Sense and Sensibility

Lose your heart and come to your senses.

1995 • 136 min • Drama · Romance

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Synopsis

The Dashwood sisters, sensible Elinor and passionate Marianne, learn that their prospects of marriage seem doomed by their family's sudden loss of fortune. After Henry Dashwood dies unexpectedly, his estate must pass on by law to his son. These circumstances leave Mr. Dashwood's wife and daughters without a home and with barely enough money to live on. As Elinor and Marianne struggle to find romantic fulfillment in a society obsessed with financial and social status, they must learn to mix sense with sensibility in their dealings with both money and men.

Our family guide

Best from age 10

Movie Knight Score

1870 reviews

100 Reviewers · 1 · 51%
74 Audience · 1869 · 49%

Two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, face financial hardship and navigate the complexities of love and society after their father's death. As they pursue romance, they must balance practical sense with heartfelt emotions in 19th-century England.

Violence & peril: 1/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 2/10
Romance & sensuality: 2/10
Scary moments: 1/10

Heads up

Brief mentions of illness and death
Some characters face social ostracism or heartbreak
Depicts societal pressures on women to marry for financial security

What it models well

Resilience in hardship
Integrity and kindness
Balancing head and heart
Family loyalty

Talk about it after

Navigating financial challenges and social expectations
The importance of honesty and open communication in relationships
The meaning of true love versus fleeting passion

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Sense and Sensibility. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Ang Lee • Crew: Emma Thompson

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
The briefest of cameos from Tim Wilkinson informs us that due to inheritance rules, the second “Mrs. Dashwood” (Gemma Jones) and her daughters are going to be at the mercy of his son upon his demise. That fellow (James Fleet) is actually quite a kindly soul, but his rather more mercenary wife “Fanny” (Harriet Walter) reckons they can be left to get by with just their annuity of £500.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community