Pride & Prejudice

Plot synopsis:
This film is the story of the Bennet family, a middle-class family in England around 1800. The principal characters are:Mrs. Bennet (Brenda Blethyn), a hyperexcitable woman obsessed with getting at least one of her daughters into a financially advantageous marriage.Mr. Bennet (Donald Sutherland), who is relaxed, easygoing, and unflappable. He is somewhat amused by the high-spirited behavior of the rest of the family.Jane (Rosamund Pike), the oldest of the daughters. She is serious and thoughtful, but quite shy.Elizabeth (Lizzie) (Keira Knightley), the second daughter and the main character. She is wise, witty, and outspoken. She enjoys (and is very good at) verbal sparring and skirmishing with people.Mary (Talulah Riley), the third, not at all socially outgoing or interested in chasing men. She spends her time reading, playing the piano, and speaking of how much more interesting nature is than human society.Katherine (Kitty) (Carey Mulligan), like Lydia, is a boy-crazy teenager. The two of them are not interested in any serious pursuits; they just want to go to parties and dances. Kitty is impressionable and takes her cues from Lydia.Lydia (Jena Malone) is even more frivolous than Kitty.Charles Bingley (Simon Woods) is a wealthy and good-natured gentleman from London who moves into a nearby estate, causing great interest among the Bennets.Fitzwilliam Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) is an extremely wealthy gentleman from the North of England. Unfortunately, he is ill-at-ease and inarticulate in social situations. He does not express himself well, and creates a bad impression on people.The reason that an advantageous marriage is important is that the house and land are covered by a covenant that would give it to the eldest male heir on Mr. Bennet's death, but, having no sons, it will go to their cousin, William Collins. This would leave the family destitute.The film opens with a tracking shot of a green covered field on a sun-lit morning. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bennet walks along the field finishing a book. Upon coming home, she overhears her mother telling her father excitedly that Netherfield, a nearby estate, has been rented by a Mr. Bingley, a wealthy gentleman from London. Mrs. Bennet begs Mr. Bennet to call on Mr. Bingley, believing him to be a very suitable match for any of her daughters. Mr. Bennett finally divulges that he has already met Mr. Bingley--he enjoys playing his low-key detached persona off of his wife's hyper-excitablility. When he says that they can all expect to see Mr. Bingley at an upcoming public ball, all of the Bennet daughters (who had been listening intently at the keyhole) squeal in excitement. Lizzie herself and the eldest sister Jane smile with pleasure, as the younger Lydia and Kitty jump up and down, and immediately begin to beg Jane to borrow her prettiest pair of shoes. Mary merely goes back to playing her piano. As Mr. Bennet leaves his study and sees that the five girls were all listening, he simply walks past them, amusedly saying "Good heavens! People!"Later, at the public ball, the entire party is dancing, talking, and laughing; especially Lydia and Kitty, who seem to be giddy about being out in public in front of gentlemen. As Jane and Lizzie stand to the side observing the dance, Lizzie tells Jane that she has no intention of ever marrying. Jane disagrees and teases; "One day, Lizzie, a man will catch your eye and then you will have to hold your tongue."Suddenly, the room goes silent, as Mr. Bingley enters the hall along with his pretentious sister Caroline (Kelly Reilly), and his aloof, taciturn, and extremely wealthy friend Mr. Darcy. Mrs. Bennet, in her artless and self-conscious way, wastes no time in introducing her daughters to the newcomers. She also introduces Lizzie's close friend Charlotte Lucas (Claudie Blakley). While Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley stare with an air of superiority, Mr. Bingley strikes up a conversation with Jane and Elizabeth. He is very affable and pleasant, and he and Jane take an immediate liking to each other. They dance with each other twice, to Mrs. Bennet's immense delight.Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, does not dance at all. He hardly speaks to anyone other than Charles and Caroline Bingley. Lizzie overhears him make a cruel remark about her, leaving her with a strong impression that he is ill-mannered. She later takes an opportunity to engage in some not-very-friendly verbal sparring with him. She comes away from the dance with as negative an impression of him as Jane's positive impression of Bingley.At one point during the dance, Kitty and Lydia run up breathlessly to their mother, telling her that they have heard that the militia are due to stay in their town over the winter. This means lots of opportunities to meet men.The next morning, Jane receives a letter from Caroline Bingley inviting her to dinner at Netherfield, though Charles will be away. Jane goes there, but catches a bad cold on the way, and must stay a few more days until she recovers. (Mrs. Bennet apparently planned the cold in advance, so that Jane would have to stay at the house while Mr. Bingley was there; she had made Jane go to Netherfield on horseback in a driving rainstorm.)Eliza, worried for her sister, walks the long distance in the muddy roads to Netherfield to visit Jane. When enters the reserved and elegant parlor with her hair down and wild, with muddy shoes and skirt, Caroline and Darcy looked shocked at her arrival and her appearance. Lizzie apologizes and inquires about her sister; Darcy brusquely replies that Jane is upstairs resting. Eliza is suprised a bit by the quick reaction, but then smiles and goes upstairs to Jane. As soon as she has left the room, Caroline Bingley quickly remarks how disheveled she looked, stating she "was almost positively medieval."Mr. Bingley is looking after Jane while she is ill. Lizzie stays for a couple of days. Judging by Mr Bingley's concern for her sister, and his fumbling words around her, Elizabeth is sure that Mr Bingley is in love with Jane.During an encounter in the sitting room, Caroline shows her pretentious and aristocratic attitudes. She makes increasingly brazen remarks about the unpolished behavior of the Bennet family and even Elizabeth. She also seems to share Lizzie's skill at verbal sparring, and the two of them make sharp comments to Darcy. Darcy quietly hears hers out her venom but doesn't respond. He seems to be truly offended by both of them.Mrs. Bennet and the other 3 daughters all come to Netherfield to pick up Lizzie and Jane. Mrs. Bennet urges Mr. Bingley to hold a dance soon, and he says that he will. While getting into the carriage, Elizabeth is shocked when Darcy takes her hand to help her into the carriage.Then the dreaded cousin William Collins (Tom Hollander), a minister, comes to visit the Bennets. He is extremely shallow, pompous, patronizing, boring, and conceited. He is attracted to influence and wealth, and engages in transparently foolish flattery. Dinner is very tense; the family sees right through him. Lizzie, in particular, does some verbal sparring with him.After dinner, he approaches Mrs. Bennet about marrying Jane; finding a wife among the sisters was the purpose of the visit. Mrs. Bennet says that Jane appears to be taken, but that Lizzie is available. She is delighted at the thought of one of her daughters marrying the man who will inherit the estate anyway.The next morning, the girls go out to see a parade of the militia; Kitty and Lydia are particularly interested in flirting with them. Later, they meet one of them, a handsome lieutenant named Wickham (Rupert Friend). They all go to a nearby store to buy ribbons for the upcoming dance. On their walk home they encounter Bingley and Darcy. Darcy and Wickham stare at each other coldly, and Darcy quickly leaves. There is some kind of intense antagonism between the two.After Darcy and Bingley leave, Elizabeth, confused by the men's reactions to each other, asks Wickham about this, and he explains that Darcy had cheated him out of Darcy's father's generous bequest to him. Elizabeth is amazed at the story, but is not entirely shocked, given Darcy's personality. Her opinion of Darcy goes even lower.The family goes to Bingley's dance. Lizzie is particularly interested in finding Wickham, but he isn't there, presumably because of the antagonism with Darcy. Collins asks Lizzie to dance with her, to her great disgust. He dotes on her, but she hardly even looks at him or speaks to him. Then Darcy appears, and asks Lizzie to dance. She accepts, and then hurries off with Charlotte for a quiet space. They laugh in disbelief, and Eliza, smiling, admits that "this is most inconvenient" as she had resigned herself to loathe him for all eternity. During the dance, she engages in intense verbal battle with him, mentioning Mr. Wickham. Darcy gets extremely uncomfortable, but it is clear that the tension in their manners might be due to attraction.Charlotte warns Lizzie that Jane should show more affection and attention to Mr Bingley, to encourage him. Elizabeth defends Jane, countering that Jane is reserved and shy, but feels that the attention is enough. Charlotte maintains that we are all fools in love.Caroline notices the many social gaffes and generally low-class behavior of the Bennets and their cousin Mr. Collins, and she makes various disparaging remarks about this to Darcy.Bingley smiles at Jane just before the Bennet's leave, and Caroline knows the look on her brother's face means only one thing...love, and if she is going to have anything about it; she has to act quickly. She doesn't want her brother to marry a Bennet.The next morning, Mr. Collins