Rec. #354: Wives and Daughters

What: OK, so I could go on about the miniseries Wives and Daughters for ages because I have a lot to say about:

• Elizabeth Gaskell (author of the original book) [I have a special Gaskell joke!]. 
• The weird, amazing flurry of BBC adaptations that came out in the late '90s/early '00s* [I have a spreadsheet].
• The cast (Francesca Annis, Justine Waddell, Keeley Hawes, Anthony Howell, Bill Paterson, Tom Hollander, Michael Gambon --- seriously how are all of them in this?).
• The story itself (late remarriage, stepsisters, bought engagements, scientific discovery, self-sacrifice, failed poets, forbidden cheese plates, secret marriages, mysterious illnesses, France)

Here's what we're going to do, though: We're going to focus on Rosamund Pike. Pike has been getting waves of advance praise for her work in the upcoming film adaptation of Gone Girl.

It's going to be called her "breakout role" for sure, but as far as I'm concerned she broke out here, playing Lady Harriet Cumnor. Lady Harriet is an aristocratic deus ex machina, which in this case means Pike gets to ride around wearing lots of striking hats.

How to get it: Currently available to stream on Netflix and Amazon and Hulu.

Connections to previous Wreckage: Wives and Daughters was part of List #13: 5 British Miniseries to Watch Instantly on Netflix and also part of Personal Wreck #3.

If you're curious about my Gaskell joke, you can find it in the post for Rec. #57: Mary Barton.





* One day, let's have a nice long chat about Our Mutual Friend and The Buccaneers and Daniel Deronda and The Way We Live Now and Tom Jones and Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Vanity Fair and Nicholas Nickleby and The Woman in White and The Forsyte Saga and Far from the Madding Crowd. Etc. etc. etc.