AIBU - Pride & Prejudice.

[2020iscancelled]

A much beloved book
A fantastic BBC adaptation mini series

Then the horror of THAT awful, awful Keira Knightly film.

I knew it was bad but I rewatched it recently and it is just terrible.

I will concede the film itself is fine, the locations beautiful and no issues with the acting per se. But it is so far away from the real P&P it’s actually criminal.

So AIBU?

YABU - it’s wonderful and sums up the story to perfection.

YANBU - it’s an abomination

isn't he supposed to be only a couple of years older than Jane & Elizabeth?

Yes! He's also described as tall in the book.

They changed the story slightly in the Sense and Sensibility movie to accommodate Emma Thomson's age. Her brother refers to her as an "old maid" at one point whereas in the book Elinor was only 19. I thought that Kate Winslet was the perfect Marianne though.

The point about mr Collins is that he was so unshageable, his age between 20 and 50 would've made no difference.

I think it is a wonderful version.
I like the rusticity too, reminds us it is a crowded house and why Mr Bennet has a study.
Also another aspect to Mrs Bennet, she is working hard to keep household functioning, which is why marriage prospects are more than just snobbery...there isnt any extra money to cushion Lydia's "fall".

@Ellmau

It's pretty bad.

But it is as nothing compared to the ghastly version of Mansfield Park which thought it would be a good idea to cast Billie Piper as Fanny Price.

Ha ha, I said a similar thing upthread. Billie Piper's Fanny Price is a benchmark for awfulness, I think.

I can’t remember much about it which is quite telling I suppose. I will have to watch it again.

The BBC miniseries was perfection in my view.

Mr Collins as described by Austen:

"He was a tall, heavy-looking young man of five-and-twenty. His air was grave and stately, and his manners were very formal.”

thought it would be a good idea to cast Billie Piper as Fanny Price

Oh god you’re so right. Whoever was in charge of casting that should be shot. I mean, they didn’t even bother to cover up her roots/make her eyebrows match!! I am sure all JA heroines look like they have just parachuted in from Top of the Pops!!🙄

Nothing can beat the 90's BBC adaptation of P&P for me but I don't get the hate for KK. She wasn't right as EB in the movie but I love her in The Duchess.

I don't like either version of Mansfield Park, either the Billie Piper or the 1999 Frances O'Connor version. MP is a subtle, subtle book; if you are going to ride roughshod over its subtlety and ignore the whole point and purpose of it - to the extent of changing the central character beyond recognition - why even bother?

You’re so right about Billie Piper as Fanny Price.

I don’t know who could have made such an awful character even remotely interesting but it certainly wasn’t Billie!

@OrangutanLibrarianGivesAnOok

Now don’t take this the wrong way but is it an age thing to think fondly of the Colin Firth bbc adaption?

Of course not.

My 13yo DD and her friends vastly prefer the 1995 version.

Matthew McFadyen is an appalling actor. Wooden, sulky and pained looking. He was terrible and KK is beyond wrong.

nah I liked it.

My favourite scene is when Keira Knightly goes to (Pemberley) Chatsworth House and it suddenly dawns on her how rich Mr Darcy is and she could have been lady of of the house.

Her expression is just perfect.

There was an older BBC version of Mansfield Park with Sylvestra Le Touzel in the main role. That was pretty bad too. I don't know what it is about Mansfield Park that makes it so difficult to film a good version. Perhaps it's just that the central character is so quiet and a bit boring and her love interest is equally dull. We are supposed to admire her steadfast nature, loyalty and moral good sense, and although its not difficult to empathise with her difficult position in her wealthy aunt and uncle's family, it's just not that entertaining.

@Livingtothefull

I don't like either version of Mansfield Park, either the Billie Piper or the 1999 Frances O'Connor version. MP is a subtle, subtle book; if you are going to ride roughshod over its subtlety and ignore the whole point and purpose of it - to the extent of changing the central character beyond recognition - why even bother?

I think whoever scripted that version wanted to make it very much about Sir Thomas's role as a plantation owner and so had to rework Fanny as vehemently anti-slavery. In the book, Fanny is referred to as having asked Sir T about the slave trade, and Edmund comments that it would have pleased Sir T had she followed up with more questions (so by inference whatever Fanny asked, she certainly wasn't confronting Sir T about his role - indeed, the idea of Fanny as portrayed in the novel haranguing Sir T about anything is laughable - she struggles even to tell him she can't marry Crawford).

I'm not saying that a film along those lines was a bad idea, but calling it 'Mansfield Park' was pointless as it bore so little resemblance to the novel in any essential points.

I haven’t even seen it and I have still voted YANBU based on the casting. Sometimes you don’t even need to see something to know it is shit.

I never fancied Colin Firth as he reminded me of my dad who looked like a cross between him and Harrison Ford.

I feel awful saying this but I though Jane in BBC version wasn't beautiful enough... And I thought Lydia in KK one was extremely miscast she had non of the playful charm she's supposed to have.

I will love the BBC 1995 version forever. I watched the KK film for a second time recently and hated it.

The film doesn't make it clear really how dreadful it is that Lydia runs off with Wickham. And makes the Bennets look like farmers. But the thing that really ruined it for me was when Darcy comes to the Collins' house with The Letter for Lizzie and... KK is standing there staring into a mirror? Wall? For hours? WHAT THE MERRYTON ASSEMBLY WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!

I found MMcF Darcy to be quite good - more reserved and introvert than proud though. But couldn't see how he fitted in with the other cast as they were seriously miscast.

Bah.

My order of merit of P&P is:

1995 BBC adaptation
Lost in Austen
Austenland (the film) because the JJ Feild character is a bit Darcy like and I fancy him as much as I fancy Darcy (book Darcy and tv Darcy in both programmes above).

Oh! And KK version seems to cut out all of Jane in London being snubbed? And the holiday with Lizzie and her aunt and uncle makes no sense in the film.

@OrangutanLibrarianGivesAnOok

You might be right about the age factor.

although I didn’t actually watch the bbc one until 2010ish....

It’s more the closeness to the book factor I think and finding the casting and characterisation far more believable

It may be that Mansfield Park is just not a novel that lends itself to dramatisation.

Fanny is timid & reserved for most of the book. This doesn't make her particularly appealing even in the novel - though it is unsurprising due to the way she is brought up. Paradoxically she is maybe the strongest character of all Austen heroines. Look at the punishment she gets for refusing a proposal, compared with Lizzie Bennet! No support from anyone.

That is largely the point of the book - how she comes into her own during the novel and her family learn to value her. This may all be hard to portray on screen...but why create a film named Mansfield Park and then make it about something else entirely?

florascotia2 I adore that version of Persuasion, poor Anne with her bitchy sister and foolish snobby father.

Captain Wentworth is a dream in this, steadfast in his love for Anne.

Woah, doadeer any chance your dad is single?

Just saying what everyone else is thinking.

Oooh slub good call re the duchess and KK, that was a good film. She was ok in atonement too.

Oh absolutely, did your dad have people following him home drooling by any chance doadeer ?

Most actors get typecast - both firth ad Hugh grant have done more interesting projects as they've aged.

Has anyone mentioned the 1940 Laurence Olivier Greer Garson version. I think that was the first one I ever watched. To be honest I will watch any version of P&P even if Billie Piper was cast in the lead