content: painful. Neither Paltrow nor Beckinsale were perfect either, but this one was appalling.This movie is packaged in 2 cassettes, and I couldn't even make it through the first one. Where do I begin? The hair was awful (especially Mr. Elton's), the casting was awful (Jeremy Northam will always be Mr. Knightley to me), the costumes were awful (zippers, anyone?). I hung in as long as I could to see what they did with Frank Churchill, but I just couldn't go on. So sad...My feeling about a good adaptation is that it should make you want to run out and buy the book. I'm glad I'd already read Emma 4 or 5 times because this movie certainly would not have made me desperate to read the book. I probably would have run screaming in the other direction.I did like their take on Mr. Woodhouse though. Thank Goodness for small favors!