Nearly 10 years on from its release, the film is continuing to attract new fans who are flocking to see a tale of a woman who uses her charm and cunning to get what she wants for her and her daughter. Love & Friendship (2016) follows the manipulative and recently widowed Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) as she seeks both a suitable husband for herself and a prosperous match for her daughter, Frederica.
Lady Susan deceives everyone who comes in her path, as she attempts to secure a financially stable future for herself and her daughter. Many fans praised the film’s humour, with one Reddit user sharing that they found it: “Hilarious and perfectly cast.” Other users praised the film’s attention to detail when it comes to appropriate costumes for the period, with one saying that it had “great costumes” that showed the “rarely-done transitional period between Georgian and regency fashions”.
The film was also a huge hit among critics upon its release, gaining an impressive score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer, which averages out the scores of critics to create an overall percentage.
The site’s critics consensus reads: “Love & Friendship finds director Whit Stillman bringing his talents to bear on a Jane Austin adaptation – with a thoroughly delightful period drama as the result.”
Another critic stated that the film was full of a surprising amount of character, saying: “Though the corseted bodices and full skirts suggest an Oscar bait-y period drama, Stillman quickly establishes Love & Friendship as an out-and-out comedy.”
The film was originally a book by Jane Austen, written in around 1794 but not published until 1871. It was called Lady Susan rather than Love & Friendship, the latter of which is actually the name of another story written by Austen.
Due to its status as not being too well known, Whit Stillman was the first to adapt it to the screen. When he read the book, he was “fascinated” with the story, saying that it “was too good to not be known”.
Love & Friendship is now available to stream on Disney+.
