So I'm at a bit of a loss right now as to what novel I should teach in my English 1 class next semester. We usually read a novel and then watch a film that's in conversation with it. I try to stay away from adaptations, just because the relationship is too one-to-one to generate as dynamic a conversation as I'd like. In the past, we've read Dracula and watched "Buffy Vs. Dracula," and read Jane Eyre and watched Rebecca. I was thinking it would be fun to read Jane Austen this time around, but I'll be goddamned if I'm going to watch Bridget Jones' Stupid Diary ever, ever again, and I'm a little scared at the prospect of teaching Emma, which I remember as being a little inaccessible for undergraduates. So my question is this: does anyone know other good loose adaptations of Pride and Prejudice? I'm excited about Mansfield Park (my favorite Austen novel), but again, I'm worried that undergrads might be bored. Any thoughts?
Put another (more interactive, less obviously pitched at other teachers) way, what pairing of Jane Austen novel and film would you most like to have thought about as an incoming freshman and why?
Sincerely,
Your Friendly Neighbourhood Janeite
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Have you thought about why you want to teach Austen, what you want the students to take away? Maybe this would help you think about possible films, since you could choose something based on theme rather than on the plot?
I've taught Pride & Prejudice in a women's lit class several times, and one thing I've done that has worked very well is to show the students the endings of the Keira Knightley adaptation and the PBS/Colin Firth miniseries. (Both are available on YouTube. Some crazy person put the entire miniseries on in 10-minute segments!) Then we discuss the implications of the endings of all three texts. It's very interesting, and they can see how the Hollywood ending version distorts Austen's style, so they can possibly be more savvy when they see such endings in the future. However, I don't make them watch the whole movie or miniseries; it's basically just an exercise for one (75 minute) class period. As far as loose adaptations, the only one I can think of is Bride and Prejudice, which I haven't seen so I can't vouch for it. It's too bad you can't make them see the play Pride and Succubus, which would bring together your love for Austen and vampires: http://www.thunderbirdtheatre.com/
I will also say, just be aware that the students might find reading the novel much more difficult than you imagine they would. I definitely wouldn't teach anything other than Pride and Prejudice to non-majors, because the plots of her other novels are too subtle when they're struggling with the language. I wish this weren't the case, but it has been my experience that non-English major undergrads find Austen's writing very difficult to follow. It probably wouldn't be as severe for the students you're teaching now as it has been for the ones I've taught the novel to, but throw in the boy-resistence to reading such a novel and you're probably on a somewhat even playing field.
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