Part II: Pride and Prejudice, cont’d.
P&P95 is next on the list of P&P adaptations. It’s the longest adaptation so this is a rather long column.
I hadn’t watched it in quite a while (it’s been at least 2 years), and was looking forward to seeing it again. It’s hard to forget that there has been a lot of hype about this adaptation; I’ve heard it called “the best BBC adaptation ever,” “the book come to life” and “perfection itself.” So, does it live up to the hype? Alas, in my not-so-humble opinion, the answer is “no.”
The BBC (and its co-producers, such as the US cable network A&E) had a very large budget, and the production is gorgeous. The sets, the costumes and the music are all breath-taking, and when I add the remastered box set to my collection it will be even more gorgeous. My problems are, however, not with the production values, but with the production itself. Most of the cast members are too old for their roles, most notably Julia Sawalha as Lydia. A 25+-year-old playing a 15-year-old? Sorry, but she was not convincing in the slightest and seemed to try too hard to be naive and immature. She flung herself around the room, snorted while laughing and Davies gave her jokes laced with sexual innuendos. Jennifer Ehle’s Elizabeth is way too matronly and mature at the start of the story; she never really grows up and matures the way Austen’s Elizabeth does. The scenes where this very self-contained Elizabeth scampers about the countryside and plays with the dog at Netherfield are positively cringe-worthy and out of character.
Ehle’s Elizabeth is also very rude to Darcy. She rolls her eyes when he speaks to her and is very curt when she speaks back. As I have mentioned before, we cannot forget that Austen tells us the following:
Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody; and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger. (emphasis mine)
“Arch,” as we know, means “saucy,” or “roguish” or “impertinent.” Ehle’s Elizabeth is none of the above, and I honestly fail to grasp what this Darcy sees in her. During their dance at the Netherfield ball, she rolls her eyes and contorts her face, spits out her lines and is generally very disagreeable. And Firth always looks angry. I would too, if I had to spend any time with this Elizabeth Bennet. If I were Darcy, I’d run as far as I could from this woman. It’s patently obvious she hates him and, in the book, he is unaware of her true feelings for him. Granted, it’s not all Ehle’s fault – after all, she can only do what the director and writer tell her to do — but I find no basis in the text for this kind of behavior.
This Elizabeth never has her “lightbulb moment.” The book’s Elizabeth reads Darcy’s letter and says “until this moment I never knew myself.” And she means it. This is, in my opinion, the turning point of the novel, the point when Elizabeth starts to have the self-awareness needed for her growth into a mature adult. In this adaptation, she does say the line, but she says it to Jane several days later, back at Longbourn, so it really doesn’t pack the same punch as it does in the book (or, dare I say it?) in P&P80. And, speaking of the letter, I don’t understand what possessed Andrew Davies to flip the contents and talk about Wickham first, and deal with Jane and Bingley later. This makes no sense to me at all. As an aside, there’s a head-scratching moment during the flashbacks – after Wickham gets his check for law school from Darcy, he leaves the room and greets Emilia Fox as Georgiana. But, since this all happened 5 years previously, Georgiana should only be around 11 years old. Someone obviously was not paying attention.
Scenes from the book that I miss include Elizabeth singing at the Lucas’ party, Miss Bingley offering to repair Darcy’s pen, Darcy asking Elizabeth to dance a reel and Mrs. Gardiner warning Elizabeth about falling in love with Wickham, among others. Instead of these scenes, however, there are several scenes invented by Andrew Davies that I am not fond of. For example, I don’t understand why Mrs. Bennet tries to convince Darcy to dance with Elizabeth at the Meryton Assembly, and I want to throw something at the TV when Elizabeth talks about how “only the deepest love will induce [her] into matrimony.” Talk about cringe-worthy! And then there’s the scene where Elizabeth and Wickham talk about his engagement to Mary King and he says something to the effect that “if only circumstances were different…” That scene really doesn’t work for me (nor does a similar scene where Wickham tells Elizabeth that he’s “loath to part” from her). I also don’t like the scene where Lydia is running around in her underwear, bumps into Mr. Collins and starts laughing. That is just completely inappropriate.
