To think that Jane Austen would be spinning in her grave...

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

If she could see 'no tits' Knightly playing Elizabeth Bennet?! And as for Matthew Mcfaddyan [sp] he just spends the entire film looking like he's had a bucket of water dumped over his head!

I was more dissapointed by mr and mrs bennet than knightley or mcfadden to be honest. The relationship they portray in this version is NOTHING like what is described in the book or what the two brilliant actors in the bbc version (sorry cant be bothered to google their names) showed. Like I said before nothing will ever compare to the book or the imo very well done bbc adaptation! oh and Mr collins was too handsome as well isnt he supposed to be the greasy bumbling one not Mr Darcy!

Anniegetyourgun I was so disappointed when I saw the Laurnce Olivier version. They had changed the period, IIRC, from Regency to Victorian and Greer Garson was too old. So was Jennifer Ehle IMO - in fact JE looked matronly to me.

Keira Knightley is beautiful but I think her voice lets her down - she doesn't have much vocal range or depth and I suspect that on stage she would be inaudible.

I am wondering what sort of a job she has made of Anna Karenina.

and In the KK version, Mary is really pretty, much more that Lydia or Kitty - that ain't right.

Just ordered BBC version on dvd from amazon for £5.odd delivered - haven't seen it since it came out (1997?) 6 hours of lovely JA time, hurrah.

lol drucilla im watching mine now an mnetting inbetween. I've watched it so oftrn i could act in it... thats £5 well spent imo!

She should go out and get some acting ability implanted in her body. I have no opinion on her lack of breasts.

Alison Steadman plays Mrs B in the BBC version, she is brilliant, a hilarious high maintenance nightmare. Agree that Tom Hollander as Mr Collins was way too attractive. BBC Mr Collins is so greasy and crawly and ugh.....and therefore perfect. I did think Charlotte Lucas in the film is much better than BBC Charlotte though, you get a real idea of why marrying Mr Collins was seen as a good move for her. She porrays really well the feeling of desperation of being left on the shelf in early 19th c England.

I'm so tempted to pop my BBC P&P in the dvd player now . . . . .

I'm still pissed off that I can't watch Atonement as it features two of my least favourite actors KK and James McAvoy.

I love the BBC one with my heart and soul, and loved Jennifer Ehle in it, but... she was too old.

Agree squoosh about the Charlotte Lucas character I think perhaps she is the only one portrayed better in this version. Also think that miss bingley is too pretty is the kk version too and not bitchy enough!

I actually quite like the rusticness of the kk version, but I don't much like KK in it, not because of her thinness (and COME ON at all the comments from the OP about her figure) but I think she is an annoying actress. But some of the rest of it was far better than the bBC version, a better Mr Darcy, better Mr and Mrs Bennett (Donald Sutherland was brilliant, and Brenda Blethyn was far better than Alison steadman's ridiculously raucous Mrs B).

I think the BBC version is now extremely dated - very staid, too tidy and prim looking, and the 5-way reaction shots to everything are rather tiresome. Also all the Bennett sisters were too old - they are supposed to be young girls.

I think the BBC version is brilliant. Firth captures the dour Darcy perfectly (although he is perhaps a little too good looking). The KK version just didn't reflect the book in so many ways.

Anna chancellor was a great Miss Bingley but again, too old as to appear unrealistic. I like Kelly Reilly and think she wasn't bitchy eneough (or perhaps her part was cut).

I think it is very difficult to get all the nuances of the story within a standard film time. I do like the way the film ended with Donald sutherland though - very sweet.

I think what is clear though (and watched the Emma Thompson S and S last week also) is what a fucking awful life women of any class had in that era. No real choice.

I just watched the beeb version this week (on Netflix if anyone has it) and agree slightly with getorf about it looking a tiny bit dated. It is a bit too polished and unreal in some ways. The actors playing the Bennett girls were almost all too old. Elizabeth's wigs were distractingly bad as well and Jane was a bit simpering and plain not quite pretty enough.
However it has so many plus points and will always be the definitive version for me.

Jennifer Ehle is lizzie Bennett.

End of.

Well I liked both the BBC and KK versions BUT the BBC has the edge for me. The actor who played Mr Collins in that one was just brilliant. He made that part his own, so funny and exactly RIGHT and I am afraid no one can touch Colin Firth as Mr Darcy. Jane was a disappointment though, I always thought she was SUCH a lump, not at all pretty and I couldn't imagine what Bingley or anyone could see in her. Loved Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet, she acted the part perfectly but I am not sure she looked the part iyswim?

One interesting thing between the two though, is the marriage between Mr Collins and Charlotte. In the BBC version she seemed to find her husband as ridiculous as everyone else did the whole time but in the KK version you could see she was becoming similar to him in the way she got excited and nervous about going to Lady Catherines, which I think is realistic as married couples do tend to reflect each other after they have been together a while.

Also loved Rupert Friend as Wickham, the one in the BBC version was just a bit too smarmy. Wickham in KK really seemed to have a sense of entitlement and feel that he HAD been badly treated by Darcy.

I know what people are saying about the slightly dated feel to the BBC versions. These days we're used to such naturalistic filming that it does seem a bit posed in places. Have you ever tried watching the 1970's BBC Austen adaptations? So clunky.

I think BBC Jane is pretty enough, beautiful in Regency England was pretty different to what we know as beautiful today.

Firth IS Darcy. Darcy IS Firth.

Cheerfulyank she was perhaps a bit too old but then Mr darcy was an older actor too i.e Colin Firth so they were well matched iyswim.

Sorry GETORf but have you never read the book?? How can you possibly think the that Donald Sutherland was a better Mr Bennet??? I could hear his accent through out and it was so of putting.

Bit of a fan Zombies?

Mr bennett in bbc version was perfect. Sardonic, aware of his failings but also sanguine about them. Genius casting.

Donald Sutherland's Hollywood teeth was pretty off putting.

GetOrfAKAMrsUsainBolt Brenda Blethyn was far better than Alison steadman's ridiculously raucous Mrs B). But that was how Mrs Bennet was supposed to be if the film was trying to be as true to the book as possible! Don't you have any compassion for her poor nerves!!! lol

agreed Chubfuddler