Pride & Prejudice (2005 film)

Pride and Prejudice
Directed by	Joe Wright
Produced by	Tim Bevan Eric Fellner Paul Webster
Written by	Deborah Moggach
Based on	Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Starring	Keira Knightley Matthew Macfadyen Brenda Blethyn Donald Sutherland Tom Hollander Rosamund Pike Jena Malone Judi Dench
Music by	Dario Marianelli (Piano performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet)
Cinematography	Roman Osin
Editing by	Paul Tothill
Studio	StudioCanal Working Title Films
Distributed by	Focus Features
Release date(s)	11 September 2005 (2005-09-11) (TIFF) 16 September 2005 (2005-09-16) (United Kingdom) 18 January 2006 (2006-01-18) (France)
Running time	129 minutes
Country	United Kingdom France
Language	English
Budget	$28–29 million
Box office	$121,147,947

Pride & Prejudice is a 2005 British romance film directed by Joe Wright. Screenwriter Deborah Moggach adapted it from the 1813 novel of the same name by Jane Austen. The film starred Keira Knightley in the role of Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy. Co-stars included Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Tom Hollander, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, and Judi Dench. Produced by Working Title Films, the film was released on 16 September 2005 in the United Kingdom and on 11 November 2005 in the United States.

Wright and producer Paul Webster found the casting process difficult due to past iconic performances of particular characters. They had to balance who they thought was best for each role with the studio's desire for big name attractions. Knightley and Macfadyen were ultimately cast as the two main leads, with the former remarking that she was "blown away" by Macfadyen's audition. Pride & Prejudice marked Carey Mulligan and Tamzin Merchant's film debuts.

Moggach sought to be as faithful to the novel as possible but Wright encouraged deviations, such as changing the dynamics and dialogue of the Bennet family. Efforts were made to differentiate the film from the 1995 TV serial adaptation; in keeping with the date Austen began writing the novel, the time period was altered to the late eighteenth century. Attempts were made to avoid depicting a "perfect clean Regency world", with the crew instead presenting a "muddy hem version" of Longbourn. Pride & Prejudice was shot entirely on location in England during an 11-week film schedule.

The film was marketed to a younger and more mainstream audience, with promotional items first noting it came "from the producers of Bridget Jones's Diary" before acknowledging it was based on an Austen novel. After its theatrical release, Pride & Prejudice ultimately earned a worldwide gross of $121,147,947, which was considered a commercial success. Film critics compared the 2005 film to the 1995 adaptation, and believed the latter was the superior of the two. Despite this, Pride & Prejudice earned a rating of 82 percent by review aggregator Metacritic, indicating it as universally acclaimed.

Plot

During the late 18th century, the Bennet family, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet (Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn) and their five daughters—Jane (Rosamund Pike), Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), Mary (Talulah Riley), Kitty (Carey Mulligan), and Lydia (Jena Malone)—live in comparative financial independence as gentry on a working farm in rural England. As Longbourn is destined to be inherited by Mr. Bennet's cousin, Mr. Collins, Mrs. Bennet is anxious to marry off her five daughters before Mr. Bennet dies.

Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods), a wealthy bachelor who has recently moved into Netherfield, a large house in the neighborhood, is introduced to local society at an assembly ball, along with his haughty sister, Caroline (Kelly Reilly), and reserved friend, Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), who "owns half of Derbyshire." Bingley is enchanted with the gentle and beautiful Jane, while 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 their cousin, Mr. Collins (Tom Hollander), a pompous minister who talks of nothing but his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Collins tells Mrs. Bennet that he has selected Jane as his future wife. But Mrs. Bennet replies that Jane is soon going to be engaged to someone else, and suggests Elizabeth instead. Meanwhile, the handsome and charming Lieutenant Wickham (Rupert Friend) of the newly-arrived militia captures the girls' attention; he slanders Darcy, telling Elizabeth that Darcy cheated him of his inheritance. At a ball at Netherfield, Elizabeth, startled by his abrupt appearance and request, accepts a dance with Darcy, but vows to her best friend Charlotte Lucas (Claudie Blakley) that she has "sworn to loathe him for all eternity." During the dance, she attacks him with witty sarcasm, and Darcy responds in kind. At the same ball, Charlotte expresses concern to Elizabeth that Jane's behaviour to Mr. Bingley is too reserved and that Bingley may not realise she loves him.

The next day, at Longbourn, Collins proposes to Elizabeth much to her chagrin; she refuses him, which angers her mother but pleases her father. When Bingley unexpectedly returns to London, Elizabeth dispatches a heartbroken Jane to their aunt and uncle in London, the Gardiners, in hopes of re-establishing contact between Jane and Bingley. Later, Elizabeth is appalled to learn that Charlotte will marry Collins, not because she loves him but to gain financial security and avoid becoming a spinster.

