Sense and Sensibility is finally out in UK cinemas, with fans now able to dive into the latest take on Jane Austen’s classic tale. The story follows the fortunes of the Dashwood sisters and their mother following the death of their father.
Boasting a starry cast, including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Caitríona Balfe, George MacKay, Frank Dillane and Fiona Shaw, the movie has already attracted largely positive reviews, sitting at a strong 76% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
In Digital Spy‘s three-star review, we said it “successfully updates an Austen classic that will resonate with modern women about the pitfalls and lessons of love”, and “what it lacks in colour and sometimes energy, it makes up for in the tension found in the lost art of yearning”.
Universal
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If you’ve caught Sense and Sensibility and are curious about where the movie’s period setting was filmed, then you’ve come to the right place.
One of the key settings is the Dashwoods’ large home of Norwood Park, which was shot at West Dorset’s Kingston Russell House. The mansion dates back to the 17th century and interestingly hasn’t been used for filming ever before.
“I was looking for somewhere that felt both grand and lived in,” director Georgia Oakley explained. “I wanted to communicate this idea that this home had been passed on through the generations and was loved, but not necessarily well looked after.
“I didn’t want immaculate gardens with perfect little hedges trimmed into little shapes. I wanted long grass. This house had daisies that grew out of the steps leading up to the front door, which I just loved, and it was a very narrow house where the front door and the back door were very close to each other. It had the history of feeling lived in that I was looking for.”
Universal
Barton Cottage’s scenes were filmed in Ditsworthy Warren House in Dartmoor, which was previously used in War Horse, Oakley admitting they initially struggled to find the right location and the eventual place was “little more than a cattle shed”.
Meanwhile, the more stately Barton Park was shot at Oxfordshire’s Broughton Castle, notably the drawing room, dining room and duel scenes, while the beach took the team to Devon’s Mothecombe Beach.
Mr Palmer’s Cleveland House estate was filmed at Knebworth House in Hertfordshire, which fans may recognise from Paddington 2, as well as Broughton Castle again, while Kent’s Penshurst Place stood in for the Barton Assembly Rooms dance sequence.
Moving to London, Mrs Jennings’ townhouse exteriors were shot at Lincoln’s Inn in Holborn, while production moved to Rainham Hall for the interiors. The Royal Academy scene, meanwhile, was filmed at The National Gallery.
Sense and Sensibility is out now in UK cinemas and is released in US cinemas on 16 October.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.