December 22 - Mansfield Park (1983)

This movie has a scene that happens today – December 22. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

MANSFIELD PARK (1983)                 

Sir Thomas Bertram, the owner of Mansfield Park married Maria Ward and had four children Tom, Edmund, Maria and Julia. Maria had two sisters - Frances who married Lt. Price of the Marines and had eight children and another that married Rev. Norris, who is given the parish at Mansfield Park. When Frances’s oldest daughter, Fanny, is 10 Mrs. Norris brings Fanny to live at Mansfield Park. Fanny is not treated very well by Mrs. Norris and her cousins Tom, Maria and Julia, who treat her more like a servant than a relation. Only Edmund is nice to her and Fanny gradually comes to love him. Her older brother William, who Fanny adores, comes to see her before he enters the Royal Navy. Things change when Rev. Norris dies. Sir Thomas had hoped that the parish would one day be Edmund’s, but because of debts run up by Tom, Sir Thomas is forced to sell it to Rev Grant. Sir Thomas and Tom go to Antigua to investigate conditions on his sugar plantations. While he is gone, Mrs. Norris succeeds in promoting an engagement between Maria and the extremely wealthy, but plain and dull, Mr. Rushworth of Sotherton Court. Edmund trades one of his horses for a mare for Fanny. Tom returns home. Then Henry Crawford and his sister Mary, who are half-siblings of Rev. Grant’s wife come to stay with the Grants.  Edmund and Mary soon develop a mutual attraction. Then Edmund, Fanny, Maria, Julia, Henry and Mary Crawford along with Mrs. Norris take a day trip to Sotherton Court. During this trip Mary Crawford is upset to learn that Edmund is to become a clergyman, while Maria and Henry Crawford develop an unhealthy attraction for each other. Tom invites a friend of his John Yates to the house. He makes a proposal, which is eagerly seized upon by Tom and Henry Crawford that they should put on a risqué play, ‘Lover’s Vows’ as an entertainment.   In spite of very serious misgivings, Edmund is eventually persuaded to take a role in the play. Fanny absolutely refuses to participate. Rehearsals are far along, with Henry and Maria becoming very intimate when Sir Thomas suddenly returns.  He is very upset about these proceedings. Mr. Rushworth and Maria get married. Edmund and Fanny dine with the Crawford’s and Grants. After this Henry decides, as a jest to make Fanny fall in love with him. Fanny’s brother William comes to Mansfield Park. Sir Thomas proposes to have a ball. Mary Crawford lends Fanny a chain on which she can wear the cross her brother gave her.  Then Edmund gives her a chain as a present. On December 22, 1808 [Ep. 4 29:29 to 42:00] the Christmas Ball is held at Mansfield Park. Henry Crawford tells his sister he is going to marry Fanny Price. To curry favor with Fanny, Henry arranges through his uncle, an admiral, for William Price, Fanny’s brother to be promoted to lieutenant. Henry proposes to Fanny, but she absolutely rejects him, in part because she has seen his improper conduct with Maria. Sir Thomas is upset at this, as he cannot see any reason why Fanny should reject Henry Crawford.   The Crawfords leave Mansfield Park. Sir Thomas sends Fanny back to stay with her family for a time. Henry Crawford goes to see Fanny in Portsmouth to tell her he has been paying more attention to his estate and announces his intention of going back there to continue its supervision. Tom becomes very ill. Instead of going to his estate, Henry stays in London and he and Maria have an adulterous affair that becomes public. Henry and Maria run away together. Julia elopes with Mr. Yates. Edmund goes to Portsmouth and takes Fanny and her sister Susan back to Mansfield Park. Edmund goes to see Mary Crawford and is stunned to learn that she is not upset at what Henry did, only that he got caught. Edmund realizes he loves Fanny and returns to Mansfield Park and proposes to her. Mr. Rushworth divorces Maria, who is sent away to live with Mrs. Norris. Julia is reconciled to her parents and Edmund and Fanny are married. Mr. Grant is transferred to Westminster, so Edmund becomes the pastor at Mansfield.

A very good historical drama. Sylvestra Le Touzel does a very good job at portraying the retiring, but morally incorruptible Fanny Price. Very good scenery and costumes. 

       

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (Kőnemann, Cologne, Germany, 1997) at pages 234-239 gives the date of the ball

Producer – Betty Willingale

Director - David Giles

Screenplay - Kenneth Taylor

Runtime – 4 hours 30 minutes

Released - November 6, 1983

          

Starring –

Katie Durham-Matthews as Young Fanny

Sylvestra Le Touzel as Fanny Price

Christopher Villiers as Tom Bertram

Giles Ashton as Young Tom

Nicholas Farrell as Edmund Bertram

Alex Lowe as Young Edmund

Samantha Bond as Maria Bertram

Alys Wallbank as Young Maria

Liz Crowther as Julia Bertram

Sharon Beare as Young Julia

Bernard Hepton as Sir Thomas Bertram

Angela Pleasence as Lady Bertram

Gillian Martell as Mrs Rushworth

Jonathan Stephens as Mr Rushworth

Anna Massey as Mrs Norris

Peter Finn as Mr Norris

Robert Burbage as Henry Crawford

Jackie Smith-Wood as Mary Crawford

Gorden Kaye as Dr Grant

Susan Edmonstone as Mrs Grant