Pride and Prejudice

[silentscreen]

Does anyone else love Jane Austen as much as I do? This scene from the 1995 version of "Pride and Prejudice" is my favorite. Elizabeth really gives Mr. Darcy what for, and he deserved it. His pride was one of his faults. As I am going to be seeing Chatsworth this summer, and it's supposed to be what they based Mr. Darcy's estate of "Pemberly" on, it seems significant to me now. I've not seen the newer version of "Pride and Prejudice" yet. Can anyone compare/contrast the two who have seen both?

Brenda

[youtube][/youtube]

[mrsl]

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Silent Screen:

There is a thread somewhere around here that I wrote concerning all of Jane Austen's books, including the movie from a couple of years ago, Becoming Jane, that was about a book club using her novels as fodder. I never tire of any of them, from Emma, to Pride and Prejudice.

I finally realized you were talking about the 1995 TV mini series which I never saw. Hopefully Channel 11 will run it again sooner or later. If you mean the Keira Knightly/ Donald Sutherland, 2005 version, it was quite good and Keira did a good job of it. However before you can make any kind of intelligent judgement, you must see the original 1940 Pride and Prejudice starring Greer Garson, Olivier, Edna May Oliver, Edmund Guinn, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Marsha Hunt. Although in B&W, it is a beautiful picture, very true to the book, and naturally with that cast, tremendous acting is done. I suggest renting it before seeing the 2005 version and comparing it to the 1995 mini-version, although a mini-version has the time to develop so much more than a 2 hour movie.
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[charliechaplinfan]

I've seen the film version with Laurence Olivier, I remember enjoying it but nowhere near as much as the 1995 BBC version, it really captures the essence of Jane Austen's novel, I've no desire to see any other version, the 1995 version is perfection. I absolutely love Jane Austen, I've read all her novels more than once, another film version I enjoy in Sense and Sensibilty with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet.

[silentscreen]

I've seen the film version with Laurence Olivier, I remember enjoying it but nowhere near as much as the 1995 BBC version, it really captures the essence of Jane Austen's novel, I've no desire to see any other version, the 1995 version is perfection. I absolutely love Jane Austen, I've read all her novels more than once, another film version I enjoy in Sense and Sensibilty with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet.

I love Sense and Sensibility too, as well as Gwyneth Paltrow's version of Emma. I did watch the same scene as the one posted for P & P on youtube for the 2005 version, and it wasn't nearly as good as the miniseries from ten years earlier.

I'll have to check out the original with Olivier.There is a comparison of all three versions on youtube that I'll try to post later.

[charliechaplinfan]

Colin Firth is an added attraction to the 1995 version

[rudyfan]

Colin Firth is an added attraction to the 1995 version

I do love the 1995 version and have a great deal of sentiment for the 1940 film with Greer Garson (who was so wonderful as Elizabeth, many good zingers with aplomb).

I was unable to work my way through the Keira Knightly version. Really, I can't abide her and I can't tell you why.

Count me in the adore camp for Sense and Sensibility, it was and is a marvelous film.

Colin Firth, Alan Rickman.....Le Really BIG Sigh.....

[JackFavell]

Well, I am going to concur with the rest of the gang here, and say I love the 1995 version. The writing is top notch, really taking the time to capture the feel of the book and the acting is super. Everything about it is wonderful.

1940 version is fun, and frankly, when I think of Elizabeth Bennett in my mind, she looks very close to Greer Garson, though not a dead ringer, since I read the book first. The spirit of the book is there, though not the letter. I like Maureen O'Sullivan's Jane better than any other Jane. She truly is Jane for me. I just love her.

The Keira Knightley version has a good Mr. Darcy, nice sets, very good and beautiful direction, but cannot overcome the fact that they cut out almost the whole book. I do not like Keira Knightley's interpretation, nor do I like Keira Knightley. She makes Elizabeth a schoolgirl, with normal schoolgirl attributes, giggling as if she were going to a high school prom. That, to me, is not Elizabeth Bennett AT ALL.

