Editing Sense and Sensibility (film) (section)

== Production ==
=== Conception and adaptation ===
In 1989, [[Lindsay Doran]], a producer of production company [[Mirage Enterprises]], was on a company retreat brainstorming potential film ideas when she suggested the [[Jane Austen]] novel ''[[Sense and Sensibility]]'' to her colleagues.<ref name=ctdoran /> It had been adapted twice, most recently in a [[Sense and Sensibility (1981 TV serial)|1981 television serial]].{{sfn|Parrill|2002|pp=21, 24}} Doran was a longtime fan of the novel,{{sfn|Dole|2001|p=63}} and had vowed in her youth to adapt it if she ever entered the film industry.{{sfn|Stempel|2000|p=249}}{{sfn|Doran|1995|p=11}} She chose to adapt this particular Austen work because there were two female leads.{{sfn|Dobie|2003|p=249}} Doran stated that "all of [Austen's] books are funny and emotional, but ''Sense and Sensibility'' is the best movie story because it's full of twists and turns. Just when you think you know what's going on, everything is different. It's got real suspense, but it's not a thriller. Irresistible."<ref name=ctdoran>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/03/17/book-sense/ |title=Book sense; Lindsay Doran kept her sites on bringing 'Sense And Sensibility' to the screen |first=Nancy |last=Mills |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=17 March 1996 |access-date=17 August 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006054845/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-03-17/features/9603170023_1_sense-and-sensibility-jane-austen-lindsay-doran |archive-date= 6 October 2012 }}</ref> She also praised the novel for possessing "wonderful characters&nbsp;... ''three'' strong love stories, surprising plot twists, good jokes, relevant themes, and a heart-stopping ending."{{sfn|Doran|1995|p=11}}

Prior to being hired at Mirage, the producer had spent years looking for a suitable screenwriter{{sfn|Stempel|2000|p=249}} – someone who was "equally strong in the areas of satire and romance" and could think in Austen's language "almost as naturally as he or she could think in the language of the twentieth century".{{sfn|Doran|1995|p=11}} Doran read screenplays by English and American writers{{sfn|Doran|1995|p=12}} until she came across a [[Thompson (TV series)|series of comedic skits]], often in period settings, that actress Emma Thompson had written.<ref name=dailybeastlunch>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/1995/12/17/jane-austen-does-lunch.html |title=Jane Austen does lunch |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=17 December 1995 |access-date=13 August 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816105111/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/1995/12/17/jane-austen-does-lunch.html |archive-date=16 August 2011 }}</ref><ref name=chicagotribune1>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/01/05/thompson-sees-a-lot-of-sense-in-jane-austens-sensibilities/ |title=Thompson sees a lot of sense in Jane Austen's sensibilities |first=Joe |last=Leydon |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=5 January 1996 |access-date=16 August 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005200946/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-01-05/entertainment/9601050033_1_sensibility-interviews-journalists |archive-date= 5 October 2012 }}</ref> Doran believed the humour and style of writing was "exactly what [she'd] been searching for".{{sfn|Doran|1995|p=13}} Thompson and Doran were already working together on Mirage's 1991 film ''[[Dead Again]]''. A week after its completion, the producer selected Thompson to adapt ''Sense and Sensibility'',<ref name=ctdoran /> although she knew that Thompson had never written a screenplay.{{sfn|Doran|1995|p=13}} Also a fan of Austen, Thompson first suggested they adapt ''[[Persuasion (novel)|Persuasion]]'' or ''[[Emma (novel)|Emma]]'' before agreeing to Doran's proposal.{{sfn|Doran|1995|pp=12–13}}<ref name=HuffPostNannyMcPhee>{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-silverstein/interview-with-lindsay-do_b_692344.html |title=Interview with Lindsay Doran: Producer Nanny McPhee returns |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |first=Melissa |last=Silverstein |date=24 August 2010 |access-date=7 December 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026044651/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-silverstein/interview-with-lindsay-do_b_692344.html |archive-date=26 October 2013 }}</ref> The actress found that ''Sense and Sensibility'' contained more action than she had remembered and decided it would translate well to drama.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=209}}

[[File:Emma Thompson Césars 2009.jpg|thumb|180px|[[Emma Thompson]] worked on the ''Sense and Sensibility'' screenplay for five years]]