I think the biggest problem I have with this adaptation is all of the “extra Darcy.” Austen’s Darcy is not around very often, and we get to know him as Elizabeth does. This Darcy is not quite omnipresent, but we do see him far more often than we do in the book. The simple fact that this is referred to as “the Colin Firth version” is very telling. We’re not supposed to know so much about Darcy before Elizabeth does. The scenes in the bathtub and at the fencing school are gratuitous. The pond scene is ridiculous and makes me very angry. It is just so un-Darcy-like and I find it to be purely gratuitous. Darcy knows full well that the grounds of Pemberley are often visited by the public, and I cannot picture Austen’s character diving into that scummy pond. And then there’s his “quick-change” act — he gets into the house, runs up to his room, dries off, changes his clothes and runs back downstairs again — all in the time it takes for Elizabeth and the Gardiners to walk across the lawn back to their waiting carriage. Did he borrow Doc Brown’s flux capacitor? And I haven’t even mentioned yet that the pond scene ruins the surprise that Darcy has arrived. If Austen had wanted us to know that Darcy was at Pemberley before Elizabeth does, she’d have told us. She did not do so. The scenes where we see Darcy going off to London in search of Lydia also tick me off – they ruin that surprise completely too. What reason could Davies possibly have for doing this? Not everyone out there has read the book. Why ruin it for them?
Another made-up scene that I am not fond of is when Mr. Collins comes to the Bennet house to “condole” with the girls while Mr. Bennet is searching for Lydia in London. In the book he wrote a letter expressing his sentiments. And that makes sense, because it’s already been established that Longbourn is a good 50 miles from Hunsford. We know from Mr. Collins’ visit to Longbourn and Elizabeth’s to Hunsford that this trip takes more than a day, and that distance is why he wrote a letter. The distance is also why it’s such a big deal for Lady Catherine to travel to Longbourn to warn Elizabeth not to marry Darcy.
If I close my eyes when Alison Steadman is on screen, I hear Monty Python’s Terry Jones pretending to be a woman. Steadman’s shrillness and shrieking are extremely annoying. Yes, Mrs. Bennet is supposed to be annoying, but she’s never described as a shrieking fishwife. There is no hint whatsoever of the beautiful, good-humored girl Mr. Bennet fell for all those years ago.
Despite this very long list of quibbles, I actually do like this adaptation. I like that they include the scene near the end where Elizabeth tells Jane how long she’s loved Darcy, and I also like that they have the scene where Mr. Bennet tells Elizabeth that he’s given Darcy permission to marry her. But the second proposal is not well done at all. Instead of sounding like a man who’s “violently in love,” Darcy sounds as if he’s agreeing to a business transaction. I have heard that even Andrew Davies himself has admitted that this scene is not as good as it could have been.
Unfortunately, however, all the hype and hysteria surrounding this adaptation – particularly in the aftermath of the release of P&P05 – made me go back and watch it more critically than I ever had before, and I honestly don’t think it holds up well to intense scrutiny. It absolutely is not “the book come to life,” but it is still a whole lot of fun and I enjoy watching it.
OK, now despise me if you dare.
May 20, 2010 at 2:13 pm
I have to concur with most of what you say about this one. I saw it very soon after I read the book and never warmed to Jennifer Ehle as Lizzy. The sexed up Darcy stuff annoyed me and it was just confusing to hear this constantly praised as the “definitive” version. I think all the die-hard 95 fans really just made me like it less.
May 20, 2010 at 5:47 pm
That’s exactly what I think. I liked it just fine until everyone started telling me it was the definitive version. The book is the only “definitive” version. The rest are merely adaptations of the book. The American Heritage dictionary says that an adaptation is “[s]omething, such as a device or mechanism, that is changed or changes so as to become suitable to a new or special application or situation.” So, by definition, an adaptation is going to be different from its source material. But the P&P95 fangirls either can’t or won’t see this.
