Pride and Prejudice

The movies are too short to capture the beauty of the book. And the new mini series by A&E and BBC is just plain tacky! This series, however, has it all! The most important aspect is the quality of the acting. Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul are excellent. They ARE Lizzy and Mr. Darcy. But the great acting doesn't end there. The quality of the cast is superb. From the most important stars all the way down to the most menial of the servants. Every actor and actress does a great job of capturing the mood of the era.

Please see this production. Buy it if you can. It is being shown on the Romance Channel, too. See it at all costs!

This version aired on UK TV fifteen years before the renowned Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle adaptation of Jane Austen's famous book. As such, it shows its age, being rather studio-bound and stiff in its construction.

However, Elizabeth Garvie does come across as closer to Austen's conception of Lizzy Bennet that either Jennifer Ehle or Greer Garson in the Hollywood film. Sabina Franklyn is particularly good as Jane, not a mouse but just a genuinely nice person, while Clare Higgins (Kitty), Tessa Peake-Jones (Mary), and Natalie Ogle (Lydia) are good as the remaining Bennet sisters.

Of particular interest though is David Rintoul's Darcy. Of a very different stamp to the brooding landowner of the 1995 version, he gives an extremely interesting portrayal, just as attractive in its way, and again, closer to the character depicted in the book. Others of note in the cast are Moray Watson as Mr Bennet, and Judy Parfitt as Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

I was surprised by some of the comments left about this adaptation. Elizabeth Garvie was fantastic as Elizabeth - so much more in the spirit of the novel than Jennifer Ehle or Greer Garson (the worst by far), both of whom just seemed petulant and, frankly, unintelligent. In fact, all of the actresses playing the Bennet girls were better cast than were those in the A&E version, although Susannah Harker as Jane Bennet was almost as good as Sabina Franklyn. Come to think of it, apart from Anna Chancellor (Miss Bingley in the A&E version - she was perfect), I think all of the actors in the BBC version were better cast. It's true that David Rintoul is very stiff. But that's really how, when reading the novel, I always envisioned him. I'm sorry to ever choose anyone over Colin Firth but I have to. His Mr. Darcy just lacks dignity. And subtlety. He's so very obvious. Really beautiful but, I'm sorry, really not Fitzwilliam Darcy.

It is also true that the production values in this version were low but really, it was the late 70s and made for the BBC! So, basically, that's too silly an argument against.

Overall, if you loved the book and want to see a version that's truly captured its spirit, see this version. If you just like looking at a lot of beautiful people standing about in beautiful clothes in beautiful surroundings, pretty much not getting the point, watch the A&E version.

By the by, the A&E version is also good for putting you to sleep.

I enjoyed both this one when I first watched it on Masterpiece Theater and the A&E production. Colin Firth was certainly a more sexy Mr. Darcy but David Rintoul had his personality more down pat and was more true to the real Mr. Darcy in my estimation. Elizabeth Garvie was more the true Elizabeth as well, she wasn't considered to be a great beauty in the book but her character portrayal was true to the book. I thought all of the sisters and the parents were perfectly cast. Mr. Bennett, Moray Watson, gave a marvelous performance as the wise and witty father. This program may have been considered a bit slow moving to some but I enjoyed every minute of it.

I have a soft spot for this version. I saw it when it was on Masterpiece Theater with my dad (who died last year) and the rest of my family.

Garvie is the best Elizabeth I've seen. Ehle's Elizabeth had more verve, but I felt Garvie's Elizabeth was truer to the character of the novel.

I would have loved to see her opposite Firth (I know she was too old in 1995, so it is just fantasy casting!), who I liked as Darcy better.

Firth was able to portray the changes in Darcy which Elizabeth's angry rejection brings about better.

I didn't think Rintoul managed to convey this as well.

I liked Mrs. Bennet better here, she was more restrained than the 1995 version. Jane was far superior in this version too.

However, the 1995 version is still my favorite and NOT because of Firth.

I think the 1995 version stuck closer to the novel than this one did.

A few examples: The scene where Elizabeth gets the letter from Jane alerting her to Lydia's elopement. In the book and the 1995 version, Darcy walks in on her right after she learns the news. In this version Elizabeth runs to Pemberly looking for her Aunt and Uncle and runs in to Darcy's sitting room.

Darcy walking in on her is important, it doesn't make sense she would share her troubles with him if he hadn't caught her unawares. Especially considering her mortification over her family AND that Wickham was involved. (This bugs me in the 2005 movie too, in that version Darcy is sitting with the Gardners, which again, makes no sense. Why would she tell him once she found her Aunt and Uncle?) The conversation with Lady Catherine is cut down in this version. Elizabeth's anger is much more muted here than in either the book and the 1995 version.

The second proposal scene. In the book and the 1995 version Elizabeth, Darcy and Kitty go walking with Jane and Bingley. Kitty runs off to see Maria Lucus, then Elizabeth thanks Darcy for his role in Lydia's marriage.

In this version, Darcy sends a note to Elizabeth to meet him in the grove, which she does. This eliminates her fears over Darcy's feelings for her, she is more sure of herself because he has made the first move (by asking her to meet him). In the book and 1995 version, she breaks the ice by thanking him, and later in the book teases him that she made the first move in assuring their happiness. He denies this by saying he was about to bring up Lady Catherine's visit but she beat him to the punch (not in those words of course, LOL).

There is no final scene between Mr. Benett and Elizabeth where he asks for her assurance that she really loves Darcy. It is a touching scene in the book which illustrates the father/daughter bond.

This is not to say this version isn't very good, it is. I love this story and don't think there can be too many versions, if done well.

I agree with another reviewer in that I wish they would dramatize the end of the book better, the story doesn't end after second proposal. I would love to see Collins come running back to escape Lady Catherine's wrath at the news and his subsequent behavior towards Darcy.

I don't know why for example, the 2005 USA release of the movie had to end with such a silly scene at Pemberly to show us a kiss. They could have easily stayed truer to the novel and had Collins come upon them in the grove in a clinch for example. LOL!! In conclusion, while the 1995 version remains my favorite, this one is extremely well done and worth the time