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20

Which 1995 film, based on an 1811 Jane Austin novel, starred Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant?

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SENSE AND SENSIBILITY - entertainment illustration
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY — entertainment

The acclaimed 1995 film adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel that brought these two stars together was *Sense and Sensibility*. In this beloved period drama, Emma Thompson portrays the reserved and pragmatic eldest sister, Elinor Dashwood, while Hugh Grant plays the charming but conflicted gentleman, Edward Ferrars. The film follows the Dashwood sisters as they navigate love, heartbreak, and financial hardship after their father's death, forcing them to rely on the hospitality of relatives.

Beyond her celebrated on-screen performance, Thompson's contribution to the film was monumental. She spent five years meticulously adapting Austen's 1811 novel for the screen, a challenging task that earned her the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. This historic win made her the only person to have ever received Oscars for both acting (for 1992's *Howards End*) and screenwriting, cementing her legacy as a formidable multi-talented artist.

Directed by Ang Lee, the film was a critical and commercial success that helped launch a major revival of Jane Austen adaptations in the mid-1990s. It was praised for its wit, emotional depth, and gorgeous cinematography, and also featured standout performances from a young Kate Winslet as the passionate Marianne Dashwood and the late Alan Rickman as the steadfast Colonel Brandon.