I Was Appalled!

Rating: 1/10 (17 June 2007)

This movie makes huge mistakes with the Darcy character. The two most glaring are his two proposals to Elizabeth. Austen's Darcy would NEVER have accosted her outdoors, in the rain for god's sakes, to make his proposal to her. He would have been the perfect, proper gentleman. After all, it is his perfect, proper gentleman that makes us love him and agonize over the love between he and Elizabth. The second proposal is far, far worse. He accosts Elizabeth in the early morning hours in his pajamas! Arrgghhh. The best example of how Darcy conducts himself is exemplified in the book when he goes for a swim in the lake and comes upon Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle and is outwardly horrified at his misdress in front of guests.
The butchering of Austen's dialogue also made me ill. She writes so beautifully, so cleverly, and so subtly that it needs no improvement. The scene where Charlotte tells Elizabeth that she is engaged to Mr. Collins is one of the worst (and Emma Thompson did the re-write on it!) ever. "Don't you judge me, Lizzy." Terrible. Just terrible.
Finally, the last scene between Darcy and Elizabeth that was stolen from Sixteen Candles is an abomination. Gag me with a spoon.
I honestly wouldn't have liked this movie had I not read the book and seen the BBC miniseries with the phenomenal Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. It was turned into a horrid, predictable chick flick by the director and screenwriter.