proposes to Lizzie, in the most pompous and conceited way imaginable. Lizzie, who utterly loathes him, rejects the proposal. Her sisters (listening at the door as usual) are delighted that she turned down the pompous ass. But Mrs. Bennet is horrified that any opportunity for marriage has been passed up, particularly with the man who will inherit the estate. She demands that Lizzie change her mind. But Mr. Bennet sides with Lizzie.A letter arrives from Caroline, saying that the Bingleys, and Darcy, are leaving Netherfield indefinitely. The letter indicates that it is so that Darcy can go back to be with his sister Georgiana. Lizzie realizes that Caroline dragged Bingley away so she could set him up with Darcy's younger sister. Jane resigns herself to the thought that perhaps Bingley just never loved her at all. Lizzie protests and says that she is certain Bingley does love her, and that she should not give up. Lizzie tells Jane to go to London and stay with their aunt and uncle, and she is sure that Bingley will send for her before the week is out. The family bids Jane farewell the next morning as she rides off to London to seek out her love.Charlotte Lucas comes to visit Lizzie and tell her that she is engaged to Mr. Collins. Lizzie is appalled that she would marry such a shallow man. Charlotte replies that she is desperate--she is 27 and in danger of becoming a penniless old maid if she does not find a financially secure husband soon.A few weeks later, Charlotte invites Lizzie to visit her at her new home with Mr. Collins. Lizzie sees that Charlotte is genuinely happy. Mr. Collins takes Lizzie and Charlotte to visit his neighbor and patron, the fabulously wealthy and aristocratic Lady Catherine DeBourg (Judi Dench), who is also Darcy's aunt. Mr. Collins is extremely fawning and obsequious toward her. Mr. Darcy, and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam (Cornelius Booth), are also there.Lady DeBourg is an incredibly haughty, arrogant, insolent, and overbearing person. At dinner, she quizzes Lizzie about her family. She is openly disdainful of the Bennets' lower class upbringing (specifically, not having had a governess), Lizzie's unseemly (to Lady Debourg) outspokenness, and the fact that the five girls were violating proper social protocol by all being "out in society" at the same time.After dinner, Lady DeBourg commands that Lizzie play the piano. Lizzie protests that she is a poor musician, but Lady DeBourg is not to be denied. While Lizzie is muddling her way through a piano piece, Darcy comes over, and the two of them engage in some verbal sparring. Fitzwilliam comes over and asks about Lizzie's impression of her earlier encounter with Darcy. Lizzie relates his seemingly antisocial behavior, not conversing or dancing with anyone. Darcy protests that he is not skilled in conversing with people to whom he has not been introduced. The verbal jabs continue. Darcy seems hurt by Lizzie's reproach.The next day, Mr. Darcy comes to the house, seeming to want to speak to Lizzie, but is then totally tongue-tied and unable to express himself. He leaves in an apparent state of confusion and agitation.During a boring church sermon by Mr. Collins, Lizzie and Colonel Fitzwilliam have a whispered conversation. Fitzwilliam reveals that Darcy, not Caroline, was the one who had separated Mr. Bingley from Jane.Later, in a shelter from a driving rainstorm, Darcy meets Lizzie and proclaims his love for her, saying that this is against his better judgement and despite her inferior social rank. An extremely bitter confrontation ensues. Lizzie denounces Darcy for his haughty demeanor and, more importantly, for interfering with Jane and Bingley. Darcy explains that he did this because he believed that Jane was not really interested in the relationship. Liz counters that Jane is simply very shy. "My sister hardly shows her true feelings to me!" Darcy also makes extremely disparaging comments about the remaining members of the Bennet family. Lizzie also brings up Mr. Wickham's claim that Darcy had cheated him out of his inheritance.Lizzie is so upset by this confrontation that she spends the rest of the day brooding about it back at the house. At nightfall, Darcy comes by and drops off a letter that he has written. Lizzie says nothing.In the letter, Darcy explains the relationship with Wickham. Darcy's father did indeed leave Wickham with a generous annual allowance. Wickham demanded, and received, the full principal, then gambled it away and came back for more. Darcy refused. Later, Wickham returned, and tried to elope with Darcy's sister Georgiana, to get her 30,000 pound inheritance. When he was told he would not get it, he disappeared. Darcy's letter also explains that Georgiana was only 15 at the time, and was thrown into a state of deep despair by this. Darcy explained that he had separated Jane from Bingley because he truly believed that