Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Sense and Sensibility is a 1995 British-American period drama film directed by Ang Lee and based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel of the same name. Actress Emma Thompson wrote the script and stars as Elinor Dashwood, while Kate Winslet plays Elinor's younger sister Marianne. The story follows the Dashwood sisters – though they are members of a wealthy English family of landed gentry, circumstances result in their sudden destitution, forcing them to seek financial security through marriage. Actors Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman play their respective suitors. It was released on 13 December 1995 in the United States and on 23 February 1996 in the United Kingdom. Producer Lindsay Doran, a longtime admirer of Austen's novel, hired Thompson to write the screenplay. The actress spent five years penning numerous revisions, continually working on the script between other films as well as into production of the film itself. Studios were nervous that Thompson – a first-time screenwriter – was the credited writer, but Columbia Pictures agreed to distribute the film.