Thompson spent five years writing and revising the screenplay, both during and between shooting other films.{{sfn|Stempel|2000|p=249}}{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=208}}{{sfn|Parrill|2002|p=6}} Believing the novel's language to be "far more arcane than in [Austen's] later books," Thompson sought to simplify the dialogue while retaining the "elegance and wit of the original."{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=252}} She observed that in a screenwriting process, a first draft often had "a lot of good stuff in it" but needed to be edited, and second drafts would "almost certainly be rubbish&nbsp;... because you get into a panic".{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=01:33:00–01:33:25}} Thompson credited Doran that she could "help me, nourish me and mentor me through that process&nbsp;... I learned about screenwriting at her feet".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/movies/emma-thompson-on-child-rearing-screenwriting-and-acting-260719/ |title=Emma Thompson on child rearing, screenwriting and acting |first=Carrie |last=Rickey |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |date=23 August 2010 |access-date=26 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053831/http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/movies/emma-thompson-on-child-rearing-screenwriting-and-acting-260719/ |archive-date=21 September 2013 }}</ref>

Thompson's first draft was more than three hundred handwritten pages, which required her to reduce it to a more manageable length.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1308993761.html |title=A sensible screenplay |first=Jim |last=Welsh |work=Literature/Film Quarterly |date=1 January 1996 |access-date=27 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611025654/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1308993761.html |archive-date=11 June 2014  }}</ref><ref name=EWinterview>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,299930,00.html |title=Emma Thompson: Write for the part |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |first=Anne |last=Thompson |date=15 December 1995 |access-date=22 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925121715/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C299930%2C00.html |archive-date=25 September 2013 |ref=none}}</ref> She found the romances to be the most difficult to "juggle",<ref name=EWinterview /> and her draft received some criticism for the way it presented Willoughby and Edward. Doran later recalled the work was criticized for not getting underway until Willoughby's arrival, with Edward side-lined as backstory. Thompson and Doran quickly realised that "if we didn't meet Edward and do the work and take that twenty minutes to set up those people&nbsp;... then it wasn't going to work".{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=01:33:25–01:33:49}} At the same time, Thompson wished to avoid depicting "a couple of women waiting around for men";{{sfn|Gay|2003|p=92}} gradually her screenplay focused as much on the Dashwood sisters' relationship with each other as it did with their romantic interests.<ref name=tcmfmiller />

With the draft screenplay, Doran pitched the idea to various studios in order to finance the film, but found that many were wary of the beginner Thompson as the screenwriter. She was considered a risk, as her experience was as an actress who had never written a film script. [[Columbia Pictures]] executive Amy Pascal supported Thompson's work and agreed to sign as the producer and distributor.<ref name=ctdoran /><ref name=HuffPostNannyMcPhee />

As Thompson mentioned on the [[BBC]] program ''[[QI]]'' in 2009, at one point in the writing process a computer failure almost lost the entire work. In panic Thompson called fellow actor and close friend [[Stephen Fry]], the host of ''QI'' and a self-professed "geek". After seven hours, Fry was able to recover the documents from the device while Thompson had tea with [[Hugh Laurie]] who was at Fry's house at the time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J71EaybVMA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527185927/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J71EaybVMA|url-status=dead|title=Hilarious QI Moment - Emma Thompson's Script|archive-date=27 May 2015|via=www.youtube.com}}</ref>

==== Lee's hire ====
Taiwanese director [[Ang Lee]] was hired as a result of his work in the 1993 family comedy film ''[[The Wedding Banquet]]'', which he co-wrote, produced, and directed. He was not familiar with Jane Austen.{{sfn|Mills|2009|p=67}} Doran felt that Lee's films, which depicted complex family relationships amidst a social comedy context, were a good fit with Austen's storylines.<ref name=tcmfmiller /> She recalled, "The idea of a foreign director was intellectually appealing even though it was very scary to have someone who didn't have English as his first language."<ref name=dailybeastlunch /> The producer sent Lee a copy of Thompson's script, to which he replied that he was "cautiously interested".<ref name=Kerr /> Fifteen directors were interviewed, but according to Doran, Lee was one of the few who recognised Austen's humour. He also told them he wanted the film to "break people's hearts so badly that they'll still be recovering from it two months later."<ref name=Kerr>{{cite news |title=Sense and sensitivity |first=Sarah |last=Kerr |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MuECAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44 |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=1 April 1996 |access-date=16 August 2011 |archive-date=19 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819145831/https://books.google.com/books?id=MuECAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44 |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{Quote box
 | quote=In some ways I probably know that nineteenth century world better than English people today, because I grew up with one foot still in that feudal society. Of course, the dry sense of humour, the sense of decorum, the social code is different. But the essence of social repression against free will – I grew up with that.
 | source  = —Ang Lee<ref name=Kerr />
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}}
From the beginning, Doran wanted ''Sense and Sensibility'' to appeal to both a core audience of Austen aficionados as well as younger viewers attracted to [[romantic comedy]] films.{{sfn|Higson|2011|p=155}} She felt that Lee's involvement prevented the film from becoming "just some little English movie" that appealed only to local audiences instead of to the wider world.{{sfn|Higson|2004|p=46}} Lee said,
<blockquote>I thought they were crazy: I was brought up in Taiwan, what do I know about 19th-century England? About halfway through the script it started to make sense why they chose me. In my films I've been trying to mix social satire and family drama. I realised that all along I had been trying to do Jane Austen without knowing it. Jane Austen was my destiny. I just had to overcome the cultural barrier.<ref name=dailybeastlunch /></blockquote>Because Thompson and Doran had worked on the screenplay for so long, Lee described himself at the time as a "director for hire", as he was unsure of his role and position.<ref name=HarpersBazaar /> He spent six months in England "learn[ing] how to make this movie, how to do a period film, culturally&nbsp;... and how to adapt to the major league film industry".<ref name=HarpersBazaar>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/going-out/who-what-where/in-conversation-with-ang-lee |title=In conversation with Ang Lee |magazine=[[Harper's Bazaar]] |first=Francine |last=Stock |date=21 January 2013 |access-date=26 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317183313/http://www.harpersbazaar.co.uk/going-out/who-what-where/in-conversation-with-ang-lee |archive-date=17 March 2013 }}</ref>

