Learning English via Movies
Lu-Fang Lin
Plot Summary for
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Tagline:
Lose your heart and come to your senses.
Plot Summary
When Mr. Dashwood dies, he must leave the bulk of his estate to the son by his first
marriage, which leaves his second wife and three daughters (Elinor, Marianne, and
Margaret) in straitened circumstances. They are taken in by a kindly cousin, but their lack
of fortune affects the marriageability of both practical Elinor and romantic Marianne.
When Elinor forms an attachment for the wealthy Edward Ferrars, his family disapproves
and separates them. And though Mrs. Jennings tries to match the worthy (and rich) Colonel
Brandon to her, Marianne finds the dashing and fiery Willoughby more to her taste. Both
relationships are sorely tried. But this is a romance, and through the hardships and
heartbreak, true love and a happy ending will find their way for both the sister who is all
sense and the one who is all sensibility.
Awards for Sense and Sensibility
Academy Awards, USA
Year
Result
Award
Category/Recipient(s)
Won
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another
Oscar Medium
Emma Thompson
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Emma Thompson
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1996
Kate Winslet
Best Cinematography
Michael Coulter
Best Costume Design
Jenny Beavan
Nominated Oscar
Best Music, Original Dramatic Score
Best Picture
Lindsay Doran
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John Bright
Patrick Doyle
Cast overview
James Fleet
.... John Dashwood
Tom Wilkinson
.... Mr. Dashwood
Harriet Walter
.... Fanny Dashwood
Kate Winslet
.... Marianne Dashwood
Emma Thompson .... Elinor Dashwood
Gemma Jones
.... Mrs. Dashwood
Hugh Grant
.... Edward Ferrars
Emilie Francois .... Margaret Dashwood
Elizabeth Spriggs .... Mrs. Jennings
Robert Hardy
.... Sir John Middleton
Ian Brimble
.... Thomas
Isabelle Amyes
.... Betsy
Alan Rickman
.... Colonel Brandon
Greg Wise
.... John Willoughby
Alexander John
.... Curate
Memorable Quotes from Sense and Sensobility
Mrs. Dashwood: Why so grave? You disapprove her choice?
Marianne: By no means. Edward is very amiable.
Mrs. Dashwood: Amiable? But?
Marianne: There is something wanting. He's too sedate. His reading last night...
Mrs. Dashwood: Elinor has not your feelings. His reserve suits her.
Marianne: Can he love her? Can the soul be really be satisfied with such polite affections? To
love is to burn - to be on fire, like Juliet or Guinevere or Heloise...
Mrs. Dashwood: They made rather pathetic ends, dear.
Marianne: Pathetic? To die for love? How can you say so? What could be more glorious?
Mrs. Dashwood: I think that would be taking your romantic sensibilities a little far.
Elinor Dashwood: Margaret has always wanted to travel.
Edward Ferrars: I know. She's heading an expedition to China shortly. I'm to go as her servant.
But only on the understanding that I am to be very badly treated.
Elinor Dashwood: What will your duties be?
Edward Ferrars: Sword fighting, obviously, administering rum and swabbing.
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Elinor Dashwood: And which of these will take precedence?
Edward Ferrars: Swabbing, I imagine.
Fanny: People always live forever when there is an annuity to be paid them.
Marianne: Fanny wishes to know where the key to the silver cabinet is kept.
Elinor Dashwood: Betsy has it I think. What does Fanny want with the silver?
Marianne: One can only presume she wants to count it. What are you doing?
Elinor Dashwood: Presents for the servants. Have you seen Margaret by the way? I'm worried
about her. She's taken to hiding in the oddest places.
Marianne: Fortunate girl. At least she can escape Fanny which is more than any of us is able.
Elinor Dashwood: You do your best. You've not said a word to her in a week.
Marianne: I have. I've said "yes" and "no".
Mrs. Dashwood: If you cannot think of anything appropriate to say you will please restrict
your remarks to the weather.
Edward Ferrars: My heart is, and always will be, yours.
Elinor Dashwood: Did he tell you he loved you?
Marianne: Yes... no. Never absolutely. It was everyday implied but never declared.
[Edward and Elinor are baiting Margaret, who is playfully hiding ]
Edward Ferrars: I wish to check the position of the Nile. My sister tells me it is in South
America.
Elinor Dashwood: No. She's quite wrong, for I believe it is in Belgium.
Edward Ferrars: You must be thinking of the Volga.
Margaret: The Volga?
Elinor Dashwood: Of course, the Volga. Which, as you know, starts in...
Edward Ferrars: Vladivostock, and ends in...
