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Emma

Emma

Cupid is armed and dangerous!

1996120 minPGMidcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Director
Douglas McGrath
Starring
Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Toni Collette, Alan Cumming

Emma Woodhouse is a congenial young lady who delights in meddling in other people’s affairs. She is perpetually trying to unite men and women who are utterly wrong for each other. Despite her interest in romance, Emma is clueless about her own feelings, and her relationship with gentle Mr. Knightley.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Emma?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Emma to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Emma?

Emma earns 10 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Family friendly.

Show 2 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Emma worth watching?

Emma's Midcredits score is the 70th percentile of all films, from 91K ratings across 6 sources. 62% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

70th percentile

Better received than 70% of films

78th percentile among Comedy72nd percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)70th
Approval (how many liked it)68th

67 /100

70th percentile of all films

79th percentile among Comedy74th percentile among 1990s

Critics 66 · Audience 67

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.9 — solid but not unanimous.

62% liked it

68th percentile of all films

75th percentile among Comedy70th percentile among 1990s
62% rated it 7–1038% rated it 1–6

Critics 84% · Audience 76%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

1 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 3 wins / 6 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Costume Design

94th percentile

91K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Comedy91st percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 4% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$6M
Opening weekend$241K
Domestic gross$22M
Worldwide gross$22M

Returned 3.7× its budget — 83rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

This is a light, romantic comedy of manners set in a beautiful, idealized English countryside.

Fans praised

  • breakthrough performance by Gwyneth Paltrow, charming and elegant
  • Jeremy Northam ideal as Knightley, handsome and warm
  • lush period settings, gorgeous costumes and cinematography

Detractors panned

  • Paltrow's Emma lacks warmth and feels cold or snobbish
  • miscast supporting roles, especially Harriet and Frank Churchill
  • pacing is slow and the film drags

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive80

Picture-postcard beauty, lush and picturesque

AtmosphereDivisive80

Warm, idyllic Victorian England

DialogueDivisive75

Clever and witty, true to Austen's style

ActingDivisive65

Paltrow praised by fans but called cold by detractors; Northam nearly universally lauded

HumorDivisive65

Light comedy of manners, some broad gags

Plot and storyDivisive60

Faithful yet compressed; some find it trivial or slow

CharactersDivisive55

Emma's spoiled nature divisive; Knightley admired; some supporting roles seen as caricatures

PacingDivisive50

Occasionally sluggish, especially in first half

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 14 points higher than men.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 16 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 11 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 9 points apart

Watch experience

What is Emma like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something warm that leaves you smiling.

It has a few laughs and leaves you feeling good. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Very little.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
JoyfulRomanticContemplative
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
WarmPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its material straight, with a warm and lighthearted sincerity that never mocks its characters or period setting.
The rideThe mood is predominantly light and joyful, with romantic warmth and occasional reflective moments, building to a gentle, satisfying climax.
StructureThe story follows a linear, three-act structure from Emma's confident meddling through her mistakes to her eventual self-realization and romantic resolution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

The answer rests on this: Feel-goodBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves you with a light, happy feeling from the witty romance and charming period setting, with a touch of bittersweetness from Emma's humbling journey.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Comedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11% (this title): Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1% (this title)
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Comedy: Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony. · Comedy of manners: Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).

11% of films fit this archetype

with Rags to riches underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film is a comedy of manners driven by Emma's matchmaking schemes and social missteps, with an underlying coming-of-age arc as she learns self-awareness and finds love.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsSelf-worth · 7% of filmsComing of age · 5% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe story explores romantic love through mistaken matches and genuine connection, while Emma's journey involves recognizing her own value and maturing emotionally.
StanceThe film celebrates romantic love and personal growth with warmth, focusing on Emma's personal journey rather than larger social issues.

The world

19th centuryRuralDomesticStylized realism
Orchestral modernJazzSupportive music · original score · Rachel Portman
SettingThe fictional country village of Highbury in Regency-era England, centered on the Woodhouse estate.
MusicA bright, classical score with light jazz touches that underscores the film's warmth and wit.

Content guide

Is Emma okay for kids?

PG

Emma is rated PG: “Rated PG for brief mild language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (7/100), sexual content at minimal (4/100), language at minimal (7/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (14/100) and frightening material at minimal (7/100). Overall it is heavier than 1% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UKU
  • CanadaPG
  • Germany0
  • France10
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil12
  • CzechiaU
  • NetherlandsAL
  • Norway12
Overall
None / Minimal · all five categories
Heavier than 1% of all filmsHeavier than 1% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 6%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 3%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 9%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 26%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 5%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is drug and alcohol content, heavier than 26% of PG-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Emma have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Emma?

Cast

Gwyneth Paltrow
as Emma Woodhouse
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Jeremy Northam
as Mr Knightley
Toni Collette
as Harriet Smith
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Alan Cumming
as Mr Elton
Ewan McGregor
as Frank Churchill
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Greta Scacchi
as Mrs Weston
Sophie Thompson
as Miss Bates
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Juliet Stevenson
as Mrs Elton
Denys Hawthorne
as Mr Woodhouse
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Polly Walker
as Jane Fairfax

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Emma?

Movies like Emma include Emma. (2020), Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Pride & Prejudice (2005). Of the 12 closest matches, most are comedies of manners, and most are films set in high society.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Jane Austen wrote 5 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Emma?

2.6K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: odd couple. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.