What to Stream: Golden-age Gwyneth in 'Emma'
Emma (1996) Netflix, Amazon Instant, iTunes
The Basics: An adaptation of the Jane Austen novel starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam
If You Liked: BBC’s Pride and Prejudice, Shakespeare in Love, and Clueless
The Nugget: Paltrow stars as Austen’s meddling, but good-hearted heroine who causes all kinds of trouble with her matchmaking
Long before Goop and that conscious uncoupling, Paltrow was best known for her Hollywood pedigree and radiant screen presence through a remarkable run of titles in the mid- to late-’90s. (Seriously, go back and look: Se7en, Sliding Doors, Shakespeare in Love, The Talented Mr. Ripley.) Here, she practically beams as the vivacious title character, a young woman who’s too oblivious (or is it, um, Clueless?) to notice that true love is right in front of her. Emma isn’t among the best Austen projects — it doesn’t hold a taper to Sense and Sensibility — but it’s a lovely, engaging showcase for a star on the verge.
