Pride & Prejudice (2005 film)

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Pride & Prejudice

Directed by	Joe Wright
Produced by	Tim Bevan Eric Fellner Paul Webster
Written by	Deborah Moggach (based on the novel by Jane Austen)
Starring	Keira Knightley Matthew Macfadyen Brenda Blethyn Donald Sutherland Tom Hollander Rosamund Pike Jena Malone Judi Dench & Kelly Reilly Claudie Blakley Peter Wight Penelope Wilton Simon Woods Rupert Friend Carey Mulligan Talulah Riley
Music by	Dario Marianelli (Piano performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet)
Cinematography	Roman Osin
Editing by	Paul Tothill
Distributed by	Focus Features
Release date(s)	United Kingdom September 16, 2005 United States November 23, 2005 Hong Kong February 23, 2006
Running time	129 min.
Language	English
Budget	$28,000,000
Gross revenue	$121,147,947
IMDb profile

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).

1 Cast (in order of appearance)
2 Synopsis
3 Differences from book, other adaptations, and release versions
4 Reaction
5 Box office
6 DVD
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Cast (in order of appearance)

Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet
Talulah Riley as Mary Bennet
Rosamund Pike as Jane Bennet
Jena Malone as Lydia Bennet
Carey Mulligan as Kitty Bennet
Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet
Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Bennet
Claudie Blakley as Charlotte Lucas
Sylvester Morand as Sir William Lucas
Simon Woods as Mr. Bingley
Kelly Reilly as Caroline Bingley
Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy
Pip Torrens as Netherfield Butler
Janet Whiteside as Mrs. Hill
Sinead Matthews as Betsy
Roy Holder as Mr. Hill
Rupert Friend as Mr. Wickham
Tom Hollander as Mr. Collins
Jay Simpson as Meryton Milliner
Judi Dench as Lady Catherine de Bourg
Rosamund Stephen as Miss de Bourg
Samantha Bloom as Rosings Governess
Cornelius Booth as Colonel Fitzwilliam
Penelope Wilton as Mrs. Gardiner
Peter Wight as Mr. Gardiner
Meg Wynn Owen as Mrs. Reynolds
Tamzin Merchant as Georgiana Darcy
Moya Brady as Lambton Maid

[edit] Synopsis

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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."

Elizabeth walks to Netherfield to visit her sick sister

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 Elizabeth is forced by Lady Catherine to play the pianoforte, 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, takes an instant liking to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth meets Darcy's young sister, Georgiana

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.

[edit] Differences from book, other adaptations, and release versions

[edit] Differences from book

Most works of literature undergo significant cuts when adapted for film; in this production, the story was compressed into 2 hours and 9 minutes of screen time. Some of the most notable changes from the original book include:

Heavy time compression of several major sequences, including 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, Maria Lucas, Mr. and Mrs. Phillips, the Gardiners' children, and various military officers and townspeople.

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.

The filmmakers 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 near a beautiful lake; 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.

[edit] Differences from other film adaptations

Director Joe Wright was the only P&P director to use complex, sweeping tracking shots that last several minutes, travel through multiple rooms, and highlight the different activities of many people. This technique creates a strong feeling of exