A really awful butchery of R.D. Blackmore' minor classic. It departs from the novel early on and by the middle of the movie I doubt that Blackmore, were he living, could identify his work by any means other than the title. The novel is highly recommended, this lame video trashing of it not so much...

Great costumes, wonderful scenery, great art direction. Unfortunately, this movie suffers from uneven acting and a lack of attention to period detail. The actor playing Carver is creepy, but he is lacking charisma and screen presence - he's kind of a sad little bully and there's no way Lorna would be unwillingly attracted to him (as she was in the book). The actress playing Lorna is sweet, lovely, and appealing but she too, doesn't draw me in.I agree with other reviewers about the variety of accents - I wish they had spent more time getting the accents of the time and place correct and consistent.Also, its really, really silly and takes away from the believability of the whole thing that one of the 17th century female villagers is wearing glasses. Some of the dialogue is way too obviously modern too: "All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy." "I'm not marrying some ignorant farmer," says his sister. "Not if he sees you first." Sounds like a conversation at the local high school. The sad,dramatic music is played way too much and too loudly and distracts from the scenes - overpowering music is a pet-peeve of mine. Honestly, while the movie was playing, I spent more time reading reviews here - it simply wasn't that compelling.Its almost like this movie was made for teenagers (who like romance). This is too bad because even teenagers like period detail and can understand quality movie making. They appear to have made some parts of this movie too quickly and had to skim over some elements - or some of the people working on it had experience and others were still very green. Somehow this one just misses the mark.

Read the novel many years ago. John Ridd was a huge man!! What a disappointment to see a medium sized man play the part, because much of the romance of the story (especially from a woman's perspective) was based on the 'size' of John Ridd. Also, Lorna was 'very' beautiful. The actress was lovely, but not what I would call 'unforgettably' beautiful. The story lost its appeal the minute I saw John Ridd the size of any other man. Also, he just did not sell me on the part he played. This is not the first time I have been disappointed to see a movie after I read the novel, and saw the movie industry take great liberties with some of the basic story line.

Not having television means I miss out on many of the gorgeous adaptations that the BBC features. Thank goodness I have a public library that is well-stocked in DVD classics. Lorna Doone is one such classic I have yet to read, but fully intend to do so after watching this stunning romantic adventure film. I had not realized the film was over two hours long, and I remained rooted to my laptop screen the entire time. I did not expect such a magnificent film. What could have been a predictable Romeo and Juliet tale had enough twists to make it plausible and more than satisfactory.While the other reviews speak to the plot and applaud the fine acting, I would like to address the authenticity and rapport. There was trueness to the actors, as if they had become the characters. The Ridd family truly seemed to care for another, and displayed genuine family dynamics. The only actors I recognized were Martin Clune who did such an unforgettable portrayal as Mr. Chips, and then there was the soldier who was Mr. Tumnus from Narnia. The principal actors were unknowns to me. Lorna did carry a regal air about her, even when she was thought to be a Doone and not a Lady. John Ridd had the earthy, honest nature of a farmer who had the soul of a poet. The mother was excellent in her ability to see past opinion and look into her children's hearts. I properly loathed the villainous Carver. Slimy and psychopathic, and terribly pathetic, right up to the end.I can't wait to read the book, because it's rare to find that a movie is better than its written counterpart. This might be the exception...