Pride & Prejudice (2005 film)
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Pride and Prejudice is a 2005 film based on the popular Jane Austen novel of the same name. This second major motion-picture, Academy Award-nominated version was produced by Working Title Films, directed by Joe Wright and based on a screenplay by Deborah Moggach. It was released on September 16, 2005 in the UK and on November 11, 2005 in the US. It was filmed entirely on location around the UK in the summer of 2004 and used several stately homes, including Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and Wilton House in Salisbury (as Pemberley), Groombridge Place in Kent (as Longbourn), Basildon Park in Berkshire (as Netherfield Park) and Burghley House in Lincolnshire (as Rosings - the adjacent town of Stamford served as Meryton). The Temple of Apollo and Palladian Bridge of Stourhead also appeared (as the Gardens of Pemberley).
Synopsis
The story takes place at the turn of the 19th century in rural England. The Bennet family, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five daughters - Jane, Elizabeth (Lizzy), Mary, Kitty (Catherine), and Lydia - live in comparative financial independence on a working farm, Longbourn. Unfortunately, Longbourn is destined to be inherited by Mr. Bennet's cousin, Mr. Collins. As a result, Mrs. Bennet is anxious to marry off her five daughters before Mr. Bennet dies. However, Elizabeth, the heroine, is convinced that she will never marry unless she is compelled by true love.
The family is delighted to hear that Mr. Bingley, a wealthy bachelor, has moved into Netherfield, a large house in the neighborhood. He is introduced to local society at an assembly ball, along with his haughty sister, Caroline, and reserved friend, Mr. Darcy, who "owns half of Derbyshire." Bingley is enchanted with the gentle and beautiful Jane, to her mother's delight. Elizabeth takes an instant dislike to Darcy after he coldly rebuffs her attempts at conversation and she overhears him describe her as "not handsome enough to tempt me."
When Jane becomes sick on a visit to Netherfield, Elizabeth goes to stay with her, and verbally spars with Caroline and Darcy. Later the Bennets are visited by Mr. Collins, the "dreaded cousin," a pompous minister who talks of nothing but his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mrs. Bennet nonetheless plots to throw him at Elizabeth so they can keep Longbourn. Meanwhile, a company of militia quarters nearby, and the handsome and charming Lieutenant Wickham captures the girls' attention. He tells Elizabeth that Darcy cheated him of his inheritance, and she renews her loathing for him.
To solidify his social position and impress Jane, Bingley throws a huge ball. However, Wickham fails to show, and Elizabeth is forced to dance with Mr. Collins. She finally escapes, only to be asked to dance by Mr. Darcy. She accepts, but vows to her plain friend Charlotte Lucas that she has "sworn to loathe him for all eternity". While they dance, Elizabeth attempts conversation with Mr. Darcy whose replies are monosyllabic, or, at most, one liners. They soon begin to spar and the tension rises when Elizabeth hints at her knowledge of Wickham's relationship to Darcy.
Elizabeth comments to Charlotte that she fears the vulgar behavior of her relatives will drive Bingley away. Charlotte says that Jane needs to show more interest in Bingley in order to "snap him up."
Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, who (with support from her father) refuses him despite her mother's hysterics. Then Jane learns that Bingley is returning to London immediately. Elizabeth believes this is Caroline Bingley's plotting to separate her brother and Jane. Elizabeth dispatches Jane to their aunt and uncle in London - the Gardiners. Later, she is appalled to learn that Charlotte will marry Mr. Collins to gain financial security, but agrees to visit them.
Elizabeth and the Collinses are asked to dinner by the overbearing Lady Catherine, and are surprised to find Darcy, her nephew, visiting along with his friend Colonel Fitzwilliam. Elizabeth replies to Lady Catherine's jabs with spirited wit, and Darcy takes an even greater interest in her. When Lady Catherine forces Elizabeth to play the pianoforte, despite's Elizabeth's honest protestations that she is a poor player, Mr Darcy reveals that he does not "have the talent of conversing easily" with people he has never met before.
At the church, Elizabeth is horrified when Colonel Fitzwilliam lets slip that Darcy broke up Bingley and Jane. Immediately afterwards, Darcy tracks her down and proposes marriage, offending her by admitting that he wants to marry her despite her lower rank. Elizabeth refuses, citing his treatment of Jane and Wickham. Darcy defends his actions, but Elizabeth refuses to listen. She finally tells him that he is "the last man in the world [she] could ever be prevailed upon to marry." Darcy leaves, heartbroken.