Months later, Elizabeth visits the newly-wed Mr. and Mrs. Collins at Rosings, the manor estate of the overbearing Lady Catherine (Judi Dench); they are invited to dine at the grand house and there meet Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam (Cornelius Booth), Lady Catherine's nephews. Here Darcy shows a greater interest in Elizabeth, especially when she replies to Lady Catherine's jabs with spirited wit. The next day, Colonel Fitzwilliam lets slip to Elizabeth that Darcy separated Bingley from Jane. Distraught, she flees out into the rain; Darcy chooses that moment to track her down and propose marriage. He claims that he loves her "most ardently," despite her "lower rank." Elizabeth refuses him, citing his treatment of Jane and Bingley, and of Wickham, and they argue fiercely, with Darcy explaining that he had observed Jane and had been convinced that she did not return Bingley's love. Darcy leaves angry and heartbroken. He finds her later and presents her with a letter, which exposes Wickham as a gambler who demanded and received cash in lieu of the position intended for him by Darcy's father, and who later, on being refused more money, attempted to elope with Darcy's 15-year-old sister, Georgiana, in order to obtain her £30,000 inheritance, but abandoned her upon learning that he would never receive a penny of the money, devastating Georgiana.

Elizabeth does not tell Jane what she has learned. Later, the Gardiners (Peter Wight and Penelope Wilton) take Elizabeth on a trip to the Peak District and visit Darcy's estate, Pemberley. Elizabeth is stunned by its wealth and beauty and hears nothing but good things about Darcy from his housekeeper. There, she accidentally runs into Darcy, who invites her and the Gardiners to meet his sister. His manners have softened considerably, and Georgiana (Tamzin Merchant) takes an instant liking to Elizabeth. When Elizabeth learns that her immature and flirtatious youngest sister Lydia, who was sent on holiday unsupervised, has run away with Wickham, she tearfully blurts out the news to Darcy and the Gardiners before returning home. Her family assumes their social ruin for having a disgraced daughter, but they are soon relieved to hear that Mr. Gardiner has discovered the pair in London, and that they have been married. Lydia later reveals to Elizabeth that it was Darcy who found them and who paid for the marriage.

When Bingley and Darcy return to Netherfield, Jane accepts Bingley's proposal of marriage. The same evening, Lady Catherine pays Elizabeth a surprise visit and insists that Elizabeth renounce Darcy, as he is supposedly engaged to her own daughter, Anne. Elizabeth refuses, and unable to sleep, she 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 admits his continued love, and Elizabeth accepts his second proposal. Mr. Bennet gives his consent after Elizabeth assures him of her love for Darcy.

In the U.S. release of the film, an additional last scene shows a newly-married Elizabeth and Darcy outside of their Pemberley estate showing affection for each other.

Production

Conception and adaptation

Screenwriter Deborah Moggach changed the film's period setting to the late 18th century partly out of concern that it would be overshadowed by the 1995 BBC adaptation.

As with several recent Jane Austen adaptations, Pride & Prejudice's production was the result of an Anglo-British collaboration, which involved British studio Working Title Films (in association with StudioCanal) and its American parent company Universal Studios. As Working Title Films co-chairman Tim Bevan explains, his studio began development on Pride & Prejudice out of a desire to "bring Austen's original story, concentrating on Lizzie, back in all its glory to the big screen for audiences everywhere to enjoy." Given a "relatively inexpensive" budget of $28–29 million, the film was expected to excel at the box office, particularly based on the past commercial success of 1996's Romeo + Juliet and 1998's Shakespeare in Love as well as the resurgence of interest in Austen's works.

Screenwriter and novelist Deborah Moggach had sole discretion with the early script, and attempted to be as faithful to the original novel as possible, believing it to be "so beautifully shaped as a story – the ultimate romance about two people who think they hate each other but who are really passionately in love. I felt, 'If it's not broken, don't fix it.'" Moggach initially had all scenes from Elizabeth's perspective in keeping with the novel; she later inputted a few scenes from the male perspective, such as when Bingley practices his marriage proposal, in order to "show Darcy and Bingley being close" and to indicate Darcy was a "human being instead of being stuck up." The screenwriter noted that while they could not reproduce the novel's "fiercely wonderful dialogue in its entirety," they attempted to keep much of it. Moggach inserted small details that acknowledged wider events outside of the characters' circle, such as the events then occurring in France.

