Emma Is as Handsome, Clever, and Rich as Its Heroine

Second only to Pride and Prejudice’s “It is a truth universally acknowledged . . .,” the opening line of Emma is one of Jane Austen’s most iconic: “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.”

Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma Woodhouse. Box Hill Films.

Autumn de Wilde’s directorial debut opens similarly, those first six words hovering briefly on screen before Emma herself (Anya Taylor-Joy) opens her eyes and we enter her world. That world is early 19th-century England, and Emma holds the unique position of being Austen’s only definitively wealthy heroine. Stubborn, self-assured, and meddling, she spends most of her time caring for her father, doing charitable neighborhood activities, and matchmaking (which, according to her, is also charity). On the first day of the story, she attends the wedding of her former governess and companion (Gemma Whelan), who she successfully paired off with a local gentleman (Rupert Graves). Her success has bolstered her, and despite the pleadings of her her father (Bill Nighy) and her friend Mr. Knightley (Johnny Flynn), her next targets are the vicar Mr. Elton (Josh O’Connor) and her new friend Harriet (Mia Goth).

Both de Wilde, who is best known for her color-packed portrait photography, and screenwriter Eleanor Catton, for whom this is also her feature debut, have done what I value most in an adaptation: they seem to have deeply understood and engaged with the source material, staying true to its spirit while imaginatively incorporating their own response to it. Whether a creator has “understood” the source material is, of course, highly subjective (as is one’s own understanding of the material), but through vibrant aesthetics, thoughtful storytelling, and a cast better matched than even Emma herself could have created, this adaptation really seems to have done it.

Mr. Woodhouse, Miss Bates, and Mrs. Bates sit on the lawn. Box Hill Films

The tone of the film is refreshingly youthful, from the exuberant colors to the unusual sprightliness of Nighy’s Mr. Woodhouse. De Wilde’s history and skill as a photographer make for some fascinating visuals, from the elaborate set design to the intriguing effect characters sometimes have in outdoor scenes of being breathing figures moving through a still painting. The costuming is a treat, often delightfully weird in ways we don’t usually get to see in period pieces, whether it’s the intricate silver embroidery on a skirt or an eccentric bauble in Emma’s hair. It’s particularly interesting to track Harriet’s costuming throughout the movie; she’s much poorer than Emma but eager to mirror her in any way possible. Her outfits are always a couple of steps behind Emma’s, and Mia Goth does a fantastic job of embodying that same hopeless admiration in her performance.

Of course, the story doesn’t work unless there’s genuine two-sided affection between Emma and Harriet. Emma may be frequently thoughtless and self-centered, but she’s not cold-hearted. It’s another instance in which the youthfulness of the film pays off, heightening both the humor and emotion of youthful friendships. One of the other key elements in Emma is the insularity of the small, relatively rural community. The social striations are less rigid than they might be in a larger or more urban community, but that doesn’t make social interaction any less complicated. Parties and picnics are shot to emphasize the limited company, and the enthusiasm when a new person joins or visits the community is infectious.

Emma and Mr. Knightley dance. Box Hill Films

I take my (delicately baubled) hat off to de Wilde and the casting team; each actor fills out the spirit of their character while bringing something unexpectedly heartfelt to the role. Anya Taylor-Joy is exceptional as the titular character, pulling off the high-wire act of authentically embodying a long-beloved character while contributing something fresh. Remaining as confident as Emma Woodhouse has always been, she is still exploring her place in the world, and her humorous self-seriousness is especially charming. Miranda Hart as the inexhaustibly chatty Miss Bates is truly inspired casting, Josh O’Connor is hilariously unsettling as Mr. Elton, and Johnny Flynn’s Mr. Knightley can handsomely brood and banter with the best of them. The interiority of even very minor characters is as evident as it is in Austen’s writing.

To cross my references a bit, it is a truth universally acknowledged that Austen novels will be adapted and readapted ad infinitum, each one prompting a similarly eternal question: what does this adaption add to the long life of the story? What makes this version special? In the case of Emma, I have quite a few answers, and I adamantly hope that de Wilde, Catton, the cast, and the rest of the creative team continue to make films, adaptations or not. There’s more than enough in this movie to delight both longtime Emma fans and newcomers, and to inspire conversations about friendship, love, and community.