Darcy visits Elizabeth merely to give her a letter he has written her, which states that Wickham gambled away his inheritance, and that Darcy separated Bingley from Jane because he believed Jane was indifferent to Bingley. Darcy also reveals that Wickham secretly courted Darcy's 15-year-old sister, Georgiana, with the intention of obtaining her £30,000 inheritance. When it was made clear that Wickham would not receive any of Georgiana's inheritance, Wickham disappeared, leaving Georgiana disillusioned and heartbroken. Elizabeth begins to reconsider her views towards Darcy and returns home, upset. Jane has also returned with the Gardiners, but Elizabeth does not tell them what she has learnt. The Gardiners take her on a trip to the Peak District to put her in better spirits.
As part of their tour, they visit Darcy's estate, Pemberley. Elizabeth is stunned by its wealth and beauty and hears nothing but good things about Darcy from his housekeeper. Then she accidentally runs into Darcy, who seizes the chance to invite her and the Gardiners to meet his sister. His manners have softened considerably and Elizabeth begins to show more sympathy. Georgiana, Darcy's sister, who is an excellent pianist, takes an instant liking to Elizabeth.
However, on returning to their inn, Elizabeth receives the news that her immature and flirtatious youngest sister Lydia, who was unwisely sent on holiday unsupervised, has run away with Wickham. She tearfully blurts out the news to Darcy, and then returns home, where her family assumes they are ruined for having a "fallen" sister. To their relief, they soon hear that Mr. Gardiner has discovered the pair in London, and that they will be married. The family assumes that he has bribed Wickham, but when the Wickhams return, Elizabeth learns from Lydia (which she accidentally tells Elizabeth, since Darcy told her to keep it secret) that it was Mr Darcy who found the young couple, and who paid for the marriage.
Later, Bingley and Darcy return to Netherfield. Bingley proposes to Jane, who accepts. Late in the evening, Elizabeth receives a surprise visit from Lady Catherine, who insists that Darcy will marry her own daughter, Anne, and demands that Elizabeth renounce him. Elizabeth refuses. Elizabeth is agitated and unable to sleep, and so goes walking on the moors at dawn. There she meets Darcy, who has also been unable to sleep after hearing of his aunt's behavior. He tells Elizabeth that he continues to love her, and again proposes. On this occasion, she accepts.
Elizabeth and Darcy ask consent from Mr Bennet, who agrees after Elizabeth assures him that she truly loves Darcy and that her condition for marriage has been met. In the U.S. version of the film, an additional last scene shows a newly-married Elizabeth and Darcy outside of their Pemberley estate showing deep affection to each other.
Reaction
The 2005 film was only the second faithful film version after "the famed, but oddly flawed, black-and-white 1940 adaptation, starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier",[1] and until 2005, The Times considered the 1995 television adaptation starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth "so dominant, so universally adored, [that] it has lingered in the public consciousness as a cinematic standard".[1] Comparing six major adaptations of Pride and Prejudice in 2005, the Daily Mirror gave the only top marks of 9/10 to the 1995 serial and the 2005 film, leaving the other adaptations behind with six and less points.[2] The 2005 film is rated 85% fresh by Rotten Tomatoes.[3] Metacritic reported Pride & Prejudice had an average score of 82 out of 100, based on 37 reviews, and classified the film as a universal acclaim. [4] It also garnered a number of nominations in the 2005/2006 film awards season, notably four nominations in the Academy Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role for Keira Knightley, Achievement in Art Direction, Achievement in Costume Design for Jacqueline Durran, and Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) for Dario Marianelli. It was nominated for five BAFTAs, and won the BAFTA Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer (for Joe Wright, director).[5]
Critics noted the 2005 film's time constraints to not capture the depth and complexity of the television serials,[6] and called the film "obviously [not as] daring or revisionist" as the 1995 TV serial.[7] Joan Klingel Ray, president of the Jane Austen Society of North America, preferred the young age of Knightley and Macfadyen, saying that Jennifer Ehle had formerly been "a little too 'heavy' for the role",[8] while Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian considered the 2005 leads "arguably a little more callow than Firth and Ehle".[7] Paul Webster, co-producer of the 2005 film, had found the casting of Darcy difficult because of the character's iconic status and because "Colin Firth cast a very long shadow".[9] Critics were divided about Matthew Macfadyen's portrayal of Darcy, expressing pleasant surprise,[8] dislike for his lack of gradual emotional shift as in the novel,[8] and praise for his matching the insecure and sensitive personality of the book character better than Firth.[6] Garth Pearce of The Sunday Times did not observe any significant impact of Macfadyen's Darcy, noting in 2007 that "Colin Firth will forever be remembered as the perfect Mr Darcy".[10]
References
Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_%26_Prejudice_%282005_film%29