he was helping his friend.Lizzie returns home. Jane is also home from London, having failed to find Mr. Bingley. She tells Lizzie, not very convincingly, that she is quite over her attraction to Bingley. She asks Lizzie whether there is any news from the visit with Charlotte. Lizzie say no; she lies. She specifically denies that Darcy had said anything about Bingley.Also, Lydia has been invited by a Colonel Forster to go on a trip to the South coastal resort at Brighton. Lizzie thinks it is a bad idea; Lydia is immature and impulsive, and could get into trouble. Lizzie pleads with her father to forbid it, and is furious when he doesn't.The Bennet sisters' aunt and uncle, Mr. (Peter Wight) and Mrs. (Penelope Wilton) Gardiner, are visiting, and will be going on a vacation in the Peak district to the North. They invite Lizzie to come with them, and she accepts.While on their travels, Lizzie's aunt and uncle suggest a visit to Pemberley, Darcy's grand estate, which is nearby and is open for visitors. Lizzie is reluctant to be anywhere near the man she hates, but consents to the trip when she is told that Darcy is away.Lizzie is utterly awed by the opulence and splendor of the house and grounds, particularly a sculpture gallery. The housekeeper tells the three visitors what a kind, caring, and generous person Mr. Darcy is. Lizzie begins to think that her earlier impression of him may have been wrong.Lizzie peeks into a room where a very young woman (who will turn out to be Darcy's younger sister Georgiana (Tamzin Merchant)) is playing the piano. She then sees Darcy enter, and he and the young woman welcome each other and embrace affectionately. Lizzie quickly leaves and goes outside. Darcy follows her and makes an awkward attempt to be conciliatory. He explains that he had returned from his trip early. He offers Lizzie a ride back to the inn where she is staying, but she declines, saying that she will walk.At dinner at the inn, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner tell Lizzie that Darcy had come to talk to them, seemed to be a very gracious person, and had invited them all to come back to Pemberley the next day, so that Mr. Gardiner could go fishing and Lizzie could meet Georgiana. They do so. When Lizzie and Georgiana meet, the latter says "My brother has told me so much about you. I feel that we are friends already." Darcy then flatters Lizzie into playing piano duets with the much more talented Georgiana. The interaction between Lizzie and Darcy is completely pleasant and amicable this time, the first time that this has happened. Darcy is finally learning how to speak in a pleasing way.The Gardiners, Lizzie, and Darcy all go to the inn that evening for dinner. Lizzie receives a letter with the shocking news that Lydia has run away with Mr. Wickham. Darcy blames himself for this, for not having exposed Wickham's perfidy sooner. He then leaves, and the others hurry back to the Bennet's home. Mr. Bennet has gone to London to try to find Lydia and Wickham, and force them to marry. The family is totally devastated--in that society, an incident like this brings ruin upon the entire family. None of them will be able to marry well, and they will lose the estate upon Mr. Bennet's death.Mr. Bennet returns, but Mr. Gardiner is still searching. Then a letter arrives: Mr. Gardiner has found them, and they will get married if Wickham is promised a settlement of 100 pounds per year. Mr. Bennet will pay it, but they are convinced that the actual demand must have been in the thousands, and that Mr. Gardiner is paying the bulk of it.The newlyweds then arrive for a visit before going to the North of England, where Wickham will be stationed. At lunch, Lydia lets slip what was supposed to be a secret--that Darcy was at the wedding, and was in fact the one who had found her and Wickham. Lizzie realizes that Darcy had been noble and generous toward the Bennet family, and that he must have been the one that paid off Wickham.The Bennets later learn that Mr. Bingley is returning to town. Jane assures Lizzie, not very convincingly, that she has completely gotten over caring about him. Mrs. Bennet also feigns indifference. A short time later, Mr. Bingley arrives at the house, with Darcy. (There is a humorous scene where the family frantically cleans up the messy living room, finishing in the nick of time.) Mrs. Bennet, while pretending to be indifferent, is clearly excited at the thought that Bingley will propose to Jane. But the visit is somewhat awkward to all concerned.Bingley and Darcy then walk a short distance from the house, and Darcy helps Bingley rehearse his proposal to Jane. Back at the house, Lizzie begins to realize that Darcy brought Bingley back to town, attempting to repair the damage that he had caused by separating them. She realizes that her negative impression of Darcy had been wrong.Bingley returns and proposes to Jane, and