Elinor Dashwood: Wimbledon.
Edward Ferrars: Precisely. Where the coffee beans come from.
Margaret: The source of the Nile is in Abyssinia.
Elinor Dashwood: I do not attempt to deny that I think very highly of him - that I greatly
esteem him... I like him.
Marianne: Esteem him? Like him? Use those insipid words again and I will leave this room
this instant.
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Marianne: And as for you, you have no right, no right at all, to parade your ignorant
assumptions...
Margaret: They're not assumptions, you told me.
Marianne: I told you nothing.
Margaret: They'll meet him when he comes.
Marianne: Margaret, that is not the point. We do not speak of such things to strangers.
Margaret: But everyone else was.
Marianne: Mrs Jennings is not everyone.
Margaret: I like her. She talks about things. We never talk about things.
Mrs. Dashwood: You must miss him Elinor.
Elinor Dashwood: We are not engaged Mamma.
Mrs. Dashwood: But he loves you dearest, of that I am sure.
Elinor Dashwood: I am by no means assured of his regard and even were he to feel such a
preference I think we should both be very foolish to assume that there would not be many
obstacles to his marrying a woman of no rank who cannot afford to buy sugar.
Mrs. Dashwood: But Elinor, your heart must tell you...
Elinor Dashwood: In such a case it is perhaps better to use one's head.
Marianne: Sir John, might I play your pianoforte?
Sir John Middleton: Yes, yes. Of course. We do not stand upon ceremony here.
Elinor Dashwood: You talk of feeling idle and useless. Imagine how that is compounded when
one has no hope, no choice of any occupation whatsoever.
Edward Ferrars: Our circumstances are therefore precisely the same.
Elinor Dashwood: Except that you will inherit your fortune. We cannot even earn ours.
Elinor Dashwood: [making painstaking conversation] How is Mrs Ferrars?
Fanny: My mother is always in excellent health I thank you. My brother Robert is in town
with her this season and quite the most popular bachelor in London. He has his own barouche.
Elinor Dashwood: You have two brothers, have you not?
Fanny: Indeed yes. Edward is the elder and Mamma quite depends upon him. He is journeying
up from Plymouth shortly and will break his journey here.
John Dashwood: If that is agreeable to you.
Mrs. Dashwood: My dear John. This is your home now.
Footman: Mr Edward Ferrars.
Fanny, Mrs. Dashwood: Do sit down.
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[embarrassed pause as Mrs Dashwood realises she is no longer the mistress of the house]
Fanny: [annoyed] Tea.
Mrs. Dashwood: Surely you're not going to deprive us of beef as well as sugar.
Elinor Dashwood: There is nothing under 10 pence a pound we must economise.
Mrs. Dashwood: Do you want us to starve?
Elinor Dashwood: No. Just not to eat beef.
Margaret: [a large box has arrived at Barton cottage ] It's for us!
Mrs. Dashwood: What is it Thomas?
Thomas: I don't know ma'am but it's very heavy.
Fanny: They're all exceedingly spoilt I find. Miss Margaret spends all her time up trees and
under furniture and I've barely had a civil word from Marianne.
Edward Ferrars: My dear Fanny, they've just lost their father. Their lives will never be the
same again.
Mrs. Dashwood: Reduced to the condition of visitor in my own home. It is not to be borne
Elinor.
Elinor Dashwood: But consider Mamma, we have nowhere to go.
Mrs. Dashwood: John and Fanny will be arriving from London at any minute. Do you expect
me to be here to welcome them? Vultures.
Sir John Middleton: You know what they're saying. That you've developed a taste for certain
company. And why not, say I. A man like you in your prime .... she'd be a very fortunate
young lady.
Colonel Brandon: Marianne Dashwood would no sooner think of me than she would of you
John.
Sir John Middleton: Brandon my boy do not think of yourself so meanly.
Colonel Brandon: And all the better for her.
Colonel Brandon: Miss Dashwood, Miss Marianne - I've come to issue an invitation. A picnic
on my estate at Delaford if you would care to join us on Thursday next. Mrs. Jennings
daughter and her husband are traveling up especially.
Elinor Dashwood: We should be delighted, Colonel.
Colonel Brandon: I will of course be including Mr. Willoughby in the party.
Marianne: I shall be delighted to join you, Colonel.
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Edward Ferrars: Your friendship has been the most important of my life.
Elinor Dashwood: You will always have it.
Marianne: I was never so grateful in all my life as I am to Mrs. Jennings. Oh, Elinor, I shall
see Willoughby and you will see Edward. Are you asleep?
Elinor Dashwood: With you in the room?