Television director Joe Wright was hired for the film, making Pride & Prejudice his directional film debut. He was considered a surprising choice for a film in the romance drama genre due to his past work with social realism. Wright's body of work had impressed the film producers, who then sent him a script despite the fact that Wright had not read the novel. He commented that at the time, "I didn't know if I was really all that interested; I thought I was a little bit more mainstream then [sic] this, a bit more edgy. But then I read the script and I was surprised I was very moved by it." He next read the novel, which he called "an amazing piece of character observation and it really seamed [sic] like the first piece of British Realism. It felt like it was a true story; had a lot of truth in it about understanding how to love other people, understanding how to overcome prejudices, understanding the things that separate us from other people… things like that." The only adaptation of Pride and Prejudice Wright had seen was the 1940 production, which was the last time the novel was adapted into a feature film. The director purposely did not watch the other productions, both out of fear he would inadvertently steal ideas and because he wanted to be as original as possible.

"I wanted to make something that is about young people, about young people experiencing these emotions for the first time and not understanding the feelings they are having. If you have a 40-year-old man as your star not understanding the feeling he's having then it becomes a bit unbelievable and suspect, rather like The 40-Year-Old Virgin or something instead of Pride & Prejudice."

— Director Joe Wright commenting on the ages of the actors in the 1940 adaptation

Despite Moggach's desire to work closely with Austen's dialogue, Wright made an effort to not "be too reverential to [it]. I don't believe people spoke like that then; it's not natural." While a few scenes, such as the discussion over accomplished women, aligned closely with the author's original dialogue, many others "substitut[ed] instead a mixture of modern idiom and archaic-sounding sentence structure." One alteration concerned politeness; Wright noted that while Austen's work had characters waiting before speaking, he believed that "particularly in big families of girls, everyone tends to speak over each other, finishing each other's sentences, etc. So I felt that the Bennet family's conversations would be overlapping like that."

Citing the fact that Austen first began writing Pride and Prejudice in 1797, the period setting was changed from 1813 (the novel's publication date) to the late eighteenth century; this decision was partly because Wright wanted to highlight the differences within an England influenced by the French Revolution, and also because he hated dresses with an empire silhouette. In the film, Caroline Bingley references the former in her critique of French ballroom designs being unpatriotic.

In comparison to the 1995 BBC version, producer Paul Webster desired to make an adaptation that "doesn't conform to the television drama stereotypes of a perfect clean Regency world." Wright and Moggach opted for a "muddy hem version" of Longbourn, presenting a more rural setting than in previous adaptations out of a desire to depict the Bennets in "very close proximity to their rural life" and to emphasize their poverty. While the degree of poverty has been criticised by some critics, Wright felt that the "mess adds to the drama of the predicament that the family were in," and helps contrast the Bennets, Darcys, and Bingleys. The filmmakers also changed several scenes to more romantic locales than the ones in the book. For instance, in the film, Darcy first proposes outdoors in a rainstorm at a building with Neoclassical architecture; in the book, this scene takes place inside a parsonage. In the film, his second proposal occurs on the misty moors as dawn breaks; in the book, he and Elizabeth are walking down a country lane in broad daylight.

Casting

See also: Main characters of Pride and Prejudice

Though Wright had not initially pictured someone as attractive as English actress Keira Knightley for the lead role of Elizabeth Bennet, he cast her after he realised that the actress "is really a tomboy [and] has a lively mind and a great sense of humour." Knightley had been a fan of Austen's since age 7, but initially feared taking the role out of apprehension that she would be doing "an absolute copy of Jennifer Ehle's performance" from the 1995 BBC series, which she deeply admired. Knightley believed Elizabeth is "what you aspire to be: she's funny, she's witty and intelligent. She's a fully rounded and very much loved character." For the period, the actress studied etiquette, history, and dancing but ran into trouble when she acquired a short haircut while preparing for her role in the bounty hunter film Domino.

Knightley (left) remarked that she was blown away with Macfayden's audition as Darcy.

Wright found casting of the film to be difficult because he was very particular about "the types of people [he] wanted to work with." Co-producer Paul Webster found the casting of Darcy especially hard due to the character's iconic status and because "Colin Firth cast a very long shadow" as the Darcy from the 1995 television adaptation. The crew had to balance who they thought was best for each role with what the producers wanted – mainly a big name attraction. Wright later commented that his choice of Knightley allowed him to cast comparative unknown Matthew Macfadyen, something that would have been impossible had a less well known actress been chosen for Elizabeth Bennet. Wright called Macfadyen "a proper manly man... I didn't want a pretty boy kind of actor. His properties were the ones I felt I needed [for Darcy]. Matthew's a great big hunk of a guy."

