The new Netflix adaptation of My Brilliant Career (2026) is an enjoyable miniseries, in large part because its main character is just so damn fabulous. The original 1901 novel tells the semi-autobiographical story of Sybylla Melvyn, a headstrong, intelligent young woman growing up poor in rural Australia. She’s sent to live with wealthy relatives, where her family attempt to make her into a “lady” and she falls in love, but she struggles with both because she wants to be a writer. The book was famously adapted in 1979 into a near-perfect feature film, but yeah, it’s probably too slow for today’s modern audiences. In the end, I’m glad it was remade because the filmmakers got a lot right (even if I have some definite quibbles!), the story sucked me in, and I’m hoping that new audiences come to know this great book/story/character!
Now, the problem is I read the book a good 10-20 years ago and don’t remember the specifics. So I had some definitely Questions about some plot elements that were likely changes from the novel. On the one hand, some changes were good, like incorporating the perspectives and experiences of Aboriginal Australians. On the other, I felt like they made main character Sybylla a bit TOO into the idea of being In Love, more so than she was in the book. Oh, she’s shown as resisting the pressure from her family, both for societal expectations and financial reasons, to get married. But I didn’t buy that the book character Sybylla wouldn’t have felt more inner conflict about being in love! That being said, she IS so charming and was well so captured by actress Philippa Northeast. I mean, who can resist a girl whose response to “What is that hiding behind those eyes?” is “It’s mostly concealed fury”?!
Back to the Aboriginal Australian issue, the miniseries invents several characters, all of whom I found convincing: Nell, a talented horse trainer on Sybylla’s grandmother’s estate; Betty, Nell’s sister and a servant at the same estate; and Charlie, the hot hot hot horse drover. But I was conflicted about how Sybylla befriended all three. On the one hand, that felt true to who her character would have been in real life; on the other, I don’t remember this from the book, and I wonder about ahistorically creating friendships across color lines.
It makes me think of the discussions I’ve had with friends about the new Little House on the Prairie (which no, I haven’t watched — I’m a book purist there for sure!), in which Laura befriends an Osage girl. Even more, her mother eventually befriends the girl’s mother. I don’t buy at ALL that Caroline Ingalls would EVER have become friends with an indigenous person, given I’m in the process and rereading the books (plus the fascinating Wilder biography Prairie Fires at the same time). And while yes, Laura Ingalls (and Sybylla Melvyn) both have the fundamental aspects of their character that would actually have allowed them to perhaps be open to seeing the humanity of indigenous people, the historical reality is that they would never have ended up in a situation where they could do so.
With the caveat that maybe I’ve totally forgotten that this element was actually from the novel My Brilliant Career, I am conflicted about going back and putting sympathetic-to-indigenous-perspectives people into actual historical stories. On the one hand, representation — and sympathetic representation! — in modern media is important. Native peoples existed throughout history, and have been omitted from so much historical representation. On the other, no, girls like Laura Ingalls and Sybylla Melvyn were never IN situations where they could get to know native peoples, and that’s part of the very real tragedy of history!
The other part relevant to this theme was the casting of Australian actor Christopher Chung as lead romantic interest Harry. Chung is of mixed heritage (Irish/Chinese), and I expected his casting to be colorblind. But instead, he’s given a (now deceased) Chinese mother, and I liked that the storyline addressed his heritage and how that might play out given the mindset of the time.
Back to the actual topic of this review, let’s look at My Brilliant Career‘s costumes, which were designed by Mariott Kerr (Anzac Girls, Deadline Gallipoli). According to the series’ executive producer/writer/showrunner Liz Doran, “‘Unbuttoned and dirty-hemmed’ were our guiding principles.” Which worked, because the filmmakers understood that that applied to the poorer characters/locations, NOT everyone. The more well-to-do characters/situations were NOT dyed with mud, hallelujah! The other principle, according to Doran, was “‘period possible.’ We talked a lot about how people might actually have lived and what those rooms and clothes would look like, but also which areas we could push a little — perhaps the color of a costume, or the way Augusta might decorate her home” (Head to the Aussie Outback in the Sweeping Series My Brilliant Career).
So despite the series opening with the year “1900” on screen, Kerr decided to push the silhouettes and details into almost the 1910s:
“I think the difference between Australia and a lot of the more so-called perceived fashion capitals at the time is that we were so isolated… Even if you followed the latest fashion magazines, traveled to Europe a lot, traveled to New York for the latest fashions, you’d always be that little step behind. If we were looking at it like a historical drama, our characters would’ve been much more dressed in 1890s clothing. But because we were lucky enough to have that period possible aspect to the design, it meant that we had a lot more freedom… Because our characters were so forward-thinking, we naturally ended up more of an early Edwardian rather than a late Victorian look overall” (Costume Designer Mariot Kerr on Bringing Modern Flair and Secret Designer Nods to Netflix’s ‘My Brilliant Career’).