she accepts (with the whole family listening intently at the door, of course.)The Bennet family is ecstatic that evening, until there is a knock on the door. It is Lady DeBourg. After issuing a few insults, she imperiously demands to speak to Lizzie alone. She tells Lizzie that she has heard a rumor that her nephew Darcy and Lizzie are to be married. She is scandalized that he would ruin the family name by marrying into such a low-class family. She demands that Lizzie promise that the rumor is false, and that she will never marry Darcy. Lizzie refuses to do so, and tells Lady DeBourg to leave, an almost unheard-of breach of decorum toward the aristocracy.Lizzie had been unaware of the rumor, and realizes that it must have come from Darcy, and that it means that Darcy is genuinely interested in her. She is so upset at the encounter with Lady DeBourg that she can't sleep. Finally, just before dawn, she gets up and goes for a walk outside. She meets Darcy, also going for a walk. He hadn't been able to sleep either. When Lady DeBourg had reported to him Lizzie's refusal to deny the rumor, he realized that there was hope that Lizzie might marry him. He says that he hopes that her view of him has changed from their earlier encounters. He apologizes for his past behavior, saying "You are too generous to trifle with me", and proposes to her. Just at the instant the Sun is rising between them, she accepts.Later that morning, in Mr. Bennet's study, Darcy asks for Lizzie's hand in marriage. Then he leaves and Lizzie goes in to talk to her father. "I thought you hated the man." "No, papa ... I was wrong. I was entirely wrong about him." He gives his consent, saying "I could not have parted with you, my dear Lizzie, to anyone less worthy." After she leaves, Mr. Bennet, who has now had three of his five daughters engaged or married within a few days, calls out "If any young men come for Mary or Kitty, for heaven's sake, send them in, I'm quite at my leisure."

Tags: comedy, boring, dramatic, cute, melodrama, romantic

Review:
quite disappointed in all the pompous idiots filled with prejudice about the movie.I know that another version of the well-mined Jane Austen classic would need to be brilliant indeed.
His capitulation to Lizzie is therefore more believable.Similarly Garson, Ehle and Keira Knightley illustrate the lively intelligence, sharp-minded wit and wry humour of Elizabeth Bennet in equally shining ways that nevertheless bring out different aspects of the character.
The surroundings both detract from the humans and function as appropriately natural settings for the dramas of human nature.Keira Knightley's swan-like Elizabeth moves with energy and grace, hotly opinionated and profoundly moved by principles and prejudices, and magnetically drawn by the seeming arrogance, reticence and gallant behaviour, finally revealed, of Mr Darcy.
This 2005 film clocks in 127 minutes (UK / Europe)& 135 minutes (USA & Canada) -the extended version allowing audiences to share more of the timeless love story with the main characters -Elizabeth Bennet & Mr Darcy.
Director Joe Wright plus his screenwriters ( Oscar winner Emma Thompson contributed to the final screenplay) have chosen to emphasise Elizabeth Bennet / Mr Darcy plus Jane Bennet/ Mr Bingley story lines & reduce Mr Wickman, Charlotte & Mr Collins to supporting characters.Austen's famous wit,satire & humour that forms the basis for her enduring appeal (Pride & Prejudice was finally published in 1813 & continues as an annual bestseller)is sidelined to open up this version as more emotional drama for modern audiences.If you are open to a newer interpretation, can avoid comparisons to the nearly 5 hour 1995 TV version which allowed for greater depth & detail in telling all the characters story lines & accept some of the new film's rushed story lines-you are in for a treat .....New British star Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Bennet))excels in her first real leading actress role ably supported by fellow Brit Rosamund Pike (Jane Bennet) as the sisters supportive of each other's & their Bennett family problems.Knightley at 20 is the right age for her character,this allows Elizabeth's girlish personality plus her character's pride, misjudgements & loving nature to shine through....Great star turns from Brenda Blethyn as their mother Mrs Bennet plus Oscar winner Judi Dench as fearsome Lady De Bourgh (Mr Darcy's aunt)add depth to this film version.Claudie Blakley as Elizabeths's wise friend Charlotte Lucas & Simon Wood's amusing Mr Bingley are delightful supporting performers.
One major surprise is Canadian actor Donald Sutherland's touching performance as Mr Bennet -capturing both the humour of living in an all female household & five daughters to look after with the poignancy of seeing his eldest children's difficult relationships develop -easily his best acting performance in years.