In January 1995, Thompson presented a draft to Lee, Doran, co-producer Laurie Borg, and others working on the production, and spent the next two months editing the screenplay based upon their feedback.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=207–10}} Thompson continued making revisions throughout production of the film, including altering scenes to meet budgetary concerns, adding dialogue changes, and changing certain aspects to better fit the actors.{{sfn|Stempel|2000|p=249}} Brandon's confession scene, for instance, initially included flashbacks and stylised imagery before Thompson decided it was "emotionally more interesting to let Brandon tell the story himself and find it difficult".{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=251}}

=== Casting ===
{{See also|Sense and Sensibility#Main characters|l1=Main characters of Sense and Sensibility}}
[[File:Hugh Grant Cannes.jpg|right|thumb|170px|[[Hugh Grant]], who had worked with Thompson in several films, was her first choice to play Edward Ferrars.<ref name=EWinterview />]]

Thompson initially hoped that Doran would cast sisters [[Natasha Richardson|Natasha]] and [[Joely Richardson]] as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Lee and Columbia wanted Thompson herself, now a "big-deal movie star" after her critically successful role in the 1992 film ''[[Howards End (film)|Howards End]]'', to play Elinor.<ref name=HuffPostNannyMcPhee /><ref name=EWinterview /> The actress replied that at the age of thirty-five, she was too old for the nineteen-year-old character. Lee suggested Elinor's age be changed to twenty-seven, which would also have made the difficult reality of [[spinster]]hood easier for modern audiences to understand.<ref name=tcmfmiller>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/62625 |title=Sense and Sensibility |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |first=Frank |last=Miller |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701174531/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/62625%7C0/Sense-and-Sensibility.html |archive-date=1 July 2013 |url-status=live |access-date=1 May 2017 }}</ref><ref name=telegraph1>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/8205611/British-actresses-who-made-their-name-starring-in-Jane-Austen-adaptations.html |title=British actresses who made their name starring in Jane Austen adaptations |first=Laura |last=Roberts |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=16 December 2010 |access-date=14 August 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124034755/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/8205611/British-actresses-who-made-their-name-starring-in-Jane-Austen-adaptations.html |archive-date=24 January 2011 }}</ref> Thompson agreed, later stating that she was "desperate to get into a corset and act it and stop thinking about it as a script."<ref name=EWinterview />

The formal casting process began in February 1995,{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=210}} though some of the actors met with Thompson the previous year to help her conceptualise the script.{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=9:45–9:53}} Lee eventually cast all but one of them: [[Hugh Grant]] (as Edward Ferrars), [[Robert Hardy]] (as Sir John Middleton), [[Harriet Walter]] (as Fanny Ferrars Dashwood), [[Imelda Staunton]] (as Charlotte Jennings Palmer), and [[Hugh Laurie]] (as Mr. Palmer).{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=210}} [[Amanda Root]] had also worked with Thompson on the screenplay, but had already committed to star in the 1995 film ''[[Persuasion (1995 film)|Persuasion]]''.<ref name=EWinterview /> Commenting on the casting of Laurie, whom she had known for years,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/may/07/features.magazine37 |title=Going straight |work=[[The Guardian]] |first=Nicci |last=Gerrard |date=6 May 2000 |access-date=2 September 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060442/http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/may/07/features.magazine37 |archive-date=21 September 2013 }}</ref> Thompson has said, "There is no one [else] on the planet who could capture Mr. Palmer's disenchantment and redemption so perfectly, and make it funny."{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=251–52}}