According to Wright, Rosamund Pike was cast as the eldest Bennet sister "because [he] knew she wasn't going to play her as a nice, simple person. Jane has a real interior world, she has her heart broken." Despite being Pike's ex-boyfriend, Simon Woods was cast as her love interest Mr. Bingley. The other three Bennet sisters were played by Talulah Riley, Carey Mulligan, and Jena Malone. The only American actress among them, Wright believed Malone to have a "pretty faultless English accent". Mulligan heard about the casting call at a dinner hosted by actor and screenwriter Julian Fellowes, whom she wrote a letter to after failing to get into drama school; she won the part after three auditions. Pride & Prejudice was Mulligan's feature film debut as well as Riley's.

Donald Sutherland reminded Wright of his own father, and was cast as patriarch Mr. Bennet; Wright believed the actor possessed the "strength to handle those six women." Brenda Blethyn was hired to play Mrs. Bennet, whom Moggach believed to the unsung heroine of the film; Wright explained that it was "a tricky part [to fill], as she can be very annoying; you want to stop her chattering and shrieking. But Brenda has the humour and the heart to show the amount of love and care Mrs. Bennet has for her daughters." Wright convinced veteran actress Judi Dench to join the cast as Lady Catherine de Bourgh by writing her a letter that read "I love it when you play a bitch. Please come and be a bitch for me." Other cast members included Tamzin Merchant as Georgiana Darcy, who was hired despite having no previous acting experience after she wrote a letter to the casting director.

Other cast members included Claudie Blakley as Elizabeth's friend Charlotte Lucas, Kelly Reilly as Caroline Bingley, Rupert Friend as Mr. George Wickham, Tom Hollander as Mr. William Collins, Rosamund Stephen as Anne de Bourgh, Cornelius Booth as Colonel Fitzwilliam, Penelope Wilton as Mrs. Gardiner, Peter Wight as Mr. Gardiner, Meg Wynn Owen as Mrs. Reynolds, and Sinead Matthews as Betsy.

Costume design

Costume designer Jacqueline Durran focused on late-18th century fashions, such as those seen in this 1795 painting.

Known for her BAFTA-winning work on the film Vera Drake, Jacqueline Durran was hired on as the costume designer of Pride & Prejudice. Because of Wright's dislike of the high waistline, Durran focused on later eighteenth century fashions. Clothing and hairstyles were designed to appeal to contemporary audiences rather than be completely historically accurate. To help differentiate the Bennet sisters, Durran viewed Elizabeth as the "tomboy", clothing her in earthy colours because "she loved the countryside." For the other sisters, Durran remarked, "Jane was the most refined, and yet it's still all a bit slapdash and homemade, because the Bennets have no money. One of the main things Joe wanted was for the whole thing to have a provincial feel. Mary is the bluestocking: serious and practical. And then Lydia and Kitty are a bit Tweedledum and Tweedledee in a kind of teenage way. I tried to make it so that they'd be sort of mirror images. If one's wearing a green dress, the other will wear a green jacket; so you always have a visual asymmetry between the two." In contrast to the 1940 film, the 2005 production displayed the Bennet sisters in worn-down but comfortable dresses.

The costume of Mr. Darcy went through a series of phases. Durran noted that "the first time we see him he's at Meriton [sic], where he has a very stiffly tailored jacket on, and he's quite contained and rigid. He stays in that rigid form for the first part of the film. By the time we get to the proposal that goes wrong in the rain, we move to a similar cut, but a much softer fabric. And then later he's got a completely different cut of coat, not interlined, and he wears it undone. The nth degree is him walking through the mist in the morning, completely undressed by 18th-century standards. It's absolutely unlikely, but then Lizzie's in her nightie, so what can you say?" A generational divide is visible in the 2005 film, where the older characters can be seen dressing in mid-18th century fashions while the young wear "a sort of proto-Regency style of hair and dress."

Locations

Filming of Pemberly partly occurred at Chatsworth House, often believed to have been Austen's inspiration for the Darcy residence.

Pride & Prejudice was filmed entirely on location within England during an 11-week schedule, which began in August 2004. Co-producer Paul Webster noted that "it is quite unusual for a movie this size to be shot entirely on location. Part of Joe [Wright]'s idea was to try to create a reality which allows the actors to relax and feel at one with their environment." Working under production designer Sarah Greenwood and set decorator Katie Spencer, the film was shot on seven estates within six different counties. Because "nothing exists in the United Kingdom that is untouched by the twenty-first century," many of the sites required substantial work to make them suitable for filming.

Shooting occurred at several stately homes, including Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the largest privately held country house in England. Chatsworth and Wilton House in Salisbury stood in for Pemberley, the Darcy residence. After a search of various sites in England, the moated manor house Groombridge Place in Kent was chosen to be the setting for the Bennet home Longbourn, which location manager Adam Richards believed had an "immense charm" that was "untouched by post-17th Century development." Reflecting Wright's intention to display a realism not done by previous Jane Austen directors, Groombridge's interior was designed with "shabby chic" characteristics.

