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Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition Customer Reviews (220 - 222 of 229 Reviews)

Austen's Work Brought to Life
I adore Jane Austen's writing. This version is really fantastic. I've read this book several times and this adaptation is very true to the written word. The costumes, scenery, all come to life in this classic tale of misunderstanding and finally, ture love triumphing over all.

Elizabeth's likable character is brought to life, as are all of Austen's wonderful characters, all with their own particular foibles.

Some of my particular favorites are the Bennett's clerical cousin, an odd-looking fellow, who, in his spare time, composes those little compliments that ladies so love to hear, the Bingly sisters, the eldest, whose angular features are almost as sharp as her tounge, Mrs. Bennett, who is comically annoying and there are many more who make this an engaging telling of Jane Austen's story.
I guess I can't overlook Mr. Darcy, played by Colin Firth, who while not my particular cup of tea, does such an excellent job playing the details of Mr. Darcy's pent up feelings of love for Elizabeth and his sheer and utter discomfort during disquieting social situations.
Set in the English country side, you'll want to brew a pot of tea for this movie. Turn off the phone and escape to the gentile world of English society.

"It Is A Truth Universally Acknowledged,...
"That a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." So commences what is very likely the purest and most marvelous work of fiction in the English speaking world - And thus, as would be well fitting, ventures to introduce Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet, our undaunted heroine, in this brilliant A&E production of the same.

Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is undoubtedly the most beloved work of literature contained in the whole of my vast library. I should therefore find myself hard pressed to ever discover a movie adaptation even approaching the magic of that flawless story. Yet - low and behold - in this wonderful movie I'm sure I've actually found something coming close...quite close indeed!

Miss Ehle and Colin Firth are simply lovely as Miss Bennet and Mr. Darcy. The pair have a wonderful chemistry, and this is definitely the best work that either have performed in the whole of their careers. Truly, they seem to have been born to play these roles! Supporting them is a cast amazingly well chosen for this so daintily woven tale of romance and self-discovery evolving within the intricacies of civilized manners and politics of the gentry in Regency England.

Alison Steadman and Benjamin Whitrow are perfect as the famously mismatched pair, Mr. And Mrs. Bennet, the parents of five daughters - Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia. Mr. Bennet is a country gentleman with a modest estate, which is unfortunately to be entailed away upon a distant cousin, Mr. Collins, in default of heirs male. His wife therefore spends much of her time preoccupied with trying to get her daughters married and obsessing over the state of her nerves. Mr. Bennet, on the other hand, spends much of his time in his study reading and sipping brandy.

When a neighboring estate is let to Mr. Bingley, a single man of good fortune, Mrs. Bennet is simply beside herself with the rapturous anticipation of his being introduced to her daughters and, in good turn, marrying one of them. Mr. Bingley arrives with his two sisters and his friend, Mr. Darcy, who it is soon discovered has a fortune and estate of over twice Mr. Bingley's worth. Mr. Darcy, however, is aloof and somewhat haughty - characteristics that quickly make him unpopular. Bingley, on the other hand, is friendly and outgoing, and is almost immediately taken by the charms of Jane, the eldest Miss Bennet. Jane and Mr. Bingley quickly fall in love. Yet with the differences in status and fortune, as well as the rather frequent improprieties exhibited by Jane's mother and three youngest sisters, the couple's road to happiness is to be a rocky one at best.

At the heart of this movie is Elizabeth, whose graceful charm, sharp wit, and intelligence catch the eyes of Mr. Darcy, who gradually comes to feel a passion for her against his own will. Elizabeth, who is for quite some time oblivious to this, is meanwhile aware of the attentions of two other suitors: Mr. Collins, the heir to her father's estate, and Mr. Wickham, a soldier in a regiment stationed nearby. Mr. Collins is a fawning, silly man, quite ill favored for such a pretty, clever heroine, and Mr. Wickham, though attractive and good-natured, doesn't quite make the sparks fly for Lizzy.

The sparks do fly, however, in every single scene of interaction between Darcy and Elizabeth. His "pride" and her "prejudice" go down the dance in perfect eloquence. Every phrase, every look or expression, every manner of movement between them speaks volumes.

I only have a couple criticisms to this movie, and they are minor, indeed: first, I would like to have seen Lizzy exhibit a little more softness of feeling and understanding toward her mother and younger sisters, especially her mother, whose first priority is to see her children well settled and secure in life - a valid concern which, to all appearances, her husband does not seem to share. In the novel, Lizzy understood this, and though those precious little offerings were very subtle, they were always there beneath the admonitions and sighs of frustration. Ehle's Lizzy appears most of the time to rather disdain their existence. Yet I see this as a flaw with the script and not with the actress. Another little problem I had with this film was how Mr. Wickham was presented. In the novel, he was more physically attractive than Mr. Darcy, and his personality was very open and warm. From the moment Adrian Lukis' Wickham first appears, one can see he's just a little bit shady. I don't think he hid his true nature well enough to attract someone as sharp as our Elizabeth Bennet. My final criticism applies to the dvd version only: for some reason, the soft, warm coloring is gone. Everyone looks quite pallid and washed up. Though it's inconvenient to change tapes six different times, I still very much prefer my vhs to the dvd.

Finally, all I can say is that this A&E presentation is not only the very best film adaptation of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ever made, it is the finest movie I own!

WORTH OWNING AND REPEAT VIEWING
I'm usually very hesitant about adaptations from book to film (especially classics), but this movie does justice to Jane Austin's timeless masterpiece. I rented this movie on a whim, thinking that it would at least be somewhat entertaining, but to my surprize and great pleasure, it not only captivated the true essence of the novel but the characters really came alive and stayed true to the story the whole way through. I eventually bought the DVD and I have NOT had "buyer's remorse" ever since. I get caught up in every moment of every scene of every viewing.

There are no annoying "Hollywood stars" in it like in Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility, yet the acting is incredible. Although I enjoyed Sense and Sensibility (on the second viewing because the first time I watched it I fell asleep), it doesn't hold a candle to Pride and Prejudice. This adaption lets your imagination steep in the imagery, language, and essence of the film so you never get "pulled out" of a scence. If you're unsure as whether or not to buy this gem, just do what I did and rent it for the weekend. You'll soon discover that your movie collection will be lacking without this rendition of Pride and Prejudice.

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