In the difficult role of Mr Darcy rising British star Matthew Macfadyen (BBC's Spy series Spooks & Award winning New Zealand film "In My Father's Den" rises to the occasion.With the short running time, there is not enough time to allow Darcy's repressed & prejudiced personality to be fully represented -Macfadyen perfectly displays Darcy's social & class problems, his unfortunate attempts at gaining Eliabeth Bennet's interest & his painful adjustments to achieve their personal love story.Macfayden & Knightley's objectionable first dance,their embarrassingly moving Collins House meeting,the unexpected Pemberley encounter plus their two proposal scenes are highlights of this film.
All in all one of the better films of 2005 -not perfect film making and not intended to be as subtle as Austen's novel -but a wonderful surprise with some changes to present a modern version of Pride & Prejudice for current audiences -do see this film as & when it is released worldwide....And after seeing the film or re-visiting 1995 BBC TV series -read the original novel for its classic storyline, memorable characters & Austen's brilliant writing style,wit & humour.....9 Out Of 10 for this different interpretation of an enduring classic.
"Pride and Prejudice" has been a favorite novel of mine since I first read it and I've seen Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson, Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle and now Matthew MacFadyen and Kiera Knightly.
The fantastic romantic world of Jane Austen again makes its way to the silver screen in Joe Wright's new adaptation of the classic novel Pride and Prejudice.
This adaptation is, for lack of a better word, a BRILLIANT achievement that keeps you actively involved from the first scene to the very last scene, just about consuming you with aching romance  and it is sprinkled with humour and intelligence.Still taking place in the late 1700s and still interweaving its story with timeless emotion, pride, narrow-mindedness and love, Pride and Prejudice (2005) zooms in on the Bennet household in class-conscious, stuck-up England.
It is highlighted from scene 1, playfully touching upon their sexual tension and gradually turning it into feverish love that sends chills down your spine.Every last actor in the cast of Pride and Prejudice (2005) gets to shine in their characterfrom Dame Judi Dench as a cold rich lady to Donald Sutherland as caring Mr Bennet, all except Jena Malone whose all too Valley-girl American attitude was distracting and annoyingly anachronistic.
This is a deeply dumbed-down version of Austen.Every hairstyle is wrong, the Bennett family look and behave like Californian hippies prone to spouting (very) occasional bits of Austen dialogue.I will give you one key indicator of how badly researched and produced this film is: at one point Lady Catherine de Burgh, one of the great snobs in English literature, is handed a cup of tea by a servant and says "thank you"!The fact that the Bennetts live in the same house that the Herberts inhabited in The Draughtsman's Contract is a surreal touch for any Greenaway fan....
Except for the scene where he gave a lovely smile - Mathew MacFadyen wore the same expression pretty much throughout, (which was not surprising as this Darcy was such a boring character), and Kiera Knightly just seemed much to flighty for Lizzy, she seemed more like Lydia.To me - it is the Benny Hill version of P&P - no subtlety, little wit, almost just slapstick.Thank God for the BBC..
The versatile camera-work, luscious countryside, grand settings, period costumes, and atmospheric music are evidence of a work on which much love has been lavished.At the heart of this triumph is the delightful 20 year old Keira Knightley as the assured and sharp Elizabeth Bennett, the second of five daughters looking to be married off by an anxious mother.
Matthew MacFadyen is suitably brooding and gauche as Mr Darcy, but the cast list is enlivened with splendid British character actors, including Brenda Blethyn as Lizzie's irascible mother, Tom Hollander as a diminutive cleric seeking a wife, and Judi Dench as the formidable Lady Catherine, plus the Canadian Donald Sutherland (Lizzie's wise father).This is a Georgian world in which social conventions present a veritable minefield for indiscretions or misunderstandings and in which a formal dance can be as intricate an occasion as international diplomacy.
There are so many clichéd shots (if I ever have to see someone stare at a candle in the foreground for an entire shot while having a conversation, and then blow it out for the scene change, or a door slamming shut with a dull, resounding crash directly into the camera, I may scream.)Darcy is boring; Collins is boring; Bingley looks like a woman; Mrs. Bennett is not funny as she is in the BBC version, she is merely irritating.
