In 1999, Miramax and BBC Films released Mansfield Park, a film
written and directed by Patricia Rozema. Rozema had an audience
that was primed for more Austen. That audience did not receive
the typical Austen-fare, which delighted some and angered
others. Rozema rewrote the character of Fanny to resemble Austen
herself, emphasized the social critique of slavery that is found
in the text, and heightened the sexuality between various
characters. As with the novel, disputes over the film’s artistic
choices flourished among Austen fans, moviegoers, and film
critics. Rozema anticipated much of the controversy, warning the
public that Mansfield Park is “not a Jane Austen film. . . .
It’s a Patricia Rozema film. My job as an artist is to provide a
fresh view” (qtd. in Kantrowitz, 17). Rozema further explains,
“Whenever you turn a novel into a movie, you’re changing form. .
. . I felt fairly free to make changes as long as I felt I could
face Austen if I met her” (Kantrowitz 17). Rozema also believes
the modification