What was intended as a day of fun turns into a day of agony for everyone on the Box Hill excursion. Things come to a head when, egged on by Frank, Emma behaves very badly, insulting Miss Bates. She is berated by Knightley and realizes that her behavior was shameful. She tries to repair things with Jane and Miss Bates, but Jane will not see her – although Miss Bates tells her that Jane has accepted a job as a governess, and cried all night. Meanwhile, Knightley goes to stay with his brother in London – he will be away for a while. When Frank’s controlling Aunt dies, the Westons expect him to propose to Emma – but his actions set in motion a chain of events that both shock Emma and make her realize something that has been in plain sight all along...

An all-star cast brings Jane Austen's comic masterpiece to life in this fresh, funny and perceptive adaptation. Emma Woodhouse is beautiful, clever and rich. She delights in the conviction that she's the perfect matchmaker. But she's playing a dangerous game as she persuades her new friend, the young, pretty and socially inferior Harriet, to reject an advantageous marriage proposal to a local farmer in favour of dashing Mr Elton. So begins a story which challenges Emma's naivety, her social preconceptions and her own relationships.