Oh, yeah, Sense and Sensibility rocks!

[ken123]

My $.02$ - Films with Marsha Hunt MUST be better than films without.

[mrsl]

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Silentscreen:

Leave it to me to make a major foe-paw when discussing Jane Austen. I referred to the movie Becoming Jane - not the correct one for the present subject, though good enough to learn a little more about her. Anne Hathaway stars as Jane in the years leading up to her writing career, in the movie made in 2007. The one I should have been talking about is actually called, The Jane Austen Book Club. THAT is the one about the group of friends who gather to discuss her books, and it happens to be on tonight. I believe all six of her books have been made into movies and some I haven't had the opportunity to see. Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and Northanger Abbey have all escaped me, but I think I would love to see the 1995 mini-series you mentioned. I would love to get into a book club to discuss Ms. Austen's books, or to have a discussion group here on the internet to discuss the movies, once I've read Northanger Abbey. I'm so glad you said that about P & P, Jack, I thought maybe I fell asleep and napped through the middle, which I have done at times.
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[silentscreen]

[youtube][/youtube]

[silentscreen]

From the snippets I've seen, I agree with everyone here in their judgment.

Anne, I have the DVD of the miniseries on P & P. It can be found here.

You won't regret seeing it! Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle had a real life love affair too, and it shows in their performances! And yes, Colin Firth is a hunk!

Brenda

[knitwit45]

Colin Firth, Alan Rickman.....Le Really BIG Sigh.....

amen, amen. I purchased the VHS set of the 1995 version, and it is my all time favorite. Jennifer Ehle is perfect as Jane. I always thought (even as a young girl seeing it on the Million Dollar Movie) that Greer Garson was beautiful, but much too old for the part. Olivier almost always gives me the creeps. Don't know why, he just does.

Emma Thompson's version of Sense and Sensibility ROCKS. Gywneth Paltrow's Emma is very good, but Jeremy Northam....whew! add him to the "big sigh" comment.

I have the DVD of 1995's Persuasion, with Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds, and it is actually the one I pull out to watch on a snowy day. btw, could someone tell me how to pronounce Mr. Hinds first name? I always stumble over it.

[jdb1]

Does anyone else love Jane Austen as much as I do? This scene from the 1995 version of "Pride and Prejudice" is my favorite. Elizabeth really gives Mr. Darcy what for, and he deserved it. His pride was one of his faults. As I am going to be seeing Chatsworth this summer, and it's supposed to be what they based Mr. Darcy's estate of "Pemberly" on, it seems significant to me now. I've not seen the newer version of "Pride and Prejudice" yet. Can anyone compare/contrast the two who have seen both?

Brenda
I like Austen's books, but I am sick unto death of this innundation of Austen-based films. Was there a sale on Regency period costumes or something, so every movie and TV studio decided to film an Austen book? Enough already. There are other authors, even from Austen's time.

Have you ever read anything by Barbara Pym, Brenda? In Britain she is known as the "20th Century Jane Austen" (she wrote most of her books in the 1950s and 60s, and passed away in the early 80s). Pym is one of my very favorite writers.

[JackFavell]

ditto Jeremy Northam ---- yeah baby! PERFECT Mr. Knightley.

I actually liked The Jane Austen Book Club, it was a good movie.

Becoming Jane was also pretty good, if you don't know anything about Jane Austen. It was fun.

But my favorite of the spin off movies has got to be Clueless... DON"T SHOOT ME! It's hysterical and I really think it captures the idea of Emma perfectly.

[silentscreen]

"Have you ever read anything by Barbara Pym, Brenda? In Britain she is known as the "20th Century Jane Austen" (she wrote most of her books in the 1950s and 60s, and passed away in the early 80s). Pym is one of my very favorite writers."

I have not read any of her books. I'll have to check her out.

Brenda