As I said, I don’t hate this version. I’ve even ordered the remastered box set from DeepDiscount (http://tinyurl.com/2bgr88x). So it’s pretty obvious that I do like it and I do watch it. I just don’t love it as much as I do P&P80.
Anyway, thanks so much for stopping by, and please do come back. 🙂
May 22, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Hi Julie.
I’m enjoying your Jane Austen Odyssey, and the oppurtunity to learn a little more about you than the confines of IMDb allow!
Reluctantly, I have to agree with many of your criticisms of my beloved P&P95. Though it’s still my favourite, these are faults that prevent it from being “definitive”.
But, just one thing. You say that all the hype and hysteria surrounding P&P95 made you watch it “more critically” than you’d ever done before. You add that you “liked it just fine until everyone started telling (you) it was the definitive version”. As a result of this (hyper?) critical approach, your commendations run to just eight lines or so in a review that’s predominantly negative.
Nothing wrong with that, of course. It’s your critique!
But, in the interests of even-handedness and fairness, I hope you will apply the same approach to P&P05. The latter is a fine adaptation and one that I enjoy. But it too has faults like the others. It’s tempting to become defensive of the “underdog”!
Anyway, that over, is the remastered P&P95 the same as the Blu-ray? If so, you’re in for a treat!
Keep up the good work.
May 22, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you come back often!
I must say that I don’t have a blu-ray player, so I can’t watch a blu-ray disc. I just bought a new car today, so a new video player will have to wait. LOL!
Seriously though, I think I’m so negative because so many other people out there do nothing but sing this adaptation’s praises and claim that it’s perfect. Some balance was definitely needed, and I took it upon myself to provide this balance. But believe me, watching it was not exactly torture. 😉
May 24, 2010 at 5:31 pm
This has absolutely nothing to do with P&P but CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW CAR AND ON THE METS WIN! We watched it here off and on and I was thinking of you!
May 24, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Thanks Karen. I’m VERY happy about the car, and also very happy about the Mets.
I was planning to buy a car in September, but we have a potential crisis on our hands with our 16-year-old Camry, so I went out and bought a new one. This is what it looks like (not the exact car, mind you): http://dealerrevs.com/gallery/27175752.html It’s a 2010 Corolla in “Barcelona Red.” I love it!
May 24, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Yes, the whole Camry “thing” is scary. My mom has a 2009 Camry which she always felt safe in and then all the trouble that has come up recently makes one wonder. We had a 1995 Camry which we loved and had to part with it after it got totaled. Your Corolla looks great. My sister in law has one and loves it. Red-very sporty!
May 24, 2010 at 9:24 pm
And it has pinstripes!
I think the Camry scare has been exaggerated a bit. You notice you haven’t heard much from the government lately. Plus, where are the huge lawsuits against Toyota?
You know, I’ve never owned an automatic in my life until now. Seriously!
May 26, 2010 at 7:30 pm
You said you were disappointed no one bashed you for this, so here goes!
OMG, how could you not like this it’s the definitive version! Colin Firth is so sexy in the wet shirt scene! Jennifer Ehle is perfect as Lizzy she’s really beautiful not like bucktooth stick Keira Knightley! The 2005 version is all wrong this is the best one! Anyone who does not love this version is not a true Austen fan!
May 26, 2010 at 7:48 pm
That’s the best laugh I’ve had all day. Thanks!
Unfortunately, My column on P&P05 isn’t yet ready for public consumption. There have been some “glitches” along the way.
Sorry. 😦
May 26, 2010 at 9:33 pm
I’ve been spending my free time (really late nights when I can’t sleep) on watching the adaptations and working on my own blog so I don’t mind. It’s really quite fun.
May 27, 2010 at 6:14 am
It is definitely fun. 🙂
When I did the various S&S and P&P miniseries, I could wake up early and watch one episode before getting ready for work. This is a 2+ hour movie and I just don’t have the time right now. On a normal week, Thursday would be a good day, but this week it’s just not possible. So I guess I’ll do it on Saturday — first thing in the morning. while doing laundry.
