Hi, I'm Alison, going to be around a bit more now as off work recovering after abdominal surgery. ...
Hi, I'm Alison, going to be around a bit more now as off work recovering after abdominal surgery. I also write on Dooyoo under the same name but under the picture of my dog Oscar!
Member since:27.07.2003
Reviews:158
Members who trust:120
Plot ========
Most people are very familiar with the plotline of this film having either read the Jane Austen novel on which the film is based or watching the BBC drama adaptation that was very popular. However not all are aware, in fact I discovered my husband didn't know the story so here is a little brief introduction to the film. It is set in Georgian 18th century England. The main characters in the novel are the Bennet family, Mr and Mrs Bennet and their five daughters. Because Mr Bennet has had no sons, on his death the family's house and money will pass by his wife and daughters to Mr Collins a cousin. Therefore Mrs Bennet's sole purpose in life is to marry off her daughters preferably to rich suitors.
When Mr Bingley a rich eligible bachelor moves into the neighbourhood things start to look up especially when he picks out Jane the eldest of the daughters. We also meet Mr Darcy his friend who appears at first as a rude arrogant man. Elizabeth and Darcy do not hit it off and the films title is about their prejudices against each other and their own pride which stops them seeing things differently.
We have Mrs Bennet who loves her daughters and this drives her to find husbands. Jane the eldest daughter is seen as a slightly motherly character and one who keeps her emotions to herself which is not a good thing when trying to attract a man. Elizabeth is next, a strong-willed young woman who is not afraid to question things and not prepared to settle for a quiet life with a man she does not love. Mary is next and she seems a bit left out of things stuck between the eldest two and the youngest two. Then there is Lydia and Kitty who are seen as the foolish young girls more interested in ribbons and soldiers and having a good
time. They are loud, giggly and gossipy and don't think about the impact of their behaviour on the family name.
We then meet Mr Collins a vicar and a cousin to the Bennets who comes to pick a wife. Will one of the Bennets daughters marry him or will they find a better offer? Will true love win through? You will need to watch to find out.
My thoughts ==============
I loved this film. It's a beautiful story of true love. Of how first impressions count but how we can be blinded by our own prejudices. It is a story of love not only between a man and a woman but family love. The Bennets in their own way are a family who do things out of love for each other. Darcy acts in a way to protect his sister because he loves her.
At first I was unsure of the casting of Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen. However very quickly I forgot about the BBC adaptation and Colin Firth and found myself absorbed into the film. I found myself like Elizabeth being annoyed and repelled by the arrogant rude Mr Darcy but as the film continues finding his heart softens and he becomes more handsome and attractive.
I did believe the love story and I felt there was chemistry between Elizabeth and Darcy. I felt transported into another world, in times gone past where dating followed such strict rules and where young peoples lives centred around making a good marriage and not always for love.
I think the film did well to pick up on Jane Austen's wit and irony. There are some funny moments in the film. Mr Collins and his boring talk and excitable antics when Lady De Bourg appears. Mr Bingley is also very amusing when he tries to rehearse what he should say to Jane but then when he meets he gets in a bit of a tongue twist.
Bonus Features. ================
In many DVDs it's not worth watching the bonus features however on this film I would highly recommend them in fact they are enough to warrant buying the film on their own!
The Politics of Dating ----------------------------------
This feature gives you a bit of the background to 18th century dating. They suggest that it was maybe easier to meet a potential suitor in those days as there were rules that you had to follow where as in modern society people don't follow the same rules. Women had to try and look as if they didn't want a husband even if they did, no-one wants a desperate woman! A lot of courtship happened on the dance floor as men and women were not allowed to be alone to talk apart from when they were dancing. Therefore balls and dances were central to 18th century society. Dancing was also the only time that women and men touched therefore it also had a strong part in attraction to a member of the opposite sex.
The Stately Homes of Pride and Prejudice ---------------------------------------------------------------
As someone who enjoys visiting castles and stately homes I found this feature particularly interesting. The feature allows you to select various houses which are featured in the film and find out a bit more about them.