Representing Netherfield Park, Bingley's newly acquired residence in Meryton, was the late-18th century site Basildon Park in Berkshire, leading it to close for three months to allow time for filming. Burghley House in Cambridgeshire stood in for Rosings, while the adjacent town of Stamford served as Meryton. Haddon Hall, which stood in for The Inn at Lambton, had been a filming site for previous productions Elizabeth and Jane Eyre. Other locations included the Temple of Apollo and Palladian Bridge of Stourhead (for the Gardens of Rosings), Hunsford (for Collins' parsonage and church), and Peak District (for Elizabeth and the Gardiners' tour).

Music

Pride & Prejudice [Music from the Motion Picture]
Soundtrack album by Dario Marianelli
Released	November 15, 2005
Genre	Film score
Label	Decca Records
Dario Marianelli chronology
Sauf le respect que je vous dois (2005) Pride & Prejudice (2005) The Return (2006)

Main article: Pride & Prejudice (soundtrack)

Dario Marianelli was hired to compose the film score, the first of three collaborations he would have with Joe Wright. Their relationship began when Paul Webster, who had worked with Marianelli on the 2001 film The Warrior, introduced him to Wright. Marianelli recalled their meeting, "In our very first conversation we ended up talking about Beethoven early piano sonatas: they became a point of reference, and their spirit (or my understanding of that spirit, at least) became the starting point for the score. A few pieces had to be written prior to the shoot, for scenes in which the actors are playing the piano: those pieces already contained the seeds of what I developed later on into the score, when I abandoned historical correctness for a more intimate and emotional treatment of the story." The score featured pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, whom Wright considered one of the greatest piano players in the world. Marianelli was unable to be present on set when actors played his music in various scenes, due to the birth of his second daughter.

Track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Dawn"	2:38
2.	"Stars and Butterflies"	1:59
3.	"The Living Sculptures of Pemberley"	3:01
4.	"Meryton Townhall"	1:12
5.	"The Militia Marches In"	0:56
6.	"Georgiana"	1:35
7.	"Arrival To Netherfield"	1:39
8.	"A Postcard to Henry Purcell"	2:39
9.	"Liz on Top of the World"	1:22
10.	"Leaving Netherfield"	1:41
11.	"Another Dance"	1:14
12.	"The Secret Life of Daydreams"	1:55
13.	"Darcy's Letter"	3:56
14.	"Can't Slow Down"	1:10
15.	"Your Hands Are Cold"	5:23
16.	"Mrs. Darcy"	3:43
17.	"Credits"	4:47

Editing

The story was compressed into two hours and nine minutes of screen time. Wright remarked that the story is "obviously about Elizabeth and Darcy, following them, and anything that detracts or diverts you from that story is what you have to cut." Some of the most notable changes from the original book include heavy time compression of several major sequences, including the departure of Wickham and the militia, Elizabeth's visit to Rosings Park and Hunsford Parsonage, Elizabeth's visit to Pemberley, and Lydia's elopement and its subsequent crisis; the elimination of several supporting characters, including Louisa Hurst, Mr. Hurst, Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, Lady and Maria Lucas, the Gardiners' children, Mrs. Annesley, Mrs. Younge (Georgiana Darcy's governess), several of Lydia's friends (including Colonel and Mrs. Forster), and various military officers and townspeople; and the elimination of several sections in which characters reflect or converse on events that have recently occurred – for example, Elizabeth's chapter-long change of mind after reading Darcy's letter.

Moggach and Wright debated how to end the film, but knew they did not want to have a wedding scene "because we didn’t want Elizabeth to come off as the girl who became a queen at this lavish wedding, or for it to be corny." Soon before the North American release, the film was modified to include a final scene (not in the novel) of the married Darcys enjoying a romantic evening and passionate kiss at Pemberley in an attempt to attract sentimental viewers; this became a source of complaint for the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA). After watching a preview of the film before its wide release, former JASNA president Elsa Solender commented, "It has nothing at all of Jane Austen in it, is inconsistent with the first two-thirds of the film, insults the audience with its banality, and ought to be cut before release." British audiences soon complained that they were excluded from viewing this version, causing the film to later be re-released in several countries. The original British version ended with Mr. Bennet's blessing upon Elizabeth and Darcy's union, thus circumventing the last chapter in the novel, which summarizes the lives of the Darcys and the other main characters over the next several years.

