North and South 2005

Ok, two words here.  Mr. Thornton.  He is sexy on the page, and he is very sexy in this 2005 adaptation. Two more words.  Richard Armitage. His Mr. Thornton could replace Mr. Darcy for you

Now that I have got your attention, I will tell you a bit more about this brilliant book/adaptation.  This is not Jane Austen, nor is it the 1985 civil war mini-series with Patrick Swayze, but was written by Elizabeth Gaskell, Mrs. Gaskell as she is commonly known.  


Mrs. Gaskell was the wife of a Manchester clergyman and wrote this in 1855 in Victorian England. In North and South, she explores the relationship between Margaret Hale, a cultured woman in “reduced circumstances” from the pastoral South of England and a slightly less refined man, Mr. Thornton, from the industrial North of England who has worked his way up to owning his own cotton mill. He has money, but is “in trade”, and not a real gentleman in her eyes.  Oh, she has a lot to learn. He certainly is a real man Margaret...

A few of Mrs. Gaskell’s other works have been recently adapted also (Wives and Daughters, Cranford).  This one is my favourite of the three, and only by a hair as the other two are amazing as well.  It may have something to do with Richard Armitage’s portrayal of Mr. Thornton. His silky voice and the way he carries himself in those suits and collars.....  Whew, it just got really warm in this room.

Mr. Thornton and Miss Margaret Hale at Thornton Mills

Be warned however, that this comes off a bit dark on the first viewing.  Mrs. Gaskell was well acquainted with the working class struggles in Manchester and wrote them into this story.  So you get a romance blossoming and an amazing social commentary which is fascinating to watch, but not always pretty.  So don’t just watch this one once and put it away.  First of all, you will have to watch the ending at least three times as once is not enough. Thankfully, the ending has been posted on You Tube, so if you need a fix and can’t watch the whole film, you can have a little moment with Mr. Thornton anytime you like.  This one grows on you slowly to become a favourite, so watch it at least twice.  And please don’t judge Mr. Thornton too harshly from the opening of the miniseries.  My only quibble with Sandy Welch, the screenwriter, is that she made him rather violent to his workers, in order to justify Margaret’s initial dislike, but he is not so callous in the book.

Daniela Denby-Ashe as Miss Margaret Hale

Daniela Denby-Ashe does a great job of playing Margaret Hale, the daughter of a clergyman from Southern England, who feels obliged to give up his parish because of some religious doubts and finds himself forced to be a teacher in the industrial North of England.  Miss Hale and Mr. Thornton don’t quite hit it off at first, not a big surprise for a romance.  The whole story is very rich, and I am glad they gave it the length of a miniseries to develop. The entire cast is solid, with Tim Pigott-Smith as Margaret’s slightly befuddled father, Sinead Cusack as the steely matron Mrs. Thornton, the always amazing Anna Maxwell Martin as Margaret’s new friend Bessy, and Brendan Coyle as Bessy’s father. There isn’t a weak actor in the entire production.

Sandy Welch was the screenwriter for this one, and she now commands some real respect after doing a great job with this, with Our Mutual Friend, a fabulous version of Jane Eyre and with the most recent Emma.  She is my new hero!

"Look back. Look back at me!"....Swoon!

This is also one of these adaptations which really sends you to the book after watching it.  The book is very similar but of course gives a more complete view of the story, as well as a slightly different but just as satisfying ending.

North and South has a special place in my DVD library and from looking at the postings on the Internet, I am not alone.  So enjoy this one........

"It is you who would be doing me the service."...Indeed!

By the way, 2010 is the bicentenary of Mrs. Gaskell’s birth and The Gaskell Society is planning a year full of events.  There is also a current restoration of the Elizabeth Gaskell House at 84 Plymouth Grove in Manchester which had previously fallen into disrepair and is now going to be reopened partly as a museum and partly to be used for community events and gatherings, which would probably have pleased Mrs. Gaskell.