I've seen two different movie versions of this story, though there are several out there - here are a few thoughts on the ones I've seen!

The first move I saw was the A&E movie that came out in 1997, starring Samantha Morton and Ciaran Hinds. You can visit the A&E page about the movie here.

I saw this movie after hearing the show and reading the book, and that's usually a formula for disappointment, but I actually quite enjoyed it! There were a few parts that they skipped over rather quickly, like Jane's relationship with Helen and her whole time with her aunt, but I did love the development of the relationship between Jane and Rochester. The characters are supposed to have a connection, and I think that came across very well. I didn't like the character of Mrs. Fairfax very much...it seems to me that she's more jovial in the book...perhaps not quite to the extent that she is in the musical, but certainly more so than in the movie. Samantha Morton as Jane was very good...I loved the twinkle in her eye the whole time, that showed the spirit that lurked behind her composed appearance. And Ciaran Hinds was a very good Rochester...not exactly as I imagined him from the book, but still very compelling. Together, they were wonderful.

The other film I've seen is the 1995 movie starring William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg. The basic story is intact here, although there are some things cut out, for time's sake (a lot of the story with St. John, and with Mrs. Reed). As a result, the passage of time is a little confusing. Still, the atmosphere and sets suit the story well. I really liked Charlotte Gainsbourg as Jane (and Anna Paquin as the young Jane). Unfortunately I didn't like William Hurt as much, he seemed pretty lifeless. If Ciaran Hinds was at times a bit too gruff or animated, then William Hurt was the opposite. Somewhere in the middle is a perfect Rochester. :-)