Hugh Grant's Breakout Rom-Com Returns to Theaters for a 30th Anniversary Encore
Sense and Sensibility is heading back to the big screen as Sony Pictures celebrates the beloved Jane Austen adaptation’s 30th anniversary with special theatrical screenings, reuniting audiences with Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman.
Sony is sending Ang Lee's 'Sense and Sensibility' back to theaters for a quick victory lap. Yes, the one with Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman. It turns 30, Jane Austen hits 250, and honestly, that is as good an excuse as any to watch these people pine in 4K on a big screen.
The rerelease plan
- Dates: December 14, 16, and 17
- Where: Select theaters across North America
- Format: 4K presentation
- Why now: It is the film's 30th anniversary and Austen's 250th birthday, which lands on December 16
- Reception and receipts: Holding a 97% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes from 67 reviews; originally grossed about $135 million worldwide on a roughly $16 million budget
Quick refresher if you somehow missed it
Based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel, the story follows the Dashwood sisters: level-headed Elinor and all-heart Marianne. After their father dies, an inheritance law shunts the family home to their half-brother, leaving their mother and the girls scrambling with very little money. Elinor quietly falls for the shy, decent Edward Ferrars; Marianne ricochets between the flashy John Willoughby and the far more reserved, wounded Colonel Brandon. The point, as the title not-so-subtly reminds you, is figuring out how to balance practicality with passion in a world obsessed with status and cash.
Who is in it (and who made it)
The leads are stacked: Academy Award winners Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, plus Golden Globe winners Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman. The ensemble is equally loaded: Greg Wise as John Willoughby, Gemma Jones as Mrs. Dashwood, Harriet Walter as Fanny Dashwood, James Fleet as John Dashwood, Imogen Stubbs as Lucy Steele, Hugh Laurie as Mr. Palmer, and Imelda Staunton as Charlotte Palmer.
Ang Lee directed, Emma Thompson wrote the screenplay, Lindsay Doran produced, and Sydney Pollack served as executive producer.
Why this matters (beyond nostalgia)
Aside from the anniversary hook, this is one of those rare literary adaptations that is both genuinely funny and emotionally sharp, and it has basically lived at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes since 1995. Also: Alan Rickman in a waistcoat on a theater screen. I rest my case.