31 Days of Oscar: Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility proved six things upon its release in 1995:

1. That (at least in the 90's) Jane Austen was hot.
2. That Ang Lee, the Taiwanese director then best known for the Oscar nominated foreign language films The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman, could direct anything -- even a British period romantic drama.
3. That Emma Thompson, who wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplay, could do anything.
4. That Kate Winslet, fulfilling the promise seen the previous year in Heavenly Creatures, would be a star (Mira who?).
5. That the Academy knows nothing: despite seven nominations (including Best Picture), the director branch snubbed Lee. No matter, he would go on to win the award for some other movie.
6. And finally (and this is still true today): that hunky Greg Wise needs to be in more movies.

Sense and Sensibility airs tomorrow on Turner Classic Movies at 8:00 PM EST.