Major themes and analysis

Romanticism and realism

Film, literary, and Jane Austen scholars have noted the appearance of romanticism within Pride & Prejudice, especially in comparison to previous adaptations. Sarah Ailwood identifies the film as "an essentially Romantic interpretation of Austen's novel," citing as evidence Wright's attention to nature as a means to "position Elizabeth and Darcy as Romantic figures [...] Wright's Pride & Prejudice takes as its central focus Austen's concern with exploring the nature of the Romantic self and the possibilities for women and men to achieve individual self-fulfillment within an oppressive patriarchal social and economic order." Likewise, Catherine Stewart-Beer of Oxford Brookes University calls Elizabeth's presence on the Derbyshire cliff a "stunning, magical evocation of Wright's strong stylistic brand of Postmodern Romanticism," but believed this was less like Austen and more reminiscent of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. In her analysis, University of Provence scholar Lydia Martin concludes that the "Romantic bias of the film is shown through the shifts in the characters' relationships, the soundtrack and the treatment of landscape."

Conversely, Carole Dole, a professor of film studies at Ursinus College, argues that Pride & Prejudice is "a hybrid that embraces both an irreverent realism to which younger audiences are accustomed (and which reflects the director's realist aesthetic) and the classic heritage film's reverence for country houses, attractive landscapes, and authentic period detail." Such "irreverent realism" included the depiction of Longbourn as a working farm complete with chickens, cattle, and pigs; as Dole explains, "The agricultural realities of 1790s England are equally evident in the enclosed yard with barn and hay where Lizzie twirls barefoot over the mud on a rope swing". Referring to recent adaptations such as 1999's gritty Mansfield Park, Dole cited Pride & Prejudice as evidence that the heritage film is still around but has "been transformed into a more flexible genre."

Family

Various Austen scholars noted the 2005 film's changes to the depiction of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.

Raised with three other sisters, Deborah Moggach was particularly interested in the story's family dynamics. Brock University professor Barbara K. Seeber believes that in contrast to the novel, the 2005 adaptation emphasizes family over romance. She notes that Pride & Prejudice "significantly recast the Bennet family, in particular its patriarch, presenting Mr. Bennet as a sensitive and kind father whose role in the family's misfortunes is continually downplayed." Seeber further observes that the film is "the first to present Mrs. Bennet in a sympathetic light," with Mr. Bennet displayed as "an attentive husband as well as a loving father."

Stewart-Beer and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology professor Sally B. Palmer also observe alterations within the depiction of the Bennet family; Stewart-Beer remarks that while their family home "might be chaotic, in this version it is, at heart, a happy home—much happier, and much less dysfunctional, than Austen’s original version of Longbourn... For one, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet actually seem to like each other, even love each other, a characterization which is a far cry from the source text." Producer Paul Webster acknowledges the familial theme in the DVD featurette "A Bennet Family Portrait," remarking "Yes, it's a great love story between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, but underpinning it all is the kind of love that runs this family."

Depiction of Elizabeth Bennet

In another departure from Austen's work, Catherine Stewart-Beer notes that the 2005 film's Elizabeth Bennet has an "increasingly aloof and emotionally distant" relationship with her family, highlighting as an example Elizabeth's gradual alienation from Jane as the film progresses; this is in contrast to the book, where Elizabeth confides more of her feelings to Jane after difficult events. In her "feisty, impassioned" interactions with Darcy and "rebellious refusal to 'perform'" for Lady Catherine, Stewart-Beer also sees Knightley's depiction as "far removed from Austen's original Elizabeth, who has a greater sense of grounded maturity, even though both Elizabeths have an occasional inclination to fluster, fun and giggles."

Observing a "deep yet childlike nature", Stewart-Beer notes however that perhaps "Knightley's Elizabeth truly is an Elizabeth for 2005—a time when young men and women are often forced, because of a precipitously expensive housing market, to live with their parents and are therefore rendered unable fully to take on the onerous responsibilities of adulthood, suspended in a false state of prolonged childhood. Knightley's Elizabeth, along with her sisters, is notably excluded from major ongoing 'adult' discussions (hence the eavesdropping habit), perpetuating a sense of infantilism. Elizabeth’s uncertain status as a young female, forever hovering on the threshold, continues for much of the action in Wright's film, most notably at Pemberley, where she tentatively spies on Georgiana and her brother. Interestingly, by the closing stages of the film, Elizabeth's family has resorted to eavesdropping on her (and her spat with Lady Catherine). Adulthood, a world of personal responsibilities and secret burdens, has arrived."

According to George Washington University professor Laurie Kaplan, while Wright's focus on Elizabeth is consistent with the novel, the screenplay removed her line indicating self-recognition: "Till this moment, I never knew myself". Kaplan characterises the sentence as Elizabeth's "most important," and believes its deletion "violates not only the spirit and the essence of Austen's story but the viewer's expectations as well."

