Cover Sisterhood takes centre stage in Georgia Oakley’s grounded 2026 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel, ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (Photos from IMDb)
Sisterhood takes centre stage in Georgia Oakley’s grounded 2026 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel, ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (Photos from IMDb)
1 / 1
Premiering in the Philippines this October 28, this gritty, atmospheric adaptation of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ swaps traditional period romance for an intimate, grounded look at the Dashwood sisters’ unbreakable bond
For centuries, Jane Austen has touched the hearts of many generations. Her writing and wit have continually influenced how many women view relationships and love. Between the Regency era and now, her works have been adapted and reinterpreted numerous times, yet in absorbing her stories, the feeling remains the same.
These sentiments ring true in this new adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1811 debut novel Sense and Sensibility, with director Georgia Oakley taking on the classic text, offering a fresh interpretation that re-examines the core dynamic between sisters.
The story follows the Dashwood sisters—Elinor and Marianne—after the sudden death of their father. Left financially vulnerable by inheritance laws that favour their half-brother, the family is forced to leave their ancestral home at Norland Park for the modest Barton Cottage in Devonshire. The narrative centres on their contrasting temperaments as they navigate love and societal expectations: Elinor embodies sense (prudence, emotional restraint and social decorum), while Marianne embodies sensibility (passion, romantic idealism and raw emotional expression).
Above ‘Sense and Sensibility’ comes out exclusively in Ayala Cinema theatres on October 28
‘Sense and Sensibility’ comes out exclusively in Ayala Cinema theatres on October 28
1 / 1
Sense and Sensibility has seen celebrated adaptations over the decades, most notably Ang Lee’s 1995 Oscar-winning film starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, as well as Andrew Davies’s acclaimed 2008 BBC miniseries. Produced by Working Title Films—the lineage directly connecting it to Joe Wright’s beloved 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice—Oakley’s version features Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood and Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne, alongside an impressive ensemble cast.
Oakley’s Sense and Sensibility shares a clear cinematic DNA with the 2005 Pride & Prejudice. In an era when films are produced in high resolution and with innovative camera technology, the 2026 adaptation is a visual journey grounded in realism, tactile world-building and a willingness to let 18th-century life feel lived-in and muddy rather than sterile and pristine.
However, Oakley’s film differentiates itself in its narrative priorities. It deliberately refuses to present itself as a traditional romance film. Instead, it positions itself as an intimate exploration of the differences, friction and unbreakable connection between two sisters. In this framing, the leading men—Edward Ferrars, John Willoughby and Colonel Brandon, played by George Mackay, Herbert Nordum and Frank Dillane, respectively—feel secondary by design. They function less as sweeping romantic leads and more as thematic catalysts for the internal growth and mutual understanding of the Dashwood sisters.
Above Elinor and Marianne Dashwood share an intimate late-night conversation
Above Elinor and Marianne Dashwood look out over a dreary Regency landscape
Elinor and Marianne Dashwood share an intimate late-night conversation
1 / 2
At its heart, Austen’s novel is not about declaring either “sense” or “sensibility” superior, but rather demonstrating that both sisters must learn from the other to achieve emotional maturity and survival.
Oakley translates this theme faithfully into visual storytelling. The narrative arc shows Elinor learning to allow herself to feel and grieve, while Marianne learns the necessity of self-preservation and consideration for others. By keeping the central emotional axis firmly between Elinor and Marianne, the film preserves the original spirit of Austen’s text, even as it modernises the aesthetic lens.
Above The Dashwood women played by Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Caitríona Balfe, Esmé Creed-Miles and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Photo: Charlotte Hadden, IMDb)
The Dashwood women played by Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Caitríona Balfe, Esmé Creed-Miles and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Photo: Charlotte Hadden, IMDb)
1 / 1
On top of Oakley’s careful homage to the text, the film features striking visual craft. Oakley uses a tactile, grainy film stock that captures a gloomy, overcast 18th-century England. The moody colour palette—heavy on muted earth tones, moss greens and damp greys—creates a palpable sense of place and atmosphere.
Edgar-Jones delivers a standout performance as Elinor. She masterfully conveys the quiet burden of an older sister who maintains a composed exterior to protect her family, subtly revealing the pain underneath through quiet pauses and guarded expressions. Creed-Miles offers a refreshing take on Marianne, setting her apart from Winslet’s iconic 1995 portrayal. Creed-Miles’s Marianne is more of a wanderer, a woman whose ideas are out of the ordinary. An adventurer’s spirit that can only be uniquely hers. Winslet was more childlike and full of curiosity about the world. Almost rebellious to the reserved expectations of Regency women.