May 28, 2010 at 8:26 am
Julie dear, congrats on the car — but I must second marspeach here. You must be a real ’05 fangirl to dislike the wetshirt. You probably don’t like the fencing scene either! In fact, I bet you haven’t even read the book.
May 28, 2010 at 9:30 am
Drat. You ladies are far too smart for me. You have me figured out. I faked it all — I faked reading the book, I faked watching P&P95, everything.
*whew* I feel better now.
LOL!!! 😀
May 28, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Julie, you’re a girl after my own heart! I think the mindless raving about this version spoilt it a little for me too, and I do like it. Plus the buckets of bile emptied over the 05 version, which certainly isn’t perfect either… but made P&P95 seem a little OTT; I’d never noticed before how loud Mrs B. is. Ah, there’s always my new favourite, the 1980 version.
Marspeach: Top marks for leaving the commas out of your bashing post. 🙂
May 28, 2010 at 2:23 pm
What particularly irks me about some of the 1995 fans is their sheer disdain for anyone who happens to like ’05. They disparage not just our taste, but our intelligence, too. It got so bad at Pemberley that the mods had to forbid anyone from comparing the adaptations. Snark is one thing. Insults are another.
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that, among my acquaintance (other people’s mileage may vary), 1980 fans tend to embrace 2005 more than 1995 fans do.
And, speaking of 1980, welcome to the club. It’s still my favorite P&P adaptation, dodgy production values and all.
March 8, 2012 at 6:16 am
Hi Julie, I’m running through the 1980 version at the moment. Excellent article. Can’t leave without commenting, despite being such a latecomer.
I think it’s more than high time to de-sanctify the 95 P&P. While watching the first transmission, I forgave it for having an odd Elizabeth because I rather liked Benjamin Whitrow, one of the rare Mr Bennets who know the difference between sardonic and sarcastic.
But like all adaptations, it came off the rails almost immediately in the Netherfield drawing room. Darcy may well fancy a panting, red cheeked Elizabeth after her walk, who wouldn’t? But he doesn’t give her serious thought until the downstairs conversations which make it apparent that however far apart their social differences place them, their intelligence and sense set them above the rest of their company. Like Beatrice and Benedick.
However little time you have for an adaptation, you won’t get Elizabeth properly on screen unless you spend time here, getting this right.
I agree with all the other problems you list but MY biggest curmudgeonly rant was over Davies wasting time including ALL of the weddings and leaving out Mrs Bennet’s reaction to Elizabeth’s news, the thought of which was the only thing that reconciled me to Alison Steadman’s interpretation.
March 8, 2012 at 7:24 am
Thanks for dropping by alfa. 🙂
I am still amazed that people think that this version is perfect. It’s a whole lot of fun, but it’s absolutely not perfect.
And I can’t wait to read your comments about P&P80.
April 16, 2012 at 10:01 pm
I agree! I like P&P 95, but it´s not the ´´definitive version´´ IMHO. My favorite mini is P&P 80, but I love P&P 05 too 🙂
April 18, 2012 at 11:12 am
Welcome aboard — the few, the proud…the P&P80 lovers!
March 14, 2013 at 11:31 pm
i read the book long ago and lost it :S but i remember i caught the 1995 version on tv and i agree, jennifer ehle doesnt look like elizabeth to me, for starters she’s chubby faced and has a somewhat chubby look overall, and she sounds like a man. and she’s just unlikable imo. lizzy was cuter. at least, i like to think so. austen said she was playful. is it blasphemous to say keira knightley was more likable in the role and had a more fitting voice?
April 2, 2014 at 9:19 am
Not at all. In fact, I rather like Keira Knightley’s LIzzie.