Another 15 goes to "moving" shots of the beautiful landscape, while Lizzie stares pensively into the distance.I offer this as an especial warning to anyone who has not read the novel, who would be doing themselves a horrible disservice by seeing the movie before reading the book and watching the delightful Colin Firth BBC version - which is in every imaginable way a superior film to this sack of sugary rubbish.
From the film's first shot - Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet wandering reading through a field at dawn, thus invoking all the clichés cinema has developed to address the phenomenon of the strong-minded rebellious female character in period drama - I knew I was in for something to make me want to kill myself.Joe Wright seemed not only to have not read the book, but to be under the regrettable misapprehension that what he was filming was not in fact Jane Austen's subtle, nuanced comedy of manners conducted through sparkling, delicate social interaction in eighteenth century English drawing-rooms, but a sort of U-certificate Wuthering Heights.
I saw "Pride and Prejudice" and was disappointed.This version of Jane Austen's novel guts the story of its social commentary and leaves behind a flopping insipid Harlequin romance.Or as a more eloquent writer, Langston Hughes wrote about "Porgy and Bess"Paraphrased (what I remember of the review): It is the frothy foam of a mug of beer.
Not only is this film confused about which time period its meant to be in, but the story has been mutilated beyond comprehension, if it hadn't been for the title at the start of the film i would have thought i'd walked into the wrong screen, and i cant think of a worse actress to play ELizabeth Bennett than Keira Knightley.
Pride and Prejudice is not only my favourite book but the Colin Firth version is also my favourite drama and Elizabeth Bennett a strong character with a certain essence and intelligence which Knightley was incapable of bringing to the fore.
This was especially apparent in the first proposal from Darcy, which was so cringe-worthy I could barely stop myself from covering my ears and running out of the cinema.This film was cast, produced and directed so poorly, I beg everyone to read the book or watch the original in order to enjoy this fabulous story and leave this pure Americanised trash where it belongs..
If you must watch this movie, rent it, but if you would like to enjoy Pride and Prejudice, rent the A&E version with Collin Firth, now he is a real Mr. Darcy!.
Although she was the best of a bad bunch she did not portray the Elizabeth Bennet of the Austin novel  never even came close.Matthew MacFadyen would have been better cast as one of the un-dead in Land of the Dead movie as his acting was as wooden as a flesh eating zombie.Simon Woods (Mr Bingley) with his crop of ginger hair and imbecilic smile.
And I have to say, I pretty much got what I expected - just let me remind you, that wasn't a whole lot.Firstly, this film is NOT Jane Austen's version of Pride & Prejudice - it's more like an odd, re-written version of P&P by Emily Bronte.
Instead of the novel's original clever, witty and fairly quiet suburban, drawing room satire, director Joe Wright chose to create a lush, sweeping, romantic saga, set against stark and gloriously beautiful locations.Essentially, the story is pared down to its bare roots -- Lizzie Bennett, a precocious and rather giggly girl, meets and hates-on-first-sight Mr Darcy, the uptight and taciturn friend of Mr Bingly, the new renter of Netherfield Park.
The story follows Lizzie as she first hates and then falls in love with the increasingly emotionally fragile Darcy, overcoming her prejudice towards him, and assisting Jane in establishing a relationship (and marriage) with Bingly.Sadly, many wonderful (and, in my opinion, extremely necessary) characters fall to the wayside - the clever caricatures of Mr Collins (the obtuse, silly, mean spirited cousin), Mrs Bennett (now just a tad whiny but mostly lovable), Mr Bennett (indulgent rather than scathing), and Lady Catherine (still nasty and selfish, but lacking any of Austen's delicious wit) all dwindle down to not-much-ness.
Sadly, any adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that reduces itself to 2 hours of screening time will never achieve this feat.Although there were some good performances, and some original takes on the material, director Joe Wright simply shot himself in the foot by his own endeavours.
Austen's original text relies on the non-realistic elements of satire and caricature to carry those parts, and in this production it is missing.Therefore, the onus is on the leads, Kiera Knightley and Matthew MacFayden, to turn this film from a mediocre remake, into a charming love story.
While Knightley is exceptional as Elizabeth Bennet (although supposed attempts to make her unattractive during filming obviously didn't work - an unstraightened fringe is not equivalent to ugliness!), MacFayden fails dismally at his attempts to bring any life or originality into the character of Darcy.
Unfortunately the movie isn't that good for a lot of reasons.What make Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice an amazing book isn't the love story between Lizzy and Darcy, but how she was able to concoct a full circle story full of subplots with so few in her hands.