Firstly we have Chatsworth House in Derbyshire which is Pemberly the home of Mr Darcy. Then there is Burghley in Lincolnshire the home of Lady Catherine de Bourg, Wilton House in Wiltshire which was used for some of the interior shots of Pemberly due to the high visitor numbers at Chatsworth. Groombridge Place in Kent which is a moated manor house was used as the exterior of the Bennets home and finally Basildon Park in Berkshire was Mr Bingleys home Netherfield. As well as showing you the houses and photographs of them the feature also gives an insight into filming.
The Bennets ----------------------
This feature gives you more understanding into the concerns of an everyday family in the 18th century and a deeper understanding of the Bennets in particular. The feature looks at each of the Bennets and talks about the fact that the film has an underlying family love story.
Life and Times of Jane Austen ----------------------------------------------
Jane Austen wrote about the world she knew. This feature looks into her life and also the impact of her writing on society. Pride and Prejudice still has a place in modern society and was the influence for modern films including Bridget Jones and Bride and Prejudice. She wrote about real people facing real situations. The feature also talks about the fact that people feel they own Pride and Prejudice and have strong feelings about who is playing each character. If you read any review on this film you do find that you have people saying this character wasn't right probably more than on any other film.
Pride and Prejudice Family Trees ----------------------------------------------------
This feature allows you to click through the tree and see who is related to who etc. It's quite a good feature if you get muddled who is who.
Galleries of 19th Century -----------------------------------------
This enables you to look at photos of the Victoria and Albert Museum at the clothing, jewellery and furniture. This is probably the least interesting of the bonus features.
On Set Diaries -----------------------------
This is a behind the scenes footage with the characters from the film talking about each other. It's a bit like "We all love each other and it's been such fun working together!"
Alternate US Ending ---------------------------------
I was amused that the US needs a different ending from us! I won't spoil the ending but I will give you some advice - make sure you have a bucket handy!!
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 2003 - Drama - Director: Michael Winterbottom - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Tim Robbins, Samantha Morton, Om Puri, Jeanne Balibar
I was'nt overly impressed with this film or Kiera's performance but I absolutely loved the BBC series with Colin Firth as Darcy i thought it was much better than the film, a great review though, very well written
baby_uk 21.05.2006 18:20
Even though it took 6 hours to watch, I prefer the BBC version of this. Plus Keira Knightley just annoys me! x
Rightly winning wide acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic, this latest take on Jane ... more
Austens classicPride&Prejudiceis a real, all-round triumph. The age-old story still holds real resonance, and it follows the tale of five sisters dealing with love, an...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Rightly winning wide acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic, this latest take on Jane ... more
Austens classicPride&Prejudiceis a real, all-round triumph. The age-old story still holds real resonance, and it follows the tale of five sisters dealing with love, an...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
A romance ahead of its time... The five Bennet sisters - Elizabeth or Lizzie (Keira ... more
Knightley) Jane (Rosamund Pike) Lydia (Jena Malone) Mary (Talulah Riley) and Kitty (Carey Mulligan) - have been raised well aware of their mother's (Brenda Blethyn...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
The five Bennet sisters have all been raised by their mother with one purpose in life - ... more
finding a husband. However, the second eldest Lizzie can think of 100 reasons not to marry.When Mrs Bennet hears the exciting news that a wealthy bachelor and his c...
Advantages: Fun, great performances, wonderful music and photography Disadvantages: Not everyone will like the slightly modernised feel, problematic pacing in the first section
CaptainDisaster 22.10.2005 (22.10.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Pride And Prejudice (DVD)
Advantages: VERY TRUE TO JANE AUSTEN'S ORIGINAL - Natural and Unpretentious - Glorious Scenery and very "Down-to-Earth" Disadvantages: It stopped before Jane Austen stopped, and I wanted MORE!
Advantages: Alive with a beating pulse, music, naturalistic settings, excellent portrayals, electric chemistry between leads. Disadvantages: A superfluous ending scene (US version only?); otherwise nil.
zerbine28 25.11.2005 (25.11.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Pride And Prejudice (DVD)
![Pride&Prejudice - 2005 [DVD]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78508070.jpg "Pride&Prejudice - 2005 [DVD]")
Apr 23rd, 2006
exceptional by (3%):
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