The Lizzie Bennett Chronicles

The Bennett Girls

## Synopsis

A modern adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, that features the lives of four unmarried daughters of a Beverly Hills surgeon and a socialite/housewife.

## Plot

Lindsay Bennett is a young woman living in Beverly Hills, California with her family, her father is a respectable Beverly Hills surgeon, and her mother is housewife and socialite. The family is invited to a friend's wedding ceremony, where Lindsay meets William "Billy" Darcy, a handsome and wealthy son of a millionaire who is a long-time friend of the lawyer --, and --'s sister Karen. -- is instantly attracted to Jenny and likewise, Billy is attracted to Lindsay. During the wedding reception, Lindsay takes a disliking to Billy but when - invites Jenny to Goa, a trendy hotspot in L.A., Mr. Bennett asks Lindsay to go with them and she eventually agrees to do so. There, Lindsay and Billy clash over their ideas on men and women and the economic future between his family and her family. Later that night on the beach, Lindsay meets Johnny Wickham, Darcy's former friend from boarding school, and he validates her low opinion of Darcy.
The Bennett family is visited by Kieran Marshall, a family friend living in New York, who has come to Beverly Hills to find a "traditional woman" to marry. When Kieran is attracted to Jenny, Mrs. Bennett steers him towards Lindsay, making Lindsay uncomfortable. Wickham is invited to join the family and Kieran at the Garba, despite Mrs. Bennett's disapproval. Lindsay happily accepts a dance from Wickham, even as Darcy and Karen warn her against becoming involved with him. Lindsay angers her mother by turning down a proposal from Kohli.

-- comes to the house to bid farewell to Jenny and promises to write to her from New York. Laurie later announces that Colleen is marrying Kieran, much to the surprise of Jenny and especially Lindsay. The same night, Wickham also announces that he is leaving and promises to write to Lindsay. Neither -- nor Wickham writes to the two older sisters, but Wickham is shown secretly writing to Laurie. Kieran and Colleen phone to invite the Bennett family the wedding ceremony in New York. The family accepts and Jenny is excited to stopover in New York hoping to see -- again.

In New York, Karen informs the Bennett family that -- is in New York to meet potential brides, devastating Jenny, Lindsay and Mrs Bennett. At LAX, Lindsay, Jenny, and Laurie and Mrs. Bennett coincidentally run into Darcy, who is also a guest at Kieran and Colleen's wedding. On board, Billy offers his First-class seat to Mrs. Bennett so he can sit next to Lindsay in Economy class for the remainder of the flight. During their stay in California, Lindsay's opinion of Billy slowly improves, and the two fall in love.

At the wedding, Darcy's condescending mother, Catherine, introduces Lindsay to Darcy's former girlfriend, Ashley who mispronounces Lindsay's name as "Leslie". Lindsay and Jenny also meet Darcy's younger sister, Gigi, who tells Lindsay that -- and Darcy are not in contact because Darcy persuaded -- not to marry a middle-class girl with a "gold-digger" Mother. Lindsay furiously realizes that Darcy is the reason why Jenny never heard from --. Billy proposes to Lalita, who angrily refuses, blaming him for Jenny's unhappiness.

Back in New York, Laurie uses the family's layover as an opportunity to sneak away and meet Wickham. Billy apologizes to Lindsay, telling her that he has gotten - to reconcile with Jenny. Lindsay realizes that Billy was right about Wickham and calls for his help to find Laurie. Billy explains that Wickham got Gigi pregnant at age 16, tried to marry her for their family's money, and ran away when his plan did not work. They both rescue Laurie and Lindsay accepts Billy's proposal. The film ends with a double wedding of Jenny to -- and Lindsay to Billy.

## Trivia

* Among many other similarities between Pride and Prejudice and The Lizzie Bennett Chroncles is the obvious connections between names. Some of the parallel characters with similar/altered names are: Lindsay = similar to Elizabeth Bennet's nickname, Lizzy; Jenny = Jane; Laurie = Lydia; William "Billy" Darcy = Fitzwilliam Darcy; Mr Kohli = Mr Collins. Wickham is still Wickham. Even Darcy's sister is named Gigi, as compared to Pride and Prejudice's Georgianna.