Pride and Prejudice

After so many years of seeing adaptations of Pride and Prejudice on stage, screen and television, I had long given up hope of an entertaining and faithful adaptation. Then a miracle! Class, style, humor and intelligence is alive and well! Direction, script and cinematography are all exceptional in A&E's production. Imagine watching a six-hour program over and over and over. It has to be done. Jennifer Ehle gives Elisabeth all the archness, tenderness, and homey wit that Austen could desire. Each individual cast member gives a memorable performance that makes the character real. Simon Langton, as director, has a real ear for dialogue and silence. Indeed, it is often the silences in conversation that are the most hilarious. The most serious fault in most previous productions was the casting of Darcy. A stiff actor in a stiff part gives you only a stiff character (even, God bless him, Olivier). If Darcy fails, the entire production is a waste. The inspired casting of Colin Firth in this production was defining. Putting Firth, a naturally lively chap, in the role was like harnessing energy. You can often feel that intensity of containment, which is just perfect for Darcy. This is a must-see for any loyal Austen reader or anyone else who likes romance, wit and social commentary all rolled into one. And pity Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility, which opened in the U.S. shortly after Pride and Prejudice debuted. Comparisons were inevitable and did not favor S&S.

Never having read Austen before, I completely fell in love with this A&E mini series and, although I am a senior citizen, with Colin Firth who is wonderful as the Prideful Mr. Darcy. Jennifer Ehle is equally good as the charming but prejudiced Lizzy. I also enjoyed Benjamin Whitrow as the father of "the five silliest girls in England" and Alison Steadman's hilarious rendition of Mrs. Bennett. I immediately bought the tapes and have watched them over and over.

I recommend this mini series to everyone. It far exceeds the films made of Austen's works. Emma (and Gywnneth Paltrow) pales in comparison with this A&E mini series.

I, too, enjoyed Bridget Jones Diary all the more because of Colin Firth's Mark DARCY.

A female journalist once wrote that no actress could ever portray Elizabeth Bennet to the satisfaction of a woman viewer for one very simple reason: every woman really visualizes herself in that role. Jennifer Ehle has done the impossible - she is, and in my mind, forever will be, Elizabeth. The beauty, wit, and sparkling liveliness of the character are perfectly captured in her performance. And Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy is an exact match for her. His smoldering good looks are wonderful, and he can portray reserve without descending into woodenness and blankness. The scene where he and Elizabeth dance a long and stately dance together in the midst of a crowd is both controlled and exciting - with very little change of tone, and while preserving the most correct decorum, their conversation reveals dangerous undercurrents of emotion, and meanwhile the steps of the dance keep pulling them together and apart again. The rest of the characters are equally fine - David Bamber's obsequious Mr. Collins is especially unforgettable.

I found this to be the best all around movie I ever had the pleasure of viewing ... and I'm 78. We knew the story was excellent but to make it so realistic as to not be aware at all that the actors are acting in a way so perfectly executed that one can easily get the impression that this was a live performance of the real characters in the Jane Austen novel and era as she herself intended, or at least perceived them. I can't think of one scene, actor, or dialogue that I would change that could improve this picture and story.

Much had I heard of Jane Austen's legendary classic, "Pride and Prejudice", and so to kick off my summer I set about reading it. It was possibly the greatest book I'd ever read. I looked up the different screen adaptations of it, and found that Colin Firth had starred in one (I previously enjoyed him in "Bridget Jones's Diary" - which is, in fact, a semi-remake of Austen's tale - and "Love Actually"). So I traveled to my handy-dandy Borders store and picked up a DVD copy. As I walked out of the store, I hoped that I hadn't wasted $40 for this thing. And you know what?

It was worth every last penny.

"Pride and Prejudice" is quite simply the most flawless thing I've ever seen. The story involves Elizabeth Bennet (Jennifer Ehle), who's opinion changes greatly of a seemingly very proud, rude man that moves into town. To sum up the whole story would be impossible, as there isn't really a simple lot.

First of all, let's examine the overall look of the thing. Simon Langton's direction is excellent, and he succeeds in getting the most breathtaking views of everything and anything. The production design and costuming is perfect, capturing the time without error, and the locations are simply gorgeous. Carl Davis' score is terrific and fitting (also to the times). Andrew Davies' script brings every last scene from the book and then pops in some new, being as absolutely faithful to the book as anyone could hope to be.

But now on to the casting. The cast is outstanding, although the film's one problem (albeit a very slight one) is the role of Mrs. Bennet, who - although wacky in the book - is completely over-the-top here and quite frequently even annoying. But the stars of the film couldn't be better. Jennifer Ehle is absolutely wonderful as Lizzy Bennet, and her eyes are so dazzling that they mesmerized me throughout the whole 300 minutes!

The show is completely stolen, however, by Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. Colin Firth is not just playing Mr. Darcy; Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy. He was born to play this role, and plays it so flawlessly, that it deserves to be considered one of the best performances any actor has ever given. Words cannot describe Firth's perfection as Darcy.

All in all, "Pride and Prejudice" is the greatest thing ever to air on television, and were it a film, it would be the greatest film of all-time. Those of you who have read the book shouldn't worry a bit about the long running time of the mini-series; as impossible as it seems, you shan't even notice. When I finished the series, I had such a feeling of satisfaction as no entertainment has ever before granted me.

This is perfection.