tried to like it but wound up rolling on the floor laughing out loud...

Rating: 5/10 (13 December 2005)

...and probably ruined it for others in the theatre. I'm very fond of Jane Austen's books and was looking forward to the film. OK... in the opening scene where the "ball" was more of a barn dance with shabbily dressed and uncombed "townies" I shuddered and chuckled to my wife, "I guess this was before the comb was invented". I soon realized that some jackass set director (or whomever) decided to mix in a little Dickens to the Austen's Pride & Prejudice. All right, I tried to adjust my mental image of the Bennetts to be more like the Bob Cratchit family (minus Tiny Tim)... maybe it will work. No... I was too embarrassed for Elizabeth in her threadbare dress at Pemberly... and then finally with proud, rich Mr. Darcy sitting outside the Bennett house (amid the mud and the pigs) the camera panned to the Bennett sisters peering out the window at him ...THAT WINDOW!!!! Never was there a window in more need of paint. I leaned to my wife and tried to whisper, "they have a cook and a butler, surely the Bennetts can afford a bucket of paint"... but I never got the word PAINT out. I lost it. Maybe I was tired. Maybe I needed a good laugh. Sorry to all those in the theatre that night (although the laughter seemed to be contagious). I think those who made the film must share in the blame. Too bad, the script and acting was very good.