Lorna Doone
Lorna Doone
| 11 March 2001 (USA)
Lorna Doone Trailers

The year is 1675. England is threatened by religious and political rivalries. King Charles II's Catholic brother, James, is next in line for the throne, but many Protestants put their faith in Charles' illegitimate son, The Duke of Monmouth. On the king's death, conflict is inevitable... Over seven days journey from London, Exmoor is a primitive and lawless area. Here, farmer Jack Ridd lives with his wife Sarah, son John, and two daughters. The only shadow over their simple life is cast by the notorious outlaw family the Doones. The aristocratic Doones were banished from their ancestral lands and now live through looting, theft, and murder. Their brutality is legendary...

Reviews
Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?
GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.
Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Cody One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
Gitta Verbraak As a huge fan of period dramas I came across this one and was looking forward to watching it. However, I found that this adaptation lacks the finesse you find other period dramas. The story was rather predictable (but maybe that's the novel) and I found that the characters lacked depth and the actors and dialogue often lacked emotion. Yes, Lorna (Amelia Warner) is very pretty but she was not captivating. The music (the lover's leitmotiv), even though very nice, was a bit too overbearing and prominent.Having said this, the scenery was beautiful, as were the costumes. It had loads of potential but, in my opinion, it lacked that little something that made me want to watch this again, let alone add this to my favourites and consider watching it once a year, as I do with many period drama miniseries (Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell).
Sherazade I own the DVD! The wonderful story of star crossed lovers Lorna Doone and John Ridd comes to you by way of A&E (the cable channel) with breathtakingly results. The film will captivate you right from its drowsy beginning to its edge-of-your-seat ending. It is the tale of the infamous Doones and how their reign was eventually suppressed, as well as the man who dared to stand up against them. Lorna Doone is played with perfect conviction by the ever beautiful and graceful Amelia Warner, matched only by the charisma and charm of Robert Coyle who plays John Ridd. This film is one for your personal library if you appreciate finally woven and splendidly told tales that have well deserved endings.
Hans C. Frederick There are times when a story should contain more than just the plot,and the facts.There are things such as mood,tone,and symbolism that add up to make a story more than just a rousing tale.And,due to the lack of an appropriate villain,that's what this adaptation is missing. "Lorna Doone"is moe than just a story about valorous English rurals fighting an oppressive gang of outlaws.It's also a nostalgic look,seen from the perspective of the Industrial Revolution,at a rustic way of life which has vanished.It's also a positive affirmation of what was referred to,during the Victorian period,as"muscular Christianity."And,it's also the sotry of a gallant,but inarticulate and lonely man's struggle,to find love,and romance with an attractive woman,consumating in a sharing sexual union. John Ridd,the hero of this work,is a bright,physically strong,but unguided and silent man,whose struggle is at least as much within himself as it is with others.And to symbolize this arduous and difficult journey,her requires a worthy opponent. Carver Doone,therefore,is John's alter-ego,and must provide a dark,Satanic antagonist,of formidable nature and significant evil.John MUST conquer his own shadow personality,as personified by Carver.And,on a more realistic level,Carver must be strong,virile,and physically attractive,as a worthy contender for Lorna's love. The actor playing Carver,in this production,is certainly evil,vicious,rodent like,and psychopathic.But he lacks grandeur,authority,presence,and that elemental quality to provide a characterization accurate with the book.Sean Bean did a much better job.
tdwig Despite the many glowing reviews also appearing here, I cannot recommend this production of Lorna Doone, now being sold as part of an otherwise great boxed set of BBC/A&E productions that also includes Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Ivanhoe, and others. The scenery is great, but the characters are just not likeable.Even I, an American, can recognize that every actor seems to have a different and varying English accent - it's almost like watching an international cast. The actor portraying Carver, the chief villain, is not very convincing as a tough, and carries himself like a dandy. The scenes of the protagonist mugging for the camera are numerous. The direction is probably to blame for this film's uneven quality.