Release

Marketing

London bus with Pride & Prejudice ad

After a string of Jane Austen semi-adaptions in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Pride & Prejudice was positioned to take audiences "back into the world of period drama and what many saw as a more authentic version of Austen," as explained by author Andrew Higson. The film was marketed to attract mainstream and young audiences, with one reviewer referring to it as "the ultimate chick-flick romance" and "more commercial than previous big-screen Austen adaptations." An ampersand replaced the word "and" in the film title, similar to the 1996 postmodern film Romeo + Juliet.

Several commentators likened the main promotional poster of Pride & Prejudice to that of 1995's Sense and Sensibility, which was seen as an attempt to attract the same demographic group of viewers. Advertising noted that the film came "from the producers of Bridget Jones's Diary" before even mentioning it was a Jane Austen adaptation. Leading up to the release of the film, fans were allowed to download pictures and screensavers online, which emphasised the differences between Pride & Prejudice and previous adaptations. Lydia Martin writes that in contrast to past Pride and Prejudice productions, marketing materials downplayed the "suggested antagonism between the heroes" in favour of highlighting a "romantic relationship", as can be seen with the positioning of the characters as well as with the tagline, "Sometimes the last person on earth you want to be with is the one you can't be without."

Carole Dole notes that "the critical and financial success of Pride & Prejudice has only made it more likely that future adaptations of Austen will feature, if not necessarily mud, then at least youthful and market-tested performers (most immediately, Anne Hathaway as Austen herself in Becoming Jane) and youth-oriented filmmaking techniques balanced with the visual pleasures of the heritage film."

Box office

Pride & Prejudice was released on 16 September 2005 in the United Kingdom. The movie took the number one spot in its first week, earning £2.5–6 million ($4.5–6 million) while playing on nearly 400 screens. It stayed on the top spot for two more weeks, earning a total of over £14 million at the UK box office at that time and was featured on 1,335 screens at its widest domestic release. On 11 November 2005, the film debuted in the United States with an opening weekend of $2.9 million on 215 screens. Two weeks later, this was increased to 1,299 screens, and box office returns augmented to $7.2 million. The film has grossed over $121,147,947 worldwide at the cinema box office, finishing in 72nd place for 2005. As explained by Focus Features' president of distribution Jack Foley, the film's success in the US was partly attributed to Jane Austen being "a brand to begin with" as well as it being attractive to "the boomer market".

Home media

In the US and UK, Universal Studios released the standard DVD and VHS in February 2006 for both widescreen and fullframe; attached bonus features include audio commentary by director Joe Wright, a look into author Jane Austen's life, and the ending scene of Elizabeth and Darcy kissing.

On 13 November 2007, Universal released the deluxe edition DVD to coincide with the arrival of Atonement to theatres, a film that also involved Wright and Knightley. The deluxe edition includes both widescreen and fullframe features, the original soundtrack CD, a collectible book and booklet, as well as a number of special features not included in the original DVD. In the US, a Blu-ray version of the film was released by Universal on 26 January 2010, which also contained bonus features.

Reception

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," 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." The 2005 film was consequently met with some initial skepticism from fans, especially in relation to plot changes and casting choices. 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 fewer points. The film has received an average review score of 86 percent according to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Metacritic reported Pride & Prejudice had an average score of 82 out of 100, based on 37 reviews, and classified the film as universally acclaimed.

Some critics noted the 2005 film's time constraints do not capture the depth and complexity of the television serials and called the film "obviously [not as] daring or revisionist" as the 1995 TV serial. 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," while Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, while heavily praising Keira Knightley for having given an outstanding performance as Lizzy Bennet "which lifts the whole movie," considered the casting of the 2005 leads "arguably a little more callow than Firth and Ehle." He does add that "Only a snob, a curmudgeon, or someone with necrophiliac loyalty to the 1995 BBC version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle could fail to enjoy her performance." Critics were divided about Matthew Macfadyen's portrayal of Darcy, expressing pleasant surprise, dislike for his lack of gradual emotional shift as in the novel, and praise for his matching the insecure and sensitive personality of the book character better than Firth.

Awards and nominations

Pride & Prejudice garnered a number of awards and nominations. At the 78th Academy Awards, it earned five nominations, including 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's score. The film was nominated for six BAFTAs at the 59th British Academy Film Awards, ultimately winning the BAFTA Carl Foreman Award for Most Promising Newcomer (for Joe Wright).