August 2, 2014 at 12:02 pm
I think Ehle’s smugness is kind of charming. A lot of women act like they dont care about a man they do care about, putting on a superior and one-upping attitude. Some men immediately think the girl doesnt like them when she does this. Darcy must have known about this tactic and thought Elizabeth was using it, which is why he was surprised that she rejected him. In a way, I do think he was right. Why is she so concerned with him if she doesnt like him? She kept wanting to criticize him and tell everyone how much he sucked. Every chance she got to hate on him and feel superior was good to her. If she didn’t have any interest in him, she’d just not care, wouldn’t she? Deep down she did want Darcy’s good opinion.
Elizabeth could never affront anybody because she wasn’t aggressive, she remained playful and kept a level head even in her smugness.
I like both Ehle and Keira, I think Keira gets too outspoken and emotional at times, she actually seems a bit childish whereas Elizabeth always wanted to be above people or something. But she’s a more human, more passionate Elizabeth and I can see more why Darcy sees her as “flirting”, specially in the Caroline Bingley scenes. I do like Ehle, though.
August 2, 2014 at 12:17 pm
I think it all comes down to personal interpretation and opinion. Jane Austen always seemed to be mocking and criticizing Lydia and Ms Bennett for saying whatever they wanted, to the point they could be offensive, improper and embarrassing and didn’t even seem to realize it. Even Mr Bennett, despite being hilarious and snarky, got criticized for being too insensitive. I find it very refreshing that Austen praises self-restraint, intelligence, sense of humor, and good appearance, because a lot of fiction nowadays constantly praise “realness” and “rashness” and “being yourself” (which usually leads to rebelling and being a jerk), which I believe is an immature and almost dangerous attitude to take. You might end up doing things you will regret.
August 4, 2014 at 10:53 am
When you refer to “Ms Bennett ,” do you mean Mrs. Bennet? I’m just wondering because, if you do, then I agree with you. Mrs. Bennet (“Ms.” did not exist back then) and Lydia most certainly deserve to be mocked and criticized. And, as you may have noticed, I am not a big fan of Mr. Bennet.
However, I must add that Mrs. Bennet is the only person in that entire family who truly understands just how dire the girls’ situation will be if they do not marry well. They will only have 50 pounds each per year as their dowry. Compare that with the 1,000 — 1,500 pounds per year that young ladies such as Georgiana Darcy and Caroline Bingley will bring to their own marriages.
Anyway, thank you for stopping by and sharing your opinions with us. I’ve been a really bad blogger lately (I just haven’t had anything to say that would amaze the whole room), but I do check to see if people still visit.
September 11, 2014 at 7:07 pm
Hi Julie,
I didn’t see anyone else say it, so “Indeed, I do not dare!”. I loved this version mostly because I thought Colin Firth was really the best Darcy ever. I liked Ehle as Elizabeth for the most part and did not see her as matronly. I didn’t think the scenes of her running or playing with the dog were out of character any more than the scene of her getting muddy on the way to Netherfield. I didn’t mind the other added scenes but I found the pond scene unbelievable and unnecessary and not sexy at all; despite all the attention it got. I also wish they would have had a better 2nd proposal scene and added some of the discussion about how they came to love each other.
The 1980 version is truer to the novel in a lot of ways, but they left out some key dialog at the end of the dance Elizabeth and Darcy have at Netherfield and at Rosings when Darcy tells Elizabeth, “…we neither of us perform to strangers.”
I think the problem may be that if someone really does a true movie version of the book, no one can get credit for writing the screenplay! So I’m not expecting anybody to do that. I don’t mind scenes added as long as they keep the characters true. I think it would be very amusing to see Darcy talking to Mr. Bennett and asking for Elizabeth’s hand; we know Mr. Bennett gives his consent, but maybe he makes Darcy sweat first.
April 17, 2015 at 3:22 pm
Sorry for taking this long to get back to you Kelly. I thought I had answered your post, but obviously my CRS disease kicked in and I never got around to it.
Anyway, I don’t love Firth as Fitzwilliam Darcy, but I do really, really like him as Mark Darcy.