I’m going with 1909ish, because even mid-1900s is still more frilly and loose than the streamlined silhouettes we see on screen:
The series’ dresses are definitely Edwardian, but they’re streamlined compared to the fuller, fluffier silhouettes seen pre-1908:
One of the few characters to actually look 1900-ish was rich socialite Blanche:
Sybylla’s character is correctly shown as chafing at many of the restrictions placed upon her at her grandmother’s house, including how she’s dressed. But, she’s also given some questionable elements like:
And while yes, we had the Conventional My Corset Is A Prison yank scene that I called out in the preview post, we ALSO got her turning up to Granny’s with not only no corset, but a chemise that was too short:
It turns out that aside from these on-screen shots, the actors weren’t wearing real corsets. According to Kerr,
“Partly because we’re filming quick television, we came up in the workroom with what we call an instant corset. Instead of being very stiff coutil fabric with boning, it’s actually a modern sportsnet, enough to remind you to hold yourself a certain way, enough to maintain the silhouette that makes a period look good. But it meant you could get in and out of it quickly.”
The miniseries expands on the character of Harry’s aunt, Augusta. She’s probably the wealthiest character in the series but also the most arty and forward-thinking, and Kerr took the opportunity to go in some really weird directions with her wardrobe.
Kerr was inspired by the paintings of John Singer Sargent:
“We looked at some Sargent portraits and enhanced them even further by using modern fabrics, beautiful weaves with metallic light going through them, which on camera reflect the light so beautifully. They’re almost almost like a modern interpretation of that painterly effect that he managed to achieve.”
I saw that the most in Augusta’s evening gown:
Which felt to me like a take on Sargent’s famous Madame X:
I also feel like I saw it in Betty’s party dress, which felt like it was recycled from a low-budget production:
In the end, I recommend the series! Yes, I had my quibbles, but at the end of the day, it’s a great story with a great main character, and there was enough about it that WAS historical to keep me from hyperventilating.
How did you feel about My Brilliant Career? Were you okay with “period possible”?
Find this frock flick at:
Very much enjoyed watching it … and yes, some choices were ??? but did not really distract from the characters (however, the use of modern music made me think of the horrible new “Buccaneers.”)
FYI – Chung (also so funny in “Slow Horses”) works a side gig as a personal trainer!
I find the loose hair illogical. If you’re a farm girl, braiding it out of the way makes more sense then letting it fly loose in your face and tangling everywhere.
I suspect that if you liked this, you should take a peek at GHOSTS (Australia) should it come to a screen near you: much to my amusement I’ve seen three versions of the same concept (Starting with GB, then US and now Aussie) and I’ve grown deeply fond of each & every one.
Truly, it’s a remarkably strong average.
I listen to the Little House audio books once a year and have paper books. It clearly states that Caroline actually thinks the only good Indian is a dead Indian. Pa is more nuanced , acknowledging the strength and knowledge of specific nations they encounter. There are only 2 interactions with non-white characters, the black doctor who looks after the family when they have fever and sickness. Also, Big Jerry, a Native American mixed race railroad worker who may or may not be slightly dodgy. Both are written to be positive and non-stereotypical, Laura says how much she likes the doctor and Caroline has to concede that Big Jerry is very kind to an old railroad worker. But there is no getting away from the fact that even if there was a chance of Laura making friends with an Osage girl, Caroline would not have entertained it……….Pa probably would?
What’s amazing to me is that when Caroline was young and her father died and the family was barely surviving, sometimes Native peoples would bring them food. Okay, also, sometimes Native peoples would TAKE their food. But either way, there you go — granted she was a child, but she had opportunities to interact with Native peoples that were at least sometimes kind to her family, and she grew up to form the opinions that she did.
I would guess the occasional kindness was cancelled by the unkindnesses and the unpredictability would be very frightening to a child
I saw a promo pick of a feminine presenting person wearing white tie tails, which wasn’t done until the 1920s, with the Bright Young Things in London, I’d doubt rural Australians were doing it, even well in the 1920s/30s! I adore early 1910s fashion tho, so I might give this watch just for the clothing!
I find imposing the way we see things today on the past is a way of sweeping the actual cruelty and racism under the carpet. You’re right to question it.
25 films that trace the truth about Australia’s shared history. Worth just reading about each one.
https://www.reconciliation.org.au/25-films-for-25-years/
Yes, thanks for putting that into words better than I did! If we make it look like “actually, everyone was Best Buddies back in the day,” that sweeps the real racism and cruelty under the rug.
PS I’ve seen The Sapphires, and have always wanted to watch Rabbit-Proof Fence but know I will sob through it! Thanks for the film recs, I’ll definitely check some out.
Just what was thinking. ‘Inclusion’ can create a false impression of acceptance
It’s good that they’re trying to input the occurrence of the Stolen Generation into the series.
Similar to Canada’s forced assimilation policies on the indigenous population there. Instead of ended up in residential schools like in Canada, the young aboriginal children were forcibly taken from their families by the government, sent to missionaries to be civilized, and then sent to homes of well off families as indentured servants.
The Stuff the British Stole series has more on this event.
Similar policies to Christianize the savages also occurred to the Māori in Aotearoa.
Also, you forget, in this version’s Harry’s case, to the British, being both of Irish and Chinese heritages, it’s the White Australia Policy that impacts his entire life. Just as Jim Crow laws in America, and apartheid in South Africa.
Yes! I liked that there was a scene where Charlie is asked who his family is, and he literally doesn’t know. And “Stuff the British Stole” is SUCH a great podcast!