Thompson wrote the part of Edward Ferrars with Grant in mind,{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=9:15–9:30}} and he agreed to receive a lower salary in line with the film's budget.<ref name="tcmfmiller" /> Grant called her screenplay "genius", explaining "I've always been a [[philistinism|philistine]] about Jane Austen herself, and I think Emma's script is miles better than the book and much more amusing."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8326853.html |title=Hugh Grant: The Englishman who went up the Hollywood mountain and came down a star |work=[[Boston Globe]] |first=Matthew |last=Gilbert |date=7 May 1995 |access-date=26 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611025913/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8326853.html |archive-date=11 June 2014  }}</ref> Grant's casting was criticised by the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA), whose representatives said that he was too handsome for the part.<ref name="dailybeastlunch" /> Actress Kate Winslet initially intended to audition for the role of Marianne but Lee disliked her work in the 1994 drama film ''[[Heavenly Creatures]];'' she auditioned for the lesser part of Lucy Steele. Winslet pretended she had heard that the audition was still for Marianne, and won the part based on a single reading.<ref name=tcmfmiller /> Thompson later said that Winslet, only nineteen years old, approached the part "energised and open, realistic, intelligent, and tremendous fun."{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=216}} The role helped Winslet become recognised as a significant actress.<ref name=tcmfmiller />

Also appearing in the film was [[Alan Rickman]], who portrayed Colonel Brandon. Thompson was pleased that Rickman could express the "extraordinary sweetness [of] his nature," as he had played "Machiavellian types so effectively" in other films.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=269}} [[Greg Wise]] was cast as Marianne's other romantic interest, John Willoughby, his most noted role thus far.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/sep/15/television.celebrity |title=Less is more |work=[[The Guardian]] |first=Jon |last=Henley |date=14 September 2008 |access-date=23 August 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128101325/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/sep/15/television.celebrity |archive-date=28 January 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3638019/Greg-Wise-talks-about-acting-and-life-with-Emma-Thompson.html |title=Greg Wise talks about acting and life with Emma Thompson |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |first=Neil |last=Tweedie |date=20 September 2008 |access-date=23 August 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315215052/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3638019/Greg-Wise-talks-about-acting-and-life-with-Emma-Thompson.html |archive-date=15 March 2014 }}</ref> Twelve-year-old [[Emilie François]], appearing as Margaret Dashwood, was one of the last people cast in the production; she had no professional acting experience.{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=5:13–5:20}} Thompson praised the young actress in her production diaries, "Emilie has a natural quick intelligence that informs every movement – she creates spontaneity in all of us just by being there."{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=246–47}} Other cast members included [[Gemma Jones]] as Mrs. Dashwood, [[James Fleet]] as John Dashwood, [[Elizabeth Spriggs]] as Mrs. Jennings, [[Imogen Stubbs]] as Lucy Steele, [[Richard Lumsden]] as Robert Ferrars, [[Tom Wilkinson]] as Mr. Dashwood, and Lone Vidahl as Miss Grey.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/512957?view=cast |title=Sense and Sensibility (1995) |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=1 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128102818/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/512957?view=cast |archive-date=28 January 2014 }}</ref>

=== Costume design ===

[[File:Sense and Sensibility Thompson dress.jpg|thumb|upright|Thompson's dress for her character Elinor Dashwood]]
According to Austen scholar Linda Troost, the costumes used in ''Sense and Sensibility'' helped emphasise the class and status of the various characters, particularly among the Dashwoods.{{sfn|Troost|2007|p=83}} They were created by [[Jenny Beavan]] and [[John Bright (costume designer)|John Bright]], a team of designers best known for [[Merchant Ivory]] films who  began working together in 1984.{{sfn|Nadoolman Landis|2012}}<ref>{{Cite news|title=Why we should love and leave the world of Merchant Ivory |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |first=David |last=Gritten |date=25 March 2006 |id = {{ProQuest|321309053}}}} {{Subscription required}}</ref> The two attempted to create accurate period dress,{{sfn|Troost|2007|p=83}} and featured the "fuller, classical look and colours of the [[1795–1820 in Western fashion|late 18th century]]."<ref>{{Cite news|title=Clothes make the movies: 'Fashion in Film' showcases outstanding period costumes |first=Kathaleen |last=Roberts |work=[[Albuquerque Journal]] |date=12 October 2008 |id = {{ProQuest|324476672}}}} {{Subscription required}}</ref> They found inspiration in the works of the English artists [[Thomas Rowlandson]], John Hopper, and [[George Romney (painter)|George Romney]], and also reviewed [[fashion plate]]s stored in the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]].<ref name=LATimesFashion /> The main costumes and hats were manufactured at Cosprop, a London-based costumer company.<ref name=LATimesFashion />

