Fleurs on Film: Sense & Sensibility

After a long vacation at some unknown destination, I have persuaded Simon LeBon to make an encore performance for me and my petal-y pictures- yes, ladies (and gentlemen) break out your acid washed jeans, bandannas and hold your lighter above your head as he croons yet another round of "Fleurs on Film". This is my (nearly, almost, sometimes...) monthly tribute to not only films I love, but movies in which I pay just as much attention to the gorgeous gardens and greenery, the flora and the fauna as to the drama. This edition (of course it had to follow Pride & Predjudice!) is Ang Lee and Emma Thompson's beautiful version of Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility.


This movie has the most stunning English sea-side as its backdrop.

Serenely green rolling pastures...

and opulent gardens, grounds & greenhouses. (Hothouses if you will....)

It is the bounty of blooms that gets me though. And here, dear reader- you must forgive me because there are literally hundreds in this film, but they go by in the flash of an eye, shy violets that prefer to not have their picture took. Here are a few of my favorite though. Just like in P&P there is a clear edging drawn in arrangements- the family & friends of the Dashwood ladies all have perfectly appointed arrangements in beautiful urns or vases scattered over every available surface.

The one pictured below, is from the Dashwood home before John & Fanny descend from London and the ladies move away from their comfortable surroundings to their new "cozy" cottage.

Once they arrive at their new (ha) digs, flowers are still everywhere in their house, but the vessels-although none less pretty, clearly are more of everyday wear.


One more time? Okay, wealthy estate....


Humble home. Also, notice how things are more densely packed and "arranged" in the well-to-do displays and then in the other they are placed as though they had been just picked from an obliging field.


A gift of hothouse flowers- with camilla and lilac and roses, from someone who has money.


And a gift of wild flowers, from someone who does not. (Oh Mr. Willoughby!)

And as a bonus, at the end of this romantic tale, we get a small country wedding, complete with sweet tussy-mussies.

I really don't think they would have used baby's breath...but who knows....

Too sweet. And...a wedding cake!


I think we still should carry our wedding cakes around like that, hoisted above our heads, beautifully wrapped in flowers in a parade with ribbon wands waving (the latter are making a big come back in weddings) crowd chanting "man and wife" (yes, I too prefer husband and wife, but this was written in 1811, what was a girl to do?) This movie is one of those that I can (and do) watch again and again- flowers are present everywhere, from the actual arrangements to the oil paintings- from the carpets to the tapestry to the gardens and glorious outdoors...it is beautiful in every sense of the word. Simon, sing us out-if you please.... (Crowd goes wild, throwing bras and flower petals on stage....)
Previous editions of "Fleurs on Film" here, here and here.