Marianne: I do not believe you act as calm as you look, Elinor. Not even you. Oh, I will never
sleep tonight. And what were you and Miss Steel talking about so long?
Elinor Dashwood: Nothing of significance.
[after Marianne has first met Willougby]
Elinor Dashwood: Marianne, you must change or you will catch a cold.
Marianne: What care I for colds when there is such a man.
Elinor Dashwood: You will care very much when your nose swells up.
Marianne: You are right. Help me, Elinor.
Marianne: Always resignation and acceptance. Always prudence and honour and duty. Elinor,
where is your heart?
Elinor Dashwood: What do you know of my heart? What do you know of anything but your
own suffering. For weeks, Marianne, I've had this pressing on me without being at liberty to
speak of it to a single creature. It was forced on me by the very person whose prior claims
ruined all my hope. I have endured her exultations again and again whilst knowing myself to
be divided from Edward forever. Believe me, Marianne, had I not been bound to silence I
could have provided proof enough of a broken heart, even for you.
Elinor Dashwood: Whatever his past actions, whatever his present course... at least you may
be certain that he loved you.
Marianne: But not enough. Not enough.
Colonel Brandon: What can I do?
Elinor Dashwood: Colonel Brandon, you have done so much already...
Colonel Brandon: Give me an occupation, Miss Dashwood, or I shall run mad.
Marianne: Are we never to have a moment's peace? The rent here may be low but I believe we
have it on very hard terms.
Elinor Dashwood: Mrs Jennings is a wealthy woman with a married daughter, she has nothing
to do but marry off everyone else's.
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Marianne: When is a man to be free from such wit if age and infirmity do not protect him?
Elinor Dashwood: Infirmity?
Mrs. Dashwood: If Colonel Brandon is infirm then I am at death's door.
Elinor Dashwood: It is a miracle your life has extended this far.
Marianne: Did you not hear him complain of a rheumatism in his shoulder?
Elinor Dashwood: A slight ache was I believe his phrase.
Mrs Jennings: Oh, you are the loveliest girls that ever I set eyes on. Can you not get them
married, Mrs. Dashwood?
Marianne: Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds. Or bends with the remover to
remove. Oh no! It is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken.
Willoughby. Willoughby. Willoughby.
Edward Ferrars: Miss Dashwood... Elinor, I must talk to you - something of great importance I
need to tell you - about my education.
Elinor Dashwood: Your education?
Edward Ferrars: Yes. It was conducted oddly enough in Plymouth.
Elinor Dashwood: Indeed?
Edward Ferrars: Yes. Do you know it?
Elinor Dashwood: Plymouth?
Edward Ferrars: Yes.
Elinor Dashwood: No.
Edward Ferrars: Ah.
Marianne: Come, I'm taking you on a walk.
Margaret: No, I've been on a walk.
Marianne: You need another.
Margaret: It's going to rain.
Marianne: It is NOT going to rain.
Margaret: You ALWAYS say that, and then it ALWAYS does.
Charlotte Palmer: She'll be wet through when she returns.
Mr. Palmer: Thank you for pointing that out, my dear.
Charlotte Palmer: Oh, if only this rain would stop!
Mr. Palmer: If only you would stop.
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Sir John Middleton: And now, Miss Dashwood, it's your turn to entertain us.
Elinor Dashwood: Oh no, Sir John, I don't...
Sir John Middleton: And I believe I know what key you will sing in. "F" major.
Margaret: Have you really been to the East Indies, Colonel?
Colonel Brandon: I have.
Margaret: What's it like?
Sir John Middleton: Like? Hot.
Colonel Brandon: [mysteriously] The air is full of spices.
Elinor Dashwood: Would you have him treat her even worse than Willoughby has treated
you?
Marianne: No. But nor would I have him marry someone he does not love.
Elinor Dashwood: You have no confidence in me.
Marianne: This reproach from you. You who confide in no-one.
Elinor Dashwood: I have nothing to tell.
Marianne: Nor I. Neither of us have anything to tell. I because I conceal nothing and you
because you communicate nothing.
Marianne: Is there any felicity in the world superior to this?
Margaret: I told you it would rain.
Marianne: There is some blue sky, let us chase it!
Mrs. Dashwood: [feeling Marianne's ankle after she sprains it, Marianne being enraptured with
Willoughby] Tell me if I hurt you.
Elinor: She feels no pain, mama.
Marianne: Did you see him? He expressed himself well, did he not?
Mrs. Dashwood: With great decorum and honour.
Marianne: And spirit and wit and feeling!
Elinor: And economy, 10 words at most.
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