To achieve the tightly wound curls fashionably inspired by [[Greek art]], some of the actresses wore wigs while others employed heated hair twists and slept in pin curls. Fanny, the snobbiest of the characters, possesses the tightest of curls but has less of a Greek silhouette, a reflection of her wealth and silliness.<ref name=LATimesFashion>{{Cite news|title=Fashion / Screen style |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |first=Betty |last=Goodwin |date=15 December 1995 |id = {{ProQuest|293222193}}}} {{Subscription required}}</ref> Beavan stated that Fanny and Mrs. Jennings "couldn't quite give up the frills," and instead draped themselves in lace, fur, feathers, jewellery, and rich fabrics.<ref name=LATimesFashion /> Conversely, sensible Elinor opts for simpler accessories, such as a long gold chain and a straw hat.<ref name=LATimesFashion /> Fanny's shallow personality is also reflected in "flashy, colourful" dresses,{{sfn|Troost|2007|p=83}} while Edward's buttoned-up appearance represents his "repressed" personality, with little visible skin.{{sfn|Gay|2003|pp=97–98}} Each of the 100 extras used in the London ballroom scene, depicting "soldiers and lawyers to [[fop]]s and [[dowager]]s," don visually distinct costumes.{{sfn|Troost|2007|p=83}}{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=258}}

For Brandon's costumes, Beavan and Bright consulted with Thompson and Lee and decided to have him project an image of "experienced and dependable masculinity."{{sfn|Gay|2003|pp=97–98}} Brandon is first seen in black, but later he wears sporting gear in the form of corduroy jackets and shirtsleeves. His rescue of Marianne has him transforming into the "romantic [[Byronic hero]]", sporting an unbuttoned shirt and loose cravat. In conjunction with his tragic backstory, Brandon's "flattering" costumes help his appeal to the audience.{{sfn|Gay|2003|p=98}} Beavan and Bright's work on the film earned them a nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]] at the [[68th Academy Awards]].<ref>{{cite news|title=The 68th Academy Award nominations |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=14 February 1996 |id = {{ProQuest|293206028}}}} {{Subscription required}}</ref>
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=== Filming ===
[[File:2016 NAB Show's The Future of Cinema Conference, produced in partnership with SMPTE (26990962775) (cropped).jpg|right|thumb|upright|''Sense and Sensibility'' was [[Ang Lee]]'s first feature film outside of Asia.]]

The film was budgeted at $16 million,{{sfn|Mills|2009|p=68}}<ref name=AsianWeek /> the largest Ang Lee had yet received as well as the largest awarded to an Austen film that decade.{{sfn|Higson|2004|p=44}} In the wake of the success of Columbia's 1994 film ''[[Little Women (1994 film)|Little Women]]'', the American studio authorised Lee's "relatively high budget" out of an expectation that it would be another cross-over hit and appeal to multiple audiences, thus yielding high box office returns.{{sfn|Higson|2011|p=155}}{{sfn|Higson|2004|p=45}} Nevertheless, Doran considered it a "low budget film",{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=20:00–20:20}} and many of the ideas Thompson and Lee came up with – such as an early dramatic scene depicting Mr. Dashwood's bloody fall from a horse – were deemed unfilmable from a cost perspective.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=207–09}}{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=1:11–2:25}}

According to Thompson, Lee "arrived on set with the whole movie in his head".{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=01:02:00–01:03:45}} Rather than focus on period details, he wanted the film to concentrate on telling a good story. He showed the cast a selection of films adapted from classic novels, including ''[[Barry Lyndon]]'' and ''[[The Age of Innocence (1993 film)|The Age of Innocence]]'', which he believed to be "great movies; everybody worships the art work, [but] it's not what we want to do".<ref name=AsianWeek /> Lee criticised the latter film for lacking energy, in contrast to the "passionate tale" of ''Sense and Sensibility''.<ref name="AsianWeek">{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-2359450.html |title=Ang Lee on a roll: The director of The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink |work=[[AsianWeek]]  |first=Michael |last=Warren |date=22 September 1995 |access-date=27 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611025759/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-2359450.html |archive-date=11 June 2014  }}</ref>

The cast and crew experienced "slight culture shock" with Lee on a number of occasions. He expected the [[assistant director]]s to be the "tough ones" and keep production on schedule, while they expected the same of him; this led to a slower schedule in the early stages of production.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=220–21}} Additionally, according to Thompson, the director became "deeply hurt and confused" when she and Grant made suggestions for certain scenes, which was something that was not done in his native country.<ref name=dailybeastlunch /><ref name=tcmfmiller /> Lee thought his authority was being undermined and lost sleep,{{sfn|Mills|2009|p=70}} though this was gradually resolved as he became used to their methods.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=220, 240}}{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=17:00–17:20}} The cast "grew to trust his instincts so completely", making fewer and fewer suggestions.{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=01:02:00–01:03:45}} Co-producer James Schamus stated that Lee also adapted by becoming more verbal and willing to express his opinion.{{sfn|Mills|2009|p=72}}

