Tiffany Franchesca Cruz

Annually a plethora of Jane Austen adaptations premiere from books, to television shows and films, each bringing the celebrated author’s work to life. Some decide to try to recreate the original source material to a tee, while others modernize, tweak or update Austen’s texts and approach—or they decide to create an amalgamation of the two maintaining the original storyline but adding something to differentiate it as a modern adaptation. Writers may choose to set the Regency story in a modern time period, or to use race conscious casting. or use another setting. This paper focuses on a successful and important example of this “third way,” the 2024 Sense & Sensibility released by Hallmark’s Mahogany, a branch of the movie channel aimed at creating storytelling about Black people and their culture while also using Black screenwriters, actors, directors, etc. The film features a predominantly Black cast and tells the story of the novel while also leaving easter eggs throughout that reference different historical moments, paintings, and Black history during the 18th and 19th century in England. In my presentation I will go through these different easter eggs sprinkled throughout the film, detail their historical significance, and discuss how they showcase an overlooked history of England that centers Black narratives. Additionally, I will discuss the significance of bringing this history to life. While also looking at how these adaptations provide a space for BIPOC Austenites and how the film received immense scrutiny online from Austen purists who continue to erase Black history from Regency history by questioning and diminishing the historical significance of individuals with African ancestry. 

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