Wondrous Adaptation

Rating: 10/10 (7 March 2006)

I first heard that this movie was being made about a year ago, when it was first being reported that Keira Knightley had been cast. I had little interest, being only fourteen at the time. The next summer came around and I turned fifteen and still had very little interest, although it was a little more piqued since Pride and Prejudice would be one of the books that I would be reading in my British Literature English course once classes started up in August. After plodding through Jane Eyre (not really to my liking), we reached Pride and Prejudice, and almost from the moment I started the book my interest in the upcoming movie reached a boiling point. I loved the book from start to finish and couldn't wait the arrival of the movie (luckily I only had to wait about four weeks from the time I started the book to the time when the movie came out). In my class we watched the 1965 version with Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul, which I thought was very good. In the weeks leading up to the movie's release I greedily watched and re-watched every clip I could find and also rented the Colin Firth version and Bride and Prejudice. I was expecting so much from this movie. November 11 rolled around and I was ecstatic. Well, the movie didn't meet my expectations at all. It more than exceeded them. Pride and Prejudice became my favorite movie of the year and it is definitely in the top ten. I absolutely loved it. I thought Keira Knightley did an excellent job, even if she was a bit too giggly at times. I thought that Matthew Macfadyen was amazing as Mr. Darcy. I liked him better than Colin Firth. The acting was superb and the story was amazing for being condensed by so much. The costumes and cinematography were amazingly done as well. I love the soundtrack, it was so beautifully done. In short, I loved everything about this movie, and it is one that I will watch a million times over.