Lee became known for his "frightening" tendency not to "mince words".<ref name="LADNyinyang">{{cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-25029678.html |title=Remaking the classics director, cast find yin, yang in Austen tale |work=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]  |first=Amy |last=Dawes |date=13 December 1995 |access-date=26 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611025849/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-25029678.html |archive-date=11 June 2014  }}</ref> He often had the cast do numerous takes for a scene to get the perfect shot,<ref name=dailybeastlunch /><ref name=Kerr /> and was not afraid to call something "boring" if he disliked it.<ref name=LADNyinyang /> Thompson later recalled that Lee would "always come up to you and say something unexpectedly crushing", such as asking her not to "look so old".{{sfn|Mills|2009|p=70}}{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=4:20–4:40}} She also commented, however, that "he doesn't indulge us but is always kind when we fail".{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|pp=227–28}} Due to Thompson's extensive acting experience, Lee encouraged her to practice [[tai chi]] to "help her relax [and] make her do things simpler".<ref name=AsianWeek /> Other actors soon joined them in meditating – according to Doran, it "was pretty interesting. There were all these pillows on the floor and these pale-looking actors were saying, 'What have we got ourselves into?' [Lee] was more focused on body language than any director I've ever seen or heard of."<ref name=AsianWeek /> He suggested Winslet read books of poetry and report back to him to best understand her character. He also had Thompson and Winslet live together to develop their characters' sisterly bond.<ref name=tcmfmiller /> Many of the cast took lessons in etiquette and riding [[side-saddle]].{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=212–13}}

Lee found that in contrast to Chinese cinema,{{sfn|Mills|2009|p=70}} he had to dissuade many of the actors from using a "very stagy, very English tradition. Instead of just being observed like a human being and getting sympathy, they feel they have to do things, they have to carry the movie."<ref name=AsianWeek /> Grant in particular often had to be restrained from giving an "over-the-top" performance; Lee later recalled that the actor is "a show stealer. You can't stop that. I let him do, I have to say, less 'star' stuff, the Hugh Grant thing&nbsp;... and not [let] the movie serve him, which is probably what he's used to now."<ref name=AsianWeek /> For the scene in which Elinor learns Edward is unmarried, Thompson found inspiration from her reaction to her father's death.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=266–67}} Grant was unaware that Thompson would cry through most of his speech, and the actress attempted to reassure him, "'There's no other way, and I promise you it'll work, and it will be funny as well as being touching.' And he said, 'Oh, all right,' and he was very good about it."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/05/movies/moviesspecial/05lyal.html |title=Beauty is much less than skin deep |work=[[The New York Times]] |first=Sarah |last=Lyall |date=5 November 2006 |access-date=16 August 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110172012/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/05/movies/moviesspecial/05lyal.html |archive-date=10 January 2015 }}</ref> Lee had one demand for the scene, that Thompson avoid the temptation to turn her head towards the camera.<ref name=Kerr />

==== Locations ====
{{Multiple image | direction = vertical
|width    = 250
|image1   = Saltram House - geograph.org.uk - 1096719.jpg
|image2   = Bridleway by Efford House, 1996-geograph-3391607.jpg
|caption2 = Above: [[Saltram House]], a [[National Trust]] property, stood in for Norland Park<br />Below: Efford House in Holbeton was used as Barton Cottage}}

Production of ''Sense and Sensibility'' was scheduled for fifty-eight days, though this was eventually extended to sixty-five.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=209}} Filming commenced in mid-April 1995 at a number of locations in [[Devon]], beginning with [[Saltram House]] (standing in for Norland Park),<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jun/07/sense-sensibility-saltram-walking-guide |title=The Sense and Sensibility estate, Saltram House, Devon |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=7 June 2009 |access-date=17 August 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203163838/http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/jun/07/sense-sensibility-saltram-walking-guide |archive-date= 3 February 2014 }}</ref>{{sfn|Higson|2011|p=149}} where Winslet and Jones shot the first scene of the production: when their characters read about Barton Cottage.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=215, 217–19}} As Saltram was a [[National Trust]] property, Schamus had to sign a contract before production began, and staff with the organisation remained on set to carefully monitor the filming. Production later returned to shoot several more scenes, finishing there on 29 April.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=215, 217, 222, 226–27}} The second location of filming, [[Flete House]], stood in for part of Mrs. Jennings' London estate, where Edward first sees Elinor with Lucy.{{sfn|Voigts-Virchow|2004|p=11}}{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=224}} Representing Barton Cottage was a Flete Estate stone cottage called Efford House in [[Holbeton]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flete.co.uk/portfolio-item/efford-house-new/|title=Efford House &#124; Flete Holiday Cottages|access-date=19 October 2021|archive-date=6 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506084043/https://www.flete.co.uk/portfolio-item/efford-house-new/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://hookedonhouses.net/2010/01/10/sense-sensibility-barton-cottage/|title = Barton Cottage from the 1995 Movie "Sense and Sensibility"|date = 10 January 2010|access-date = 16 August 2021|archive-date = 16 August 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210816224853/https://hookedonhouses.net/2010/01/10/sense-sensibility-barton-cottage/|url-status = live}}</ref> which Thompson called "one of the most beautiful spots we've ever seen."{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=233}}