The costuming and styling of the two sisters greatly reflect their characters. Compared to other film adaptations of Sense and Sensibility, Elinor’s maturity and practicality are portrayed through her hair, well-kept to frame her face, her clothes draped and worn modestly yet structured. In complete contrast to Marianne’s unruly hair, often kept down and tangled, and her clothes, which are often dirty and worn improperly.
Above Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne Dashwood
Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne Dashwood
1 / 1
In a film dominated by emotional restraint, social anxieties and overcast Devonshire skies, Fiona Shaw’s performance as Mrs Jennings provides an essential breath of fresh air. Shaw plays the well-meaning, incorrigible matchmaker with a delight that prevents the movie’s grounded realism from sinking into dreary cynicism.
Where Austen’s society often feels restrictive and transactional, Mrs Jennings and her circle represent a bustling, unpretentious form of hospitality. Shaw infuses the role with a cosy, vulgar warmth—a reminder that despite her relentless, nosy interest in everyone’s love lives, her motives stem from genuine affection and a desire to see young people happy.
Her comedic timing, alongside her family, offers a bright counterweight to the film’s moody aesthetic. By grounding Mrs Jennings’ eccentricities in real maternal care, Shaw turns what could have been a simple caricature into the warm emotional centre of the Barton estate, offering the Dashwood sisters—and the audience—a comforting refuge from the colder realities of Regency life.
Above Fiona Shaw delivers a standout performance as Mrs Jennings, infusing the well-meaning, incorrigible gossip with a cosy, boisterous warmth that serves as the film’s essential comedic anchor
Fiona Shaw delivers a standout performance as Mrs Jennings, infusing the well-meaning, incorrigible gossip with a cosy, boisterous warmth that serves as the film’s essential comedic anchor
1 / 1
Of all modern screen adaptations, this 2026 version stands out as one of the most faithful to the text in both dialogue and tone—particularly in its handling of the climactic resolution between Elinor and Edward. In the crucial scene where Elinor discovers that Edward is not, in fact, married, the film resists the urge to heighten the moment with melodramatic displays in the presence of witnesses, keeping the moment between the two and the viewers. To enhance the cinematic allure, the confession takes place atop a hill with a picturesque view of the English countryside. The film respects the quiet weight of the moment, allowing the emotional release to feel authentic to the characters as Austen wrote them.
See also: Nearly 30 years later, ‘Practical Magic 2’ reminds us that some magic never leaves
Above Edward develops feelings for Elinor whilst keeping a secret of his own
Edward develops feelings for Elinor whilst keeping a secret of his own
1 / 1
While Austen used the male suitors as narrative devices to challenge and highlight the sisters’ core traits, the film pushes this idea almost too far. Where the film falls short is in its reluctance to fully engage with the moral complexity of its male characters, exposing a classic pitfall of adapting an Austen novel for the screen. In the text, the contrast between Edward Ferrars and John Willoughby is the essential thematic bedrock of the story, serving as a direct counterweight to the sisters’ dynamics. Oakley decided to make Edward’s character almost impossible to hate and even more difficult for Elinor to accept her fate. In the book, Austen portrays Edward as flawed and young, but Elinor still sees his efforts to right his wrongs. Yet, Oakley shifted Edward’s core motivation from that of taking accountability for an intrusive mistake he had made in the past to that of simply staying out of pity for the orphaned Lucy, making it less honourable in the first place.
Oakley’s Sense and Sensibility is an atmospheric, visually rich adaptation that succeeds as a study of sisterhood and emotional endurance. While audiences looking for a traditional, swoon-worthy Regency romance may not be fully satisfied, those who appreciate a faithful, grounded exploration of Elinor and Marianne’s bond will find much to admire in this textured retelling.
NOW READ
Jaggy Glarino on reimagining modern Philippine fashion through storytelling and avant-garde design
The things that make us Filipino that ‘Forgotten Island’ helps us remember
Karis Tsang serves as a Junior Associate Editor at Tatler Philippines. She tells stories at the intersection of high society, local arts and pop culture. A UST journalism alum, she has a knack for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. When she’s not typing furiously against a deadline, she’s likely getting lost in a theatre, overanalysing style or planning her next creative rabbit hole.
Curated for you
The stories, profiles, and cultural moments featured on our Instagram feed
