Emma

The New York TimesAlessandra Stanley

This version is faithful to the book--with enough verve and confidence to flesh out minor characters and improvise scenes

Washington PostPhilip Kennicott

And yet, for all that and its sometimes slow pace, this Emma is a delight.

TV GuideMatt Roush

It never gets old, and the more leisurely four-hour telling allows more marginal figures--like Emma’s chronically melancholy father, splendidly portrayed here by Michael Gambon--to emerge more fully as satellites in Emma’s blithe orbit.

Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert

This Emma lets us savor each quirky character, each revelation, each misunderstanding, each glorious location. It may be too openly comedic and pretty for purists, who will notice that the characters’ ages are out of synch with the novel, but it will surely please the rest of us.

Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd

This new Emma is allowed to take its time, developing atmosphere rather than merely developing plot, and giving space and silence their due.

San Francisco ChronicleDavid Wiegand

All are well done, but the finale feels slightly cramped and rushed, as if O'Hanlon is running out of time. The pacing of the third part begins to feel almost rollicking, and that isn't exactly what we think of when we think of Jane Austen.

PopMattersRenee Scolaro Mora

Unlike previous adaptations, which tend to portray Emma as mischievous (see Gwyneth Paltrow’s 1996 turn as the heroine, or Alicia Silverstone in Clueless that same year), this Emma sticks closely to the novel--the heroine is truly offensive at times, and causes real pain to the people around her.