Early May saw production at the "exquisite" [[St Mary's Church, Berry Pomeroy|St Mary's Church]] in [[Berry Pomeroy]] for the final wedding scene.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2433499/Weddings-fall-at-Sense-and-Sensibility-church-after-bells-break.html |title=Weddings fall at Sense and Sensibility church after bells break |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |first=Nick |last=Britten |date=18 July 2010 |access-date=18 August 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128152230/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2433499/Weddings-fall-at-Sense-and-Sensibility-church-after-bells-break.html |archive-date=28 January 2014 }}</ref>{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=230}} From the tenth to the twelfth of May, Marianne's first rescue sequence, depicting her encounter with Willoughby, was shot. Logistics were difficult, as the scene was set upon a hill during a rainy day.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=235–37}} Lee shot around fifty [[take]]s, with the actors becoming soaked under rain machines; this led to Winslet eventually collapsing from [[hypothermia]].{{sfn|Mills|2009|p=70}}{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=6:15–6:25}} Further problems occurred midway through filming, when Winslet contracted [[phlebitis]] in her leg, developed a limp, and sprained her wrist after falling down a staircase.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=261–62}}

From May to July, production took place at a number of other National Trust estates and stately homes across England. [[Trafalgar House (Wiltshire)|Trafalgar House]] and [[Wilton House]] in Wiltshire stood in for the grounds of Barton Park and the London Ballroom respectively. [[Mompesson House]], an eighteenth-century townhouse located in [[Salisbury]], represented Mrs. Jennings' sumptuous townhouse. Sixteenth-century [[Montacute House]] in [[Somerset]] was the setting for the Palmer estate of Cleveland House.{{sfn|Thompson|1995|pp=286–87}} Further scenes were shot at [[Compton Castle]] in Devon (Mr Willoughby's estate)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-localtoyou/w-devoncornwall/w-devoncornwall-places/w-devoncornwall-places-otherspecialplaces.htm |title=Other special places to visit |publisher=[[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty]] |access-date=18 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905034114/http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-localtoyou/w-devoncornwall/w-devoncornwall-places/w-devoncornwall-places-otherspecialplaces.htm |archive-date= 5 September 2011 }}</ref> and at the [[National Maritime Museum]] in [[Greenwich]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jul/10/3d-film-festival-greenwich-indian |title=This week's new film events |work=[[The Guardian]] |first=Steve |last=Rose |date=10 July 2010 |access-date=18 August 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128161508/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jul/10/3d-film-festival-greenwich-indian |archive-date=28 January 2014 }}</ref>

=== Music ===
{{See also|Sense and Sensibility (soundtrack)}}
Composer [[Patrick Doyle]], who had previously worked with his friend Emma Thompson in the films ''[[Henry V (1989 film)|Henry V]]'', ''[[Much Ado About Nothing (1993 film)|Much Ado About Nothing]]'', and ''Dead Again'', was hired to produce the music for ''Sense and Sensibility''.<ref name=chicagotimessense /> Asked by the director to select existing music or compose new "gentle" melodies, Doyle wrote a score that reflected the film's events.{{sfn|Parrill|2002|p=43}}<ref name="RockyMtNews">{{Cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67774405.html |title=Score one for the movies: composers translate plot, character and setting into Oscar-nominated music |work=[[Rocky Mountain News]] |first=John |last=Horn |date=13 March 1996 |access-date=14 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611025851/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67774405.html |archive-date=11 June 2014  }}</ref> He explained, "You had this middle-class English [[Motif (music)|motif]], and with the music you would have occasional outbursts of emotion."<ref name="chicagotimessense">{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/03/01/composers-classical-music-makes-sense-in-movies/ |title=Composer's classical music makes 'Sense' in movies |first=Brad |last=Webber |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=1 March 1996 |access-date=17 August 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006054839/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-03-01/entertainment/9603010027_1_sense-and-sensibility-classical-music-patrick-doyle |archive-date= 6 October 2012 }}</ref> Doyle explains that the score "becomes a little more grown-up" as the story progresses to one of "maturity and an emotional catharsis."<ref name=RockyMtNews /> The score contains romantic elements<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sense-and-sensibility-mw0000646538 |title=Sense and Sensibility – Patrick Doyle |website=[[AllMusic]] |first=Darryl |last=Carter |access-date=1 September 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126224305/http://www.allmusic.com/album/sense-and-sensibility-mw0000646538 |archive-date=26 January 2013 }}</ref><ref name="DenofGeekMusic">{{Cite news|url=http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/17369/music-in-the-movies-patrick-doyle |title=Music in the movies: Patrick Doyle |publisher=[[Den of Geek]] |first=Glen |last=Chapman |date=21 April 2011 |access-date=14 April 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129030727/http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/17369/music-in-the-movies-patrick-doyle |archive-date=29 January 2014 }}</ref> and has been described  by [[National Public Radio]] as a "restricted compass&nbsp;... of emotion" with "instruments [that] blend together in a gentle sort of way".<ref name="NPRmusic">{{Cite news |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-28473770.html |title=Film scores – The men who make the music – Part 2 |publisher=[[NPR]] |first=Liane |last=Hansen |date=10 March 1996 |access-date=14 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611025948/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-28473770.html |archive-date=11 June 2014  }}</ref> They also noted that as a reflection of the story, the score is a "little wistful&nbsp;... and sentimental."<ref name=NPRmusic />

