Emma (1996 theatrical film) Jane Austen's most endearing character, the disastrously self-assured matchmaker Emma Woodhouse. A fine cast, speedy pacing and playful direction make this a solid contender for the Austen sweepstakes." Emma (1996 theatrical film) Emma is a 1996 period film based on the 1815 novel of the same name by Jane Austen. Written and directed by Douglas McGrath, the film stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Alan Cumming, Toni Collette, Ewan McGregor, and Jeremy Northam. The film describes a year in the life of Emma Woodhouse, a congenial but naïve young woman who thinks of herself as a romantic matchmaker in her small community in
Reception history of Jane Austen lifestyle, did not want to follow this suggestion, but her friends convinced her otherwise: in short order, "Emma" was dedicated to him. Austen turned down the librarian's further hint to write a historical romance in honour of the prince's daughter's marriage. In the last year of her life, Austen revised "Northanger Abbey" (1817), wrote "Persuasion" (1817), and began another novel, eventually titled "Sanditon", which was left unfinished at her death. Austen did not have time to see "Northanger Abbey" or "Persuasion" through the press, but her family published them as one volume after her death and her brother Henry included