrest in Los Angeles during post-production.
Hosts welcome listeners and set up the episode's focus on the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility.
Hosts discuss the film’s cast, production details, and the upcoming remake, setting context for the review.
Chris shares his personal connection to the movie and how it compares to the book, noting narrative differences.
The hosts praise the film’s cinematography, costumes, and Ang Lee’s direction, highlighting the marriage of style and writing.
Discussion of the age gaps between actors and characters, and how it affects the story’s authenticity and chemistry.
Hosts explain how Ang Lee’s previous work and cultural perspective made him the ideal director for the adaptation.
Details on securing financing, studio support, and the hurdles faced by a female screenwriter and producer.
Exploration of Emma Thompson’s five-year writing process, setbacks, and the eventual collaboration with Lindsay Dorn.
Hosts conclude with their overall assessment, highlighting the film’s strengths and lasting impact.
The episode opens with a brief ad segment and a quick introduction to the podcast.
Discussion of Thompson’s collaboration with Sidney Pollack and early structural challenges in adapting the novel.
A Masterclass in Screenplay Adaptationinsight
Emma Thompson transformed a relatively passive epistolary novel into an active, sharply funny cinematic experience filled with brilliant situational humor.
Stephen Fry Rescues Lost Scriptstory
When Emma Thompson's early computer crashed and destroyed her draft, British polymath Stephen Fry successfully retrieved the antiquated Macintosh file.
Kate Winslet's Audition Ambushstrategy
Kate Winslet's agent advised her to simply show up and pretend she had the wrong information so the polite British casting directors would be too uncomfortable to turn her away.
Jane Austen Society Outragedata
The Jane Austen Society of North America flooded production voicemails with complaints because they felt Hugh Grant was far too handsome to play Edward Ferrars.
Ang Lee Directs Vocal Deliverystory
Ang Lee struggled to cope with Hugh Grant's elaborate bumbling vocal patterns and resorted to direct impressions that deeply hurt the actor's feelings.
Hypothermia on Setstory
While filming the rain-soaked rescue scene, Kate Winslet suffered from cold and developed hypothermia, leading Greg Wise and Emma Thompson to warm her feet in their armpits.
Hugh Grant's Hollywood Arreststory
In the middle of post-production, Hugh Grant was arrested on the Sunset Strip with a sex worker, creating a massive international press scandal.
“You have sense. You are sensible, you have sense, not sensibility.”
“I love Emma Thompson so much, could not love her more.”
“But it's such a perfect marriage of Ang Lee's directing style and Emma Thompson's wry writing.”
“The Wedding Banquet was second only to Jurassic Park in terms of profitability by return on investment ratio.”
“I wrote another while we were shooting Much Ado About Nothing in Tuscany, and Lindsay sent it back, saying, it's a little sun-drenched.”
“She was shredded by critics, calling her a man-hater.”
“I've always thought of a great screenplay as one that holds water like a balloon, that you can bash it and twist it and change it, but it will always hold its water.”
“I love that Alan Rickman anecdote that he gave.”
Jane Austen’s first novel became Emma Thompson’s first screenplay, which eventually won her an Academy Award. But when producer Lindsay Doran first pitched ‘Sense and Sensibility’ no one understood her vision - including director Ang Lee. This week Chris and Lizzie venture into a comedy of errors behind the scenes where language barriers, broken hearts, blossoming romances, and some illegal activity on the Sunset Strip threatened to derail this classic film. Find out why Kate Winslet almost didn’t get cast, how Stephen Fry saved the script, and why Ang Lee discovered he had more in common with Jane Austen than he realized. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
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