A bright, sparkling adaptation

Rating: 8/10 (6 February 2007)

I have to say that when I first heard they were remaking Pride and Prejudice, I was a bit incredulous. I've read P&P once a year, every year, since I was 12, and since seeing the 1995 A&E/BBC version, I wondered why another version was even necessary. I thought Kiera Knightly could probably pull off Elizabeth, but had never heard of Matthew Macfadyen...and who could compare to to Colin Firth?
But, never one to miss an interpretation of P&P, I went and saw it in the theater. And I had to admit, rather quickly, that it was exceptionally well-done. Not perfect, but in the short run time, they managed to fit a lot in, as well as convey some things that, frankly, didn't make it into 1995's near-perfect film. For one, the book leaves you with the impression that the Bennett family, while capable of employing servants, are not exceptionally wealthy. In the 1995 version, I was surprised at how, well, more than middle class they appeared. In this version, though, Longbourne looks more how like I always pictured it in the book: a bit shabby and lived in, but home. I was also impressed with the assembly in this version. It's fast and loud, joyful and infectious, and it truly conveys why the 5 Bennett girls enjoy dancing so much.
But the true surprise was Matthew MacFadyen. As Darcy, he grew on me, almost as Darcy grows on Elizabeth, becoming more handsome as the movie progressed. MacFadyen lends an intensity to Darcy that (and I never thought I'd admit something like this) Colin Firth's portrayal lacked. One of the touches of MacFadyen's Darcy that I particularly liked were his stutters in both proposals. Things become more real when you say them out loud, and here is a man, declaring his love to a woman that his entire upbringing has told his is beneath his notice...it's part nerves, partly (at least in the first proposal) fighting against himself, and it just worked.
The secondary supporting cast are all fantastic: Tom Hollander's Collins is less simpering, Dame Judy Dench's Lady Catherine is more imperious, Wickham is more handsome than his 1995 mini-series counterpart (so it's more obvious why Elizabeth is initially attracted to him), and Charlotte Lucas shows more of the desperation of her situation.
Overall, I loved it, just as much as the 1995 version, and it's found a home in my DVD collection, right alongside the mini-series. I think Jane would be pleased as well.