"She was sensible and clever; but eager in everything:  her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation..."

The reduced circumstances of the Dashwood family cast a shadow over the romantic aspirations of daughters Elinor and Marianne - who must learn to mix sense with sensibility in approaching their problems with both money and men. 

Kate Winslet has been widely acclaimed for her performances in theater and film, particularly for her part in the film Heavenly Creatures and for playing Manrianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility alongside Emma Thompson.  She also received world-wide acclaim for her leading role in James Cameron's Titanic