35 thoughts on “MCM: Mr. Knightley

    1. Jeremy Northam in anything–that’s anything; the guy can play Mr. Knightley and Dean Martin and Ivor Novello and Thomas More, AND Bertrand Russell. All that range and gravitas, plus he’s so damned pretty.

    2. He is the best of a creepy character…hate those men of old jonesing for young girls. The worst though is Roger Carbury of The Way We Live now…he is even creepier in the book.

  1. Jeremy Northam will always be my Mr. Knightley, although Mark Strong makes a strong case. Johnny Flynn doesn’t look old enough to have held Emma as a baby unless he was a very strong 5 year old.

  2. I like Jeremy Northam, but Romola is my favorite Emma, which makes the Johnny Lee Miller pairing my favorite.

    My first reaction was, “Another Emma…?” But the trailer looked funny, so I’ll watch it and probably enjoy it. After Vanity Fair, I can totally believe Johnny Flynn in the “scolding brother figure who realizes he’s in love.”

  3. I loved Mark Strong’s performance as Mr Knightley! I never even noticed the wig, so a rewatch may be in order. Jeremy Northam is wonderful, but I couldn’t stand Gwyneth’s version of Emma and never made it through the movie.

    Not sure how I feel about Johnny Flynn being cast as Knightley. My concern is that he’s almost too young for the part, like Timothée Chalamet was as Laurie in Little Women.

    1. My concern is that he’s almost too young for the part, like Timothée Chalamet was as Laurie in Little Women.

      I don’t mean to go off topic, but Timothée Chalamet is 23 years old and will be 24 near the end of the month. How is he too old to play Laurie Laurence in “Little Women”?

      1. I said too young, not too old. He may be 23, but he looks like he’s 16. In movie he looks younger than both Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh, and considering he plays a romantic interest for both of them, that’s not good. I think he was a poor choice for the role.

        1. I think he looks absolutely adorable, but my mom said the same thing — “how old is the actress playing Jo? She looks way older than Laurie!” :P

        2. I also meant “too young”. My mistake, typing error. Regardless of his looks, Chalamet is technically not too young to portray Laurie.

          1. Except his looks do factor in. If he looks younger than his romantic interests, it takes you out of the story a little bit. The fact that he looks like a child compared to the other characters feels weird.

  4. Actually, Jonny Lee Miller is my favorite Mr. Knightley. He reminds me of the literary character a bit more than the other actors. But I liked them all . . . well, I don’t know about Mark Strong. His Mr. Knightley came off as a bit too intense. As for this new actor . . . I don’t know how he will turn out.

  5. excuse me, but how is this even a question?! No one will ever by Mr. Knightley to me but Mr. Northam. When Emma says, “Now I may call you MY Mr. Knightley,” it doesn’t get any better than that as far as I’m concerned.

    I guess I was living under a rock but I didn’t know there was a new version of Emma coming – will be in the lookout.

  6. Oh, John Carson is my Mr. Knightley, hands down!! No Knightley has ever come as close to perfection, in my opinion. He’s the only one who actually demonstrates the age difference well on screen, but he balances it with moments of utter adorableness. He walks that line perfectly between being a stern, uncle-like figure, and showing affection and concern for Emma. He becomes positively giddy when Emma tells him that she loves him back, it’s so sweet!! With all the other adaptations, Knightley appears too young to actually have the perspective Emma eventually realizes she needs; they just squabble like brother and sister. You don’t get the sense that he actually has the upper hand in experience and worldliness.

  7. Knightley is a tie between Northam and Miller for me. But the 2009 Emma is also my definitive version so Miller edges out.

    I really loved Flynn as Dobbin in Vanity Fair, so I’m willing to give him a shot as Knightley. Never saw Les Miserables, frankly.

  8. Both Johnny Flynn and Jeremy Northam look way too young for the role, in my opinion, especially since Gwyneth Paltrow looks significantly older than Emma.

  9. Jeremy Northam’s Knightley will always be my favorite. None of the others can even come close to him, since he plays Knightley with a sense of humor that softens some of his harsh actions. He interprets a lot of the lecturing as flirty banter and I love that.

    My first reaction to the trailer was NOPE, especially when I saw a blond Knightley (it doesn’t work for me) but it looks hysterical and the actress playing Emma has a perfect snotty sneer, so I’ll see it. I imagine she’ll be a hoot even if this Knightley doesn’t win me over.

  10. I like Jonny, Jeremy, and Mark. This new guy looks far too young. Knightley is supposed to be around my age–36, not like he’s 26. Plus, he looks like he’s a bounder–much like Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park.

  11. Where is Brent Bailey on this list?! While I actually really liked Miller in the role, I think he does a great job in Emma Approved of making Knightley feel like someone Emma genuinely looks for approval from (which makes the end section so sweet!)

    1. I loved Emma Approved! It wasn’t a period adaptation, obiously, so maybe that’s why they didn’t include it. But I thought they did such a good job with that dynamic.

  12. You missed Paul Rudd in MY definitive Emma – Clueless! Yeah, the 90s fashion aren’t quite vintage yet, but he’s perfect! (And freakishly unchanged…)

  13. I wish you could combine the two 90’s Emma adaptations – have Kate Beckinsale with Jeremy Northam. I wasn’t crazy about Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma, and, much as I enjoy him in other things, Mark Strong didn’t feel right to me either.

  14. Mark Strong was lovely as Mr Knightley – the moral compass who isn’t afraid to tell Emma to her face that she’s wrong, or to admit that he’s wrong either. And Kate Beckinsale was a delightful Emma, the best of the bunch in my opinion.

  15. Oh, dear! As someone else said, “Jeremy Northam will always be MY Mr. Knightley.” He’s the best-looking of the bunch, and I thought he played the role to perfection. That said, the Gwenyth Paltrow/Jeremy Northam version of Emma is the only one I’ve seen. I’ve always loved that version and have never felt the need to watch other versions. Also, I have to second what someone else said: My 2nd-favorite Mr. Knightley is Paul Rudd’s character from “Clueless,” which is disqualified from your list, but still merits a mention here, in my opinion. I think Mark Strong is very attractive, but just based off the pictures, I don’t see him as Mr. Knightley, and he and Kate Beckinsale seem to have no chemistry–once again, just based off these pictures; I didn’t see it. I could easily picture Johnny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightley. The young guy from the 2020 version, looks too young, bratty, and rascally to me. I’ll probably give the 2020 version a pass.

  16. Gwyneth is 11 years younger than Jeremy. But maybe we’re talking man/woman actor years.

  17. Johnny Flynn seems to be a good 10 years too young for the role, but I can kind of let it go as (for out 21st century sensibilities) you could see it being a bit creepy for a 37 year old man pretty much grooming a significantly younger woman. Thanks #metoo for spoiling yet anther classic …….

    1. actually, Johnny Flynn is the same age of the character: 37. In fact, this version is the one where the actors have THE MOST age difference (13 years) and to be honest, I see it a bit in some scenes where he’s arguing with her (more than between Miller/Garai for sure, those two look like they are both 30).
      You all played yourself with this one.

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