Pride and Prejudice, Cut

Amidst the popular "strong, independent woman" midset today, this modern-day P&P shows otherwise that inner beauty is strength and integrity is independence from being a people-pleaser. Dream big. Work hard. Be kind. And maintain character and integrity.

Simple yet wholesome story, nice twists with fun laughs. Wonderful acting, especially Lexi and David. Clean and family-friendly.

It was quickly apparent that the story told in the film was a thinly-veiled parody of Pride and Prejudice itself, and not very well done at that. Philippa saying "I'm hearing something alarming" in particular was a very bad parody of Catherine de Bourgh.

Apart from all the other negative points, the whole basis of the film was flawed. People were shocked at the idea of an American woman playing Lizzie Bennett, supposedly a quintessentially English role. Does nobody remember Jennifer Ehle (American, though born to a British mother) playing Lizzie Bennett in the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice?

This was not a film about p&p but a behind the scenes look at the cast making such a film. The Casting director aced it with this one. Lexi had the chance to show the world just how talented she is, and the lead characters had chemistry from their first scene together. It's refreshing to see a male actor who can actually do romance.

Wonderfully silly fun even for Austen diehards. Acknowledge that the book is sublime and that no visual transfer can ever come close to the subtleties of her writing, so take your curlers out you prim uptight would-be reviewers, loosen your corsets and relax with this riff on P&P, sit back and enjoy the film whatever its faults and omissions.

I love the Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, so in general I enjoy it's film retellings and this was no exception. It wasn't my favorite retelling, but I appreciated the modern story telling within the story. It was very family friendly with the "American" actress who was cast as Elizabeth Bennet being a very popular vlogger, who really sells hard work and a positive attitude as she shares her process and struggles to do her first film as an actress.

This had a little w budget feel and I think of as comparable to a Hallmark romantic film. When taken in that context, this is a recommendation to romantics out there, especially fans of Austen's original material.