Two songs are sung by Marianne in the film, with lyrics adapted from seventeenth-century poems. Lee believed that the two songs conveyed the "vision of duality" visible both in the novel and script.{{sfn|Parrill|2002|p=43}} In his opinion, the second song expressed Marianne's "mature acceptance," intertwined with a "sense of melancholy".{{sfn|Parrill|2002|p=43}} The melody of "Weep You No More Sad Fountains", Marianne's first song, appears in the opening credits, while her second song's melody features again during the ending credits, this time sung by [[dramatic soprano]] [[Jane Eaglen]].{{sfn|Parrill|2002|p=43}} The songs were written by Doyle before filming began.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8896491.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130629103713/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8896491.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 June 2013 |title=Classical composer aims to score for charity |work=[[The Independent]] |first=Charlotte |last=Cripps |date=15 October 2007 |access-date=14 April 2013}}</ref> The composer received his first [[Academy Award]] nomination for his score.<ref name=DenofGeekMusic />

=== Editing ===
Thompson and Doran discussed how much of the love stories to depict, as the male characters spend much of the novel away from the Dashwood sisters. The screenwriter had to carefully balance the amount of screentime she gave to the male leads, noting in her film production diary that such a decision would "very much lie in the editing."{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=272}} Thompson wrote "hundreds of different versions" of romantic storylines. She considered having Edward re-appear midway through the film before deciding that it would not work as "there was nothing for him to do."{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=272}} Thompson also opted to exclude the duel scene between Brandon and Willoughby, which is described in the novel, because it "only seemed to subtract from the mystery."{{sfn|Thompson|1995|p=272}} She and Doran agonised about when and how to reveal Brandon's backstory, as they wanted to prevent viewers from becoming bored. Thompson described the process of reminding audiences of Edward and Brandon as "keeping plates spinning".{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=9:30–9:50}}

A scene was shot of Brandon finding his ward in a poverty-stricken area in London, but this was excluded from the film.{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=01:29:10–01:29:50}} Thompson's script included a scene of Elinor and Edward kissing, as the studio "couldn't stand the idea of these two people who we've been watching all the way through not kissing."{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=01:30:00–01:30:35}} It was one of the first scenes cut during editing: the original version was over three hours, Lee was less interested in the story's romance, and Thompson found a kissing scene to be inappropriate. The scene was included in marketing materials and the film trailer.{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=01:30:00–01:30:35}}{{sfn|Higson|2011|p=141}}{{sfn|Stovel|2011}} Thompson and Doran also cut out a scene depicting Willoughby as remorseful when Marianne is sick. Doran said that despite it "being one of the great scenes in book history," they could not get it to fit into the film.{{sfn|Thompson|Doran|1995|loc=01:59:00–01:59:15}}

[[Tim Squyres]] edited the film, his fourth collaboration with Ang Lee. He reflected in 2013 about the editing process:
<blockquote>It was the first film that I had done with Ang that was all in English, and it's Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, and Hugh Grant — these great, great actors. When you get footage like that, you realise that your job is really not technical. It was my job to look at something that Emma Thompson had done and say, "Eh, that's not good, I'll use this other one instead." And not only was I allowed to pass judgment on these tremendous actors, I was required to.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/22/showbiz/movies/oscar-nominated-editors-ew |title=Oscar-nominated editors clear up the biggest category misconception |first=Mandi |last=Bierly |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=22 February 2013 |access-date=23 July 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302023213/http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/22/showbiz/movies/oscar-nominated-editors-ew |archive-date= 2 March 2013 }}</ref></blockquote>