Even the movie using most of the original dialogs, the actors seems to don't know whom they are exactly playing because they never give the impact or the subtle characteristics that Jane describes.Mr. Bennet in the book is described as a man intensively sarcastic, dried by years of a marriage that slowly replaced the love by a day-by-day consideration and convenience, respecting and being comprehensible to everyone but never being a tender figure, completely the opposite of what Donald Sutherland portrayed in the movie and his remaining American accent.
Whatever flaws do exist in the film aren't even noticeable, and once you're swept into the magic of the story the spell is not broken for one moment until the television is turned off.The true surprise of this movie, for me anyway, was Matthew MacFadyen's excellent portrayal of Fitzwilliam Darcy.
The whole picture house joined in with the journey, sighing, laughing and gasping in all the same places.I felt completely at home with all the characters, Keira is wonderful as Elizabeth, Mathew Macfadyen, tremendous as Darcy, Brenda Blethyn outstanding as Mrs Bennet, Donald Sutherland a joy to watch as always.
I'm not a huge fan of period drama but love historical films in general so wanted to give it a go.I haven't read the book (have too many I want to read as it is)and have not seen the TV version so I am considering this as a film in its own right, not as an adaptation.The acting was brilliant from nearly all concerned (particularly Keira Knightley and Donald Sutherland) and the film keeps a good pace (slow, dragging stories are usually my concern in this type of film).The one let down could maybe be one of the sisters (sorry, can't remember name) who was incredibly annoying - but she may be meant to be that way.Cinematography was also stunning.
After a good friend handed me Pride and Prejudice in eighth grade and implored me to read it, I have re-entered the world of the Bennet's each year wondering when a movie was going to be made that could capture Austen's characters I knew so well from the book.
I thought Rosamunde Pike as Jane Bennet was perfect, Simon Woods as Mr Bingley was charming although perhaps a little too puppyish, I enjoyed Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn as Mr and Mrs Bennet and I'm one who thinks Matthew MacFadyen did a very good job as Mr Darcy, a characterization which was slightly more user-friendly than Colin Firth's 1995 Darcy.
Moral of the story: if you're going to try to adapt something and make it "easier" to understand, at least try to do it without making a mockery of the best parts of the original.On the plus side, the cinematography was beautiful and the casting generally good, and at times it did seem a little more realistic than many period pieces, with mud and dirt and messy hair, but unfortunately this impression of realism is also partly because the makers changed the behaviour of Jane Austen's characters to seem slightly more modern and thus normal to us.
If you want better Austen productions, try Roger Michell's version of Persuasion (1995), Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility (1995), Douglas McGrath's Emma (1996), or my preferred version of Pride and Prejudice - the 1995 mini series directed by Simon Langton (not strictly comparable seeing as it's roughly five hours and the film had to fit the story into about two, but nevertheless a much better telling of the story).Or why not even go one better and try reading the book?.
It's not a word-for-word adaptation of the book, and cannot be considered a replacement for it (as in, "Oh, I always meant to read Pride and Prejudice, but now I'll just see the movie.") Die-hard Jane Austen fans might not care for it so much, but, speaking as someone who loved both the book AND the movie, I can honestly say that it's a very satisfying and charming film.9.5/10 stars.
~_^ So yes, even though it pains me and I feel disloyal to A & E and Colin Firth, I must give this film a 9 out of 10 for wonderful awkward moments, superb acting, and the most-perfect-to-date portrayal of Jane Austen's novel I have ever seen.thespian wishes, ~*kitty Walsh*~.
I could imagine Matthew MacFadyen as Mr Darcy after his great role in Spooks, but must say I was sceptical of the casting of Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Bennet) and Rosamund Pike (Jane Bennet).
Soft little touches like this, throughout the film, make it work far better than some dry BBC version of any Jane Austen book.Yes yes, I'm male, and I enjoy a good car chase and explosion as much as the next guy.
I wanted to watch it, if for no other reason than to find out.I think the only redeeming quality that I found in the entire movie was that the actors were about the same ages as the characters that they portrayed, unlike the 1995 version.I didn't care for Matthew McFayden's Mr. Darcy.
I couldn't look at Donald Sutherland and not ask myself, "What the heck is he doing in this film?" If you're a Jane Austen fan, I give this movie two thumbs down.