DVD Review: Wives and Daughters

The children and I love Wives and Daughters. We first watched it a few months ago when I borrowed it from the library. This weekend, at D's request, we borrowed it again. We watched the first half of the miniseries last night. It was hard to tear ourselves away from it to get ready for bed. We can't wait to finish it today - even though we already know how it ends. Unlike the unfinished novelby Elizabeth Gaskell, the miniseries actually has an ending. (You can read Wives and Daughters and Elizabeth Gaskell's other works online here.) We enjoy all of the well-rounded characters, which are played by very talented actors. It is to P&P3's credit that three of its actors were also in Wives and Daughters: Tom Hollander (Osborne Hamley) will be Mr. Collins, the lovely Rosamund Pike (Lady Harriet Cumnor) will be Jane Bennet, and Penelope Wilton (Mrs. Hamley) will be Mrs. Gardiner.

The 3 disc set offers:

a 20-minute documentary, The Making of Wives and Daughters

a 55-minute portrait, "Who the Dickens is Mrs. Gaskell"

a who's who guide to the stars

The "making of" documentary was interesting but I was disappointed after watching the biography of Mrs. Gaskell. It makes one a little sad when you learn of a great writer's flawed personal life; I felt the same way when I read Charles Dickens' biography. Regardless of Mrs. Gaskell's personal life, Wives and Daughters is a great family movie and provides the opportunity to discuss many topics, such as honoring parents, duty to family, choosing a spouse, and the unseeable consequences of our actions.

Here are two funny quotes from Wives and Daughters:

Miss Phoebe: We always knew Roger Hamley loved our Molly.
Miss Browning: We knew no such thing, Phoebe.
Miss Phoebe: Well, he rode seven miles to bring her a wasp's nest and you don't do that for just anybody!

Claire Gibson: Riches are a great snare you know.
Mr. Gibson: Be thankful you're spared temptation, my dear.