Far From a Boring Classic

Although I enjoy classic literature, I’m not a big fan of Thomas Hardy… except for his novel Far From the Madding Crowd. With its feminist heroine, Bathsheba Everdene, and cheerier outlook than I generally expect from Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd is a good read. Fortunes rise and fall, people fall in love, hearts are broken, and through it all the fiercely independent Bathsheba works to prove herself as a female farmer.

Like many classics, Far From the Madding Crowd has been retold in film more than once. It is the most recent version, released in 2015, that I’m endorsing here. I highly recommend the book, but whether or not you decide to read it, the movie is well worth watching.

Watch It Because It Is Faithful to the Book

I confess I’m one of those purists who get upset when movies are untrue to the books on which they’re based. If I’m being honest, sometimes it’s for the best. I really think the MGM version of The Wizard of Oz works better as a movie than a faithful retelling of L. Frank Baum’s book would. And while I voiced an offended “Hey! Frodo never went to Osgiliath!” while watching Peter Jackson’s The Two Towers, the fact is that it in no way diminishes a cinematic masterpiece. On the other hand, Jackson’s trilogy The Hobbit… don’t get me started. At least he made a great choice casting Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins.

The 2015 version of Far From the Madding Crowd by no means perfectly follows the book. (Are there any films based on books that manage to do that?) But it is a very faithful retelling of the original story. Whether you know and love the book or plan never to read it at all, you’ll be treated to a movie that is very much like Hardy’s story. Snob that I am, I consider that a plus.

Watch It Because It Has a Wonderful Soundtrack

Composer Craig Armstrong created a score that suits the movie perfectly. Armstrong’s original music is beautiful, but the highlight is his version of the folk song “Let No Man Steal Your Thyme.”

Watch It Because It’s Beautiful

Far From the Madding Crowd is cinematic eye candy. The cinematography and the costumes are gorgeous, and Carey Mulligan is well-cast as the beautiful Miss Everdene.

Watch It Because It’s a Good Story

As I mentioned at the outset, I love Far From the Madding Crowd because in it, Hardy spins a good yarn. People make good and bad decisions; they fall in love and get hurt; they suffer misfortune and benefit from strokes of good luck. Hardy neither downplays the harsh realities of life nor offers the bleak outlook that you can find in many of his other novels. There are plenty of reasons to watch a movie, but in the end, a good story is the best reason of all.