I have now watched a second version of Mansfield Park, and it is superior to the last. This version stars Billie Piper and is a much more faithful account of the book. It is a bit short and could have included more, but overall it was a much more enjoyable and accurate version, so Austen fans will be more pleased with it.
The main limitations seemed to be cost and locations for filming...two main parts of the book were altered so as not to change the location of filming or include a greater cast. The first part was when, in the novel, Fanny returns to her childhood home to visit her family and think over her proposal. In the movie, she remains at Mansfield instead, and the Bertram family goes away without her to give her time to think things over. The second major plot alteration is when, in the novel, a coming out ball is thrown for Fanny, with many guests and a great deal of extravagance. This version of the movie again decides to stay at the same filming location, by having Fanny request to have a coming-out backyard picnic, with fewer people in attendance.
In this version, as in the last, some major characters were removed as well and major subplots, but anyone who did not read the novel would not know that anything was missing and still get a correct general impression of what Mansfield Park is about.
Overall, this version was more appropriately cast, and the actors' parts were written and directed to be close to what Jane Austen wrote them to be, so fans of Mansfield Park should enjoy this version. The modesty and timidness of Fanny is expressed well, as is the immodesty of the Miss Bertrams. Edmund is appropriately honorable as a clergyman-to-be who is confused because of his attraction to the appealing yet dubious Miss Crawford. I suspect one of the reasons I like this story is that Fanny does not make things happen. She simply lives her daily life, stands by her convictions, is modest and kind and devout, and eventually good things happen for her as she patiently goes about living, even if they did not start out that way.
Trivia: a friend pointed out that Fanny should have begun to wear her hair up once she was "out" (hair that was not styled or set, that was simply left to hang, was for children and girls who were not of age yet).
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