Award	Category	Recipients and nominees	Result
Academy Awards	Best Actress	Keira Knightley	Nominated
	Best Original Score	Dario Marianelli	Nominated
	Best Art Direction	Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer	Nominated
	Best Costume Design	Jacqueline Durran	Nominated
Golden Globe Awards	Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama	Keira Knightley	Nominated
	Golden Globe for Best Film – Musical or Comedy		Nominated
British Academy Film Awards	Best Film		Nominated
	Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Brenda Blethyn	Nominated
	Most Promising Newcomer	Joe Wright	Won
	Best Adapted Screenplay	Deborah Moggach	Nominated
	Best Costume Design	Jacqueline Durran	Nominated
	Best Makeup & Hair		Nominated

See also

• Jane Austen in popular culture
• List of literary adaptations of Pride and Prejudice
• Janeite

References

Bibliography

• Ailwood, Sarah (Summer 2007). ""What Are Men to Rocks and Mountains?" Romanticism in Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice". Persuasions On-Line (Jane Austen Society of North America) 27 (2). http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no2/ailwood.htm. Retrieved 10 February 2012. 
• Andrew, Dudley (2011). "The Economies of Adaptation". In MacCabe, Colin. True to the Spirit: Film Adaptation and the Question of Fidelity. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 27–40. ISBN 0195374673. 
• Austen, Jane (2006). Jane Austen: Complete and Unabridged. New York: Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc. ISBN 0760774013. 
• Cartmell, Deborah (2010). Screen Adaptations: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: A Close Study of the Relationship between Text and Film. London: A& C Black Publishers Ltd. ISBN 1408105934. 
• Chan, Mary (Summer 2007). "Location, Location, Location: The Spaces of Pride & Prejudice". Persuasions On-Line (Jane Austen Society of North America) 27 (2). http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no2/chan.htm. Retrieved 27 February 2012. 
• Dawson Edwards, Kyle (2008). Corporate Fictions: Film Adaptation and Authorship in the Classical Hollywood Era. Ann Arbor: ProQuest Information and Learning Company. 
• Demory, Pamela (2010). "Jane Austen and the Chick Flick in the Twenty-first Century". In Albrecht-Crane, Christa. Adaptation Studies: New Approaches. Danvers, MA: Rosemont Publishing & Printing Corp. pp. 121–149. ISBN 0838642624. 
• Dole, Carole (Summer 2007). "Jane Austen and Mud: Pride & Prejudice (2005), British Realism, and the Heritage Film". Persuasions On-Line (Jane Austen Society of North America) 27 (2). http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no2/dole.htm. Retrieved 10 February 2012. 
• Gymnich, Marion; Kathrin Ruhl (2010). "Revisiting the Classical Romance: Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones's Diary and Bride and Prejudice". In Gymnich, Marion. Gendered (Re)Visions: Constructions of Gender in Audiovisual Media. Goettingen: Bonn University Press. pp. 23–44. ISBN 3899716620. 
• Higson, Andrew (2011). Film England: Culturally English Filmmaking Since the 1990s. New York: I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1848854544. 
• Kaplan, Laurie (Summer 2007). "Inside Out/Outside In: Pride & Prejudice on Film 2005". Persuasions On-Line (Jane Austen Society of North America) 27 (2). http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no2/kaplan.htm. Retrieved 27 February 2012. 
• Martin, Lydia (Summer 2007). "Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice: From Classicism to Romanticism". Persuasions On-Line (Jane Austen Society of North America) 27 (2). http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no2/kaplan.htm. Retrieved 2 March 2012. 
• Palmer, Sally B. (Summer 2007). "Little Women at Longbourn: The Re-Wrighting of Pride and Prejudice". Persuasions On-Line (Jane Austen Society of North America) 27 (2). http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no2/palmer.htm. Retrieved 27 February 2012. 
• Seeber, Barbara K. (Summer 2007). "A Bennet Utopia: Adapting the Father in Pride and Prejudice". Persuasions On-Line (Jane Austen Society of North America) 27 (2). http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no2/seeber.htm. Retrieved 10 February 2012. 
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• Tandy, Ann M. (Summer 2007). ""Just What a Young Man Ought to Be": The 2005 Pride & Prejudice and Transitional Ideas of Gentility". Persuasions On-Line (Jane Austen Society of North America) 27 (2). http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no2/tandy.htm. Retrieved 8 March 2012. 
• Wells, Juliette (Summer 2007). "“A Fearsome Thing to Behold”? The Accomplished Woman in Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice". Persuasions On-Line (Jane Austen Society of North America) 27 (2). http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no2/wells.htm. Retrieved 10 March 2012. 
• Whitlock, Cathy (2010). Designs on Film: A Century of Hollywood Art Direction. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060881224. 
• Woodworth, Megan (Summer 2007). ""I am a gentleman’s daughter"? Translating Class from Austen’s Page to the Twenty-first-century Screen". Persuasions On-Line (Jane Austen Society of North America) 27 (2). http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol27no2/woodworth.htm. Retrieved 8 March 2012. 

External links

• Official website
• Pride & Prejudice at the Internet Movie Database
• Pride & Prejudice at AllRovi
• Pride & Prejudice at Box Office Mojo
• Pride & Prejudice at Rotten Tomatoes