Yes, there is witty dialogue to die for, but overall, the mood was one of romance, dreams and desires that lend a certain underlying passion to the entire plot. The only comedy I could find was in the fact that some characters were sorely disappointed when they did not play the game of love truthfully.

Fanny leaves her mother and poverty and embraces her new home in the country where she lives on an estate with her cousins. When she arrives she discovers the library and also finds volumes of time to compose her own entertaining stories. Her passion for books made this movie magical.

Fanny's character contrasts with her cousins as she wants love while they seem content with wealth. She seeks a more fulfilling path and desires the richness of love. When Henry and Mary Crawford appear, you know trouble has arrived. Mary sets her sights on Edmund while her brother Henry, finds Fanny to be desirable as she holds in her heart all the qualities he lacks and has an inner strength he fails to show.

Mary is a shallow fun loving creature who does not know the depth of Fanny's sorrow and could never understand how her presence in Edmund's life could be a mistake. Edmund is also a thoughtful character and wishes to do what is right, although he almost makes a terrible choice. He is Fanny's soul mate and while they seem to be going in opposite directions for a considerably long time, when they hold hands in the carriage, their love will steal your heart.

For those who have not read the original work by Jane Austen (or like me, read it so long ago), you won't be aware of any changes or variations in the story. You may even find yourself wanting to read the original novel and perhaps that is the point of the movie. If you are new to Jane Austen's work, I can't think of a better story to peak your curiosity.

It may not be as she intended it to be, but it is one of my favorite movies. I want to go live in the Mansfield library! When Fanny is sitting in the library and the sun is shining in the window, it just seemed ever so peaceful. I simply did not want this movie to end!