Emma Week Tag Questions

Miss Woodhouse of Elinor, Elizabeth and Emma and Abi of Miss Emma Woodhouse Blogspot are hosting Emma Week over at their blogs.  Part of the week's festivities include some tag questions.  Since this is one of my all-time favorite Jane Austen stories, I had to be involved. ;)  

1.  Did you read the book or watch an adaptation first?

     I watched the 1996 movie adaptation with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam first.  It instantly became my new favorite movie!  I was completely in love with Mr. Knightley. :D  It actually took me several years and several attempts to read the book. :}

2.  How many times have you read Emma?

      I think I've read it about 3 times.

3.  Your favorite adaptation is?

     It's a tie between the 1996 version with Gwyneth and Jeremy and the new version from 2009 with Romala Garai and Johnny Lee Miller.  I will always love the 1996 version because it's the one that introduced me to the story, and to me, Jeremy Northam IS Mr. Knightley. ;)  That, and the fact that  I believe that Jeremy Northam is the only one who has nailed the "Badly Done, Emma" scene emotionally.  But I also loved the 2009 version, especially since it included so much more from the book.  I liked the fact that it told more of Frank and Jane's story without sacrificing Harriet's. I also loved that it included more of Mr. Knightley's brother John and Emma's sister Isabella. :)

   My favorite Frank and Jane are actually Raymond Coulthard and Olivia Williams from the 1996 version with Kate Beckinsale, but I didn't like how this version skimped on Harriet's part of the story to bring us more of Frank and Jane.  Plus, I really didn't like Mark Strong's Mr. Knightley AT ALL!!

4.  Do Emma's matchmaking "skills" annoy you?

     Yes, sometimes.  They annoy my Hubby so much that he has a hard time watching the movie!  But sometimes, she just makes me laugh because she thinks she's got it all together and she's so clueless!  (I don't usually try my hand at matchmaking, but I am often tempted to want to know everyone else's business, and many of Emma's mistakes and failings remind me of my own.) :}

5.  List three minor characters you like in the story.

     Miss Taylor/Mrs. Weston, Robert Martin, and John Knightley

6.  Which character is the most annoying of the three:  Mrs. Elton, Mr. Elton, or Miss Bates?

     Well, they're all annoying, but I think that Mrs. Elton takes the cake.  She's so horribly insulting and full of false modesty and disguised self-praise.  Although I think the other two come close behind her.  I despise the way Mr. Elton treats Harriet at the ball, and honestly, though I don't condone Emma's actions at the picnic, I can understand her frustration with Miss Bates.  I've been around people like that who won't stop talking, and it's very hard to treat them the way you should sometimes!! :}

7.  Have you seen any Emma spinoffs?

     I've seen "Clueless", which I did not appreciate for its content, and a Bollywood version of Emma called "Aisha" (another movie I did not enjoy for its content).  I think with Emma, it's best to just stick to the original story. ;)

8.  The perfect sum-up of Mr. Knightley is?

     A caring, honest gentleman of integrity who is not afraid to confront you when you're wrong, but loves you in spite of your flaws.

9.  Describe what you think of Emma herself in three words or less.

     Spoiled, clueless, lovable

10.  Harriet Smith receives a proposal from __?

     Robert Martin

11.  Your most enjoyed scene is?

     -In the 1996 Jeremy/Gwyneth version:  the "badly done" scene after the picnic, the archery scene, the dance scene, and the proposal scene 

     -In the 2009 version:  the dance scene, the proposal scene, and the scene where Emma is going off about Miss Bates right after Jane leaves Donwell, and Mr. Knightley just gives her this look and she stops...that is SO me and my husband! ;) (Honestly, that's why I like this story in general:  Emma and Mr. Knightley's interactions remind me a lot of the way my husband and I interact.)

     -In the book-the proposal scene (do you sense a theme here?)...and I know there are others, but it's been too long since I've read it! :}

12.  The villain is?

     I don't think there's really a "villain" in this book as much as there are just people being rude and unkind or making unwise decisions.  Mr. and Mrs. Elton are basically just bullies, lashing out at everyone else because of their bitterness and insecurity.  Frank Churchill, while not as vile as Henry Crawford, Willoughby, or Wickham from Austen's other novels, is still portrayed as a young man lacking in common respectability and decency.  However, I think he's simply young and immature in the way he interacts with Emma and Jane, not someone I'd characterize as a "villain".  Miss Bates is just a big softy who can't keep quiet and therefore annoys Emma.  I guess you could consider the gypsies that attack Harriet the villains... ;) 

13.  Jane Fairfax is engaged to be married to __?

     Frank Churchill

14.  Miss Taylor was Emma's __?

     Governess

To take part in this tag yourself, you can view the original post HERE. :)

And just because it gave me a good excuse, here are some fun Emma pics to enjoy! :D

"Try not to kill my dogs." :)

The best "badly done" scene of all the adaptations, hands-down (at least in my humble opinion!). :}

The newest Emma...

...and the newest Mr. Knightley.

My favorite Jane and Frank...although Frank and Jane from 2009 Emma are definitely growing on me. ;)

I used to just swoon through this entire sequence, starting when Mr. Knightley danced with poor Harriet.

This part always cracks me up. :)

And the best part of all.  Yay for happy endings!! :D

P.S.  For those of you who are interested, when Emma (my doll) found out about this week, she wished she could join in too.  She didn't have time to do a newer post, but she politely requested that I add a link to her previous "Tea with Tess" post from Tess and Maggie's blog.  In this post, she and Tess discussed their thoughts on their Austen favorites.  While some other stories besides Emma were thrown in, Emma the doll went into a quite lengthy discussion of her thoughts on the various Emma adaptations.  Interestingly enough, she and I share a lot of the same viewpoints. ;)  So if you're interested in checking out Emma's thoughts on...Emma, :} click HERE. :)