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

It’s dreadful. YANBU

@Ifyourefeelingsinister

There's snogging? I haven't watched it - am a devotee of the Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth version so never saw the point, but part of its joy is that is no kissing until right at the end, but lots of burning glances.

There isn’t, I don’t know what the poster who said that is referring to...

@VegetableLove

Jennifer Ehle was perfect.

When the 2008 Kiera knightley movie was in the works, I was hoping they would cast Gemma Arterton in the role - I thought she would have suited the character and done as good a job as Ehle. She’s a bit too old to play a Lizzie now though.

I’ve had enough of Pride and Prejudice remakes though - I’d like to have a definitive screen adaptation of Persuasion and Bronte’s Wuthering Heights - in the same way all Austen fans know that the BBC p&p is the ultimate adaptation.

Snogging is never mentioned in the book....

YANBU The film is AWFUL!

I love the BBC version. My guilty pleasure is having a duvet day and watch the whole thing back to back while eating crisps! This unfortunately only happens about once a year.. but now you've put it in my mind it may happen this weekend!

I rewatched it last night. It's dreadful. Kk is just not Lizzie. There's no chemistry between the main couples. The lifestyle seems all wrong - they are of the gentleman class in the book, just not quite in Darcy's league.

Mr and Mrs Bennett and Jane are well-cast though.

@unicornpower

Awful film! It irked me how they portray the bennets as almost farmers in the film whereas they were 'comfortable' in the book. The BBC adaptation is perfect and I honestly don't see the need for more remakes 🤣

KK is not lizzie in the slightest but I find her excruciatingly irritating anyway so I am biased haha

Agreed, they're meant to be fairly well off, they have a carriage, and the money issues come from the lack of male heir meaning the estate and income are entailed away, rather than a current shortage.

I prefer the toned down Mrs Bennet in this version, as well as Jane (I know this is harsh, but I just think she's a little more beautiful, spirited, believable as a local stunner) but the rest is fairly forgettable in comparisons with the heaven that is the BBC original.

Matthew MacFadyen was fantastic in the film. He does emotional anguish better than anyone.

@eurochick

I rewatched it last night. It's dreadful. Kk is just not Lizzie. There's no chemistry between the main couples. The lifestyle seems all wrong - they are of the gentleman class in the book, just not quite in Darcy's league.

Mr and Mrs Bennett and Jane are well-cast though.

Lady Catherine is also better cast in the KK version. In the BBC version we didn’t get a sense of how scary it would have been for Lizzie to stand up for herself against her.

I think Olivia Coleman would make an excellent Lady Catherine after seeing how frightening she is in Fleabag

We rewatched it recently. It was much worse than I remembered. BBC version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle all the way for me. It's much truer to the book.

BBC version for me all the way. Recently re-watched the BBC version, re-read the book and re-watched the film (ah, lockdown).

I thought the film was a bit more sympathetic to Mr and Mrs Bennet than the BBC version. I did enjoy Mrs Bennet snapping back at Lizzy about what she would do if she had 5 unmarried daughters.

It wasn't as obvious in the film why Lizzy's family were embarrassing. It also wasn't as obvious how disengaged Mr Bennet was.

I agree that Lizzy was meant to be pretty but not stunning, her lively personality made her attractive.

As good looking as Matthew McFadyen is, Colin Firth just is Mr Darcy to me.

@natalienewname I agree that Jane is perhaps better cast in the film but I adore Mrs Bennet and her nerves, I think it portrayed how much of a social climber she was on behalf of the girls.

I read reviews at the time and most were wondering why the hell a pig was wandering through the house

I do think Rosemund Pike was an excellent Jane, and I thought Charlotte Lucas was better, Donald Sutherland was a brilliant Mr Bennet. I like the ending IF I completely suspend reality in my brain. I do find it very disconcerting how much I fancy Mathew MacFadyen PURELY because he's Mr Darcy, every so often reality creeps in there too and I'm able to sharply erase it.

YADNBU! I despise how the Bennett family are practically portrayed as peasants with farm animals literally outside their doors and Keira Knightley’s hair is far too scruffy. It makes me irrationally angry

It wasn't as obvious in the film why Lizzy's family were embarrassing. It also wasn't as obvious how disengaged Mr Bennet was.

Agree with this but then there just isn’t time for that kind of detail in a feature length film. The TV adaptation was three times the length so was of course going to have more detail and background.

Don't mind it. Quite like KN.
But much prefer the 90s BBC version. First saw it when I was about 6 years old - loved it ever since.

I for one love to see young Tom Wambsgans awkwardly trying to navigate the social terrain of c18th England.

I’m probably going to be shot, but my favourite Darcy is Laurence Olivier.

Bingley was the worst thing in it. He was played as a kind of village idiot.

did you hear about the extra ending scene they added to the American release of the film? so cringe (and somewhat of an indictment of the perceived intelligence of US audiences).
www.patheos.com/blogs/filmchat/2005/11/pride-prejudice-two-versions.html

YABU! I love that film. I found the TV series a bit boring if I'm honest - and I loved the book!

I don't think films need to be perfect adaptions of books though. I just enjoyed the film for what it was and I love KK.

I loved it but I love period dramas and they are hard to find these days. The BBC version was better. Also love the BBC version of Emma and think it is far superior to the films. Wish I had something like that to watch now but alas I have watched them all.

Agreed! The BBC version is perfection. When I read the book I picture JE et al ❤️

The alternative ending. ",Mrs Darcy..." PUKE PUKE PUKE!

Alison Steadman was fucking criminal in 1995 though. She was like Widow fucking Twanky.

If you love the book, I don’t understand how you can tolerate the KK film.

I love the BBC JE/CF version, except for Bingley. He is just dreadful and far worse than the hammy Alison Stedman ‘Mrs Bennet’.