Jane Austen's novel Pride and
Prejudice (1813) has been the subject of numerous television and cinema adaptations.
The story concerns courtship and marriage among the gentry of pre-industrial England, focusing on the pursuit of love vs. the
pursuit of financial security and social status.
This Academy Award-nominated version was produced by Working Title Films, directed by Joe Wright and based on a
screenplay by Deborah Moggach. It was released on September 16, 2005 in the UK and on November
11, 2005 in the US. It was filmed entirely on location around the UK in the summer of 2004
and used several stately homes, including Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and
Wilton House in Salisbury (as Pemberley),
Groombridge Place in Kent (as Longbourn), Basildon
Park in Berkshire (as Netherfield Park) and Burghley House in Lincolnshire (as
Rosings - the adjacent town of Stamford served as Meryton).
Cast and crew
Synopsis
The story takes place at the turn of the 19th century in rural England. The Bennet family, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet
and their five daughters - Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia - live in comparative financial independence on a working
farm, Longbourn. Unfortunately, Longbourn is destined to be inherited by Mr. Bennet's cousin, Mr. Collins. As a result, Mrs.
Bennet is anxious to marry off her five daughters before Mr. Bennet dies. However, Elizabeth, the heroine, is convinced that she
will never marry unless she is compelled by true love.
The family is delighted to hear that Mr. Bingley, a wealthy bachelor, has moved into Netherfield, a large house in the
neighborhood. He is introduced to local society at an assembly ball, along with his haughty sister, Caroline, and reserved
friend, Mr. Darcy, who "owns half of Derbyshire." Bingley is enchanted with the gentle and beautiful Jane, to her mother's
delight. Elizabeth takes an instant dislike to Darcy after he coldly rebuffs her attempts at conversation and she overhears him
describe her as "not handsome enough to tempt me."
When Jane becomes sick on a visit to Netherfield, Elizabeth goes to stay with her, and verbally spars with Caroline and Darcy.
Later the Bennets are visited by Mr. Collins, the "dreaded cousin," a pompous minister who talks of nothing but his patroness,
Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mrs. Bennet nonetheless plots to throw him at Elizabeth so they can keep Longbourn. Meanwhile, a
company of militia quarters nearby, and the handsome and charming Lieutenant Wickham captures the girls' attention. He tells
Elizabeth that Darcy cheated him of his inheritance, and she renews her loathing for him.
To solidify his social position and impress Jane, Bingley throws a huge ball. However, Wickham fails to show, and Elizabeth is
forced to dance with Mr. Collins. She finally escapes, only to be asked to dance by Mr. Darcy. She accepts, but vows to her plain
friend Charlotte Lucas that she has "sworn to loathe him for all eternity". While they dance, Elizabeth attempts conversation
with Mr. Darcy whose replies are monosyllabic, or, at most, one liners. They soon begin to spar and the tension rises when
Elizabeth hints at her knowledge of Wickham's relationship to Darcy.
Elizabeth comments to Charlotte that she fears the vulgar behavior of her relatives will drive Bingley away. Charlotte says
that Jane needs to show more interest in Bingley in order to "snap him up."
Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, who (with support from her father) refuses him despite her mother's hysterics. Then Jane
learns that Bingley is returning to London immediately. Elizabeth believes this is Caroline Bingley's plotting to separate her
brother and Jane. Elizabeth dispatches Jane to their aunt and uncle in London - the Gardiners. Later, she is appalled to learn
that Charlotte will marry Mr. Collins to gain financial security, but agrees to visit them.
Elizabeth and the Collinses are asked to dinner by the overbearing Lady Catherine, and are surprised to find Darcy, her
nephew, visiting along with his friend Colonel Fitzwilliam. Elizabeth replies to Lady Catherine's jabs with spirited wit, and
Darcy takes an even greater interest in her. When Elizabeth is forced by Lady Catherine to play the pianoforte, Mr. Darcy reveals
that he does not "have the talent of conversing easily" with people he has never met before.
At the church, Elizabeth is horrified when Colonel Fitzwilliam lets slip that Darcy broke up Bingley and Jane. Immediately
afterwards, Darcy tracks her down and proposes marriage, offending her by admitting that he wants to marry her despite her lower
rank. Elizabeth refuses, citing his treatment of Jane and Wickham. Darcy defends his actions, but Elizabeth refuses to listen.
She finally tells him that he is "the last man in the world [she] could ever be prevailed upon to marry." Darcy leaves,
heartbroken.
Darcy visits Elizabeth merely to give her a letter he has written her, which states that Wickham gambled away his inheritance,
and that Darcy separated Bingley from Jane because he believed Jane was indifferent to Bingley. Darcy also reveals that Wickham
secretly courted Darcy's 15-year-old sister, Georgiana, with the intention of obtaining her £30,000 inheritance. When it was made
clear that Wickham would not receive any of Georgiana's inheritance, Wickham disappeared, leaving Georgiana disillusioned and
heartbroken. Elizabeth begins to reconsider her views towards Darcy and returns home, upset. Jane has also returned with the
Gardiners, but Elizabeth does not tell them what she has learnt. The Gardiners take her on a trip to the Peak District to put her
in better spirits.
As part of their tour, they visit Darcy's estate, Pemberley. Elizabeth is stunned by its wealth and beauty and hears nothing
but good things about Darcy from his housekeeper. Then she accidentally runs into Darcy, who seizes the chance to invite her and
the Gardiners to meet his sister. His manners have softened considerably and Elizabeth begins to show more sympathy.
Elizabeth meets Darcy's young sister, Georgiana
However, on returning to their inn, Elizabeth receives the news that her immature and flirtatious youngest sister Lydia, who
was unwisely sent on holiday unsupervised, has run away with Wickham. She tearfully blurts out the news to Darcy, and then
returns home, where her family assumes they are ruined for having a "fallen" sister. To their relief, they soon hear that Mr.
Gardiner has discovered the pair in London, and that they will be married. The family assumes that he has bribed Wickham, but
when the Wickhams return, Elizabeth learns from Lydia (which she accidentally tells Elizabeth, since Darcy told her to keep it
secret) that it was Mr. Darcy who found the young couple, and who paid for the marriage.
Later, Bingley and Darcy return to Netherfield. Bingley proposes to Jane, who accepts. Late in the evening, Elizabeth receives
a surprise visit from Lady Catherine, who insists that Darcy will marry her own daughter, Anne, and demands that Elizabeth
renounce him. Elizabeth refuses. Elizabeth is agitated and unable to sleep, and so goes walking on the moors at dawn. There she
meets Darcy, who has also been unable to sleep after hearing of his aunt's behavior. He tells Elizabeth that he continues to love
her, and again proposes. On this occasion, she accepts.
Elizabeth and Darcy ask consent from Mr. Bennet, who agrees after Elizabeth assures him that she truly loves Darcy and that
her condition for marriage has been met. The last scene shows a newly-married Elizabeth and Darcy outside of their Pemberley
estate.
Differences from book, other adaptations, and release versions
Differences from book
Most works of literature undergo significant cuts when adapted for film; in this production, the story was compressed into 2
hours and 9 minutes of screen time. Some of the most notable changes from the original book include:
- Heavy time compression of several major sequences, including Elizabeth’s visit to Rosings Park and Hunsford Parsonage,
Elizabeth’s visit to Pemberley, and Lydia’s elopement and its subsequent crisis.
- The elimination of several supporting characters, including Louisa Hurst, Mr. Hurst, Maria Lucas, Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, the
Gardiners' children, and various military officers and townspeople.
- The elimination of several sections in which characters reflect or converse on events that have recently occurred - for
example, Elizabeth's chapter-long change of mind after reading Darcy's letter.
- In the subtitles of the DVD, Elizabeth's nickname is "Lizzie". In the book, it is "Lizzy". She is also not called "Eliza" by
Caroline Bingley.
- In the subtitles of the DVD, Lady Catherine's name is "Lady Catherine de Bourg". In the book, it is "Lady Catherine de
Bourgh".
The filmmakers changed several scenes to more romantic locales than the ones in the book. For instance, in the film, Darcy
first proposes outdoors in a rainstorm near a beautiful lake; in the book, this scene takes place inside a parsonage. In the
film, his second proposal occurs on the misty moors as dawn breaks; in the book, he and Elizabeth are walking down a country lane
in broad daylight.
Differences from other film adaptations
Director Joe Wright was the only P&P director to use complex, sweeping tracking shots
that last several minutes, travel through multiple rooms, and highlight the different activities of many people. This technique
creates a strong feeling of exploring an entire era in one location.
This was the first adaption to cast a leading actress who was Elizabeth’s age, 20.
Changes between release versions
The American release version included a final scene (not in the novel) of the married Darcys enjoying a romantic evening at
Pemberley. This ending did not test well with British audiences, so it was cut for UK and international release. The British
version ends with Mr. Bennet's blessing upon Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's union, thus circumventing the last chapter in the novel,
which summarizes the lives of the Darcys and the other main characters over the next several years. In theaters, the British
version also included a brief scene showing the Darcys and the Bingleys emerging from a small church and entering a carriage
after their double wedding.
Reaction
The film is rated 85% fresh by Rotten Tomatoes [1]. It also garnered a
number of nominations in the 2005/2006 film awards season, notably four nominations in the Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role for
Keira Knightley, Achievement in Art Direction, Achievement in Costume
Design for Jacqueline Durran, and Achievement in Music Written for Motion
Pictures (Original Score) for Dario Marianelli. It was nominated for five BAFTAs, and
won the BAFTA Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer (for Joe Wright, director). [2]
Box office
The movie took the number one spot in the UK its first week, earning £2.5 million
($4.5 million) while playing on 400 screens. It stayed on the top spot for two more weeks, earning a total of over £14 million at
the UK box office at that time and was featured on 1,335 screens at its widest domestic release).
The film debuted with an opening weekend of US$2.9 million on 215 screens. Two
weeks later, this was increased to 1,299 screens, and box office returns increased to $7.2 million. The film has grossed over
$100 million worldwide at the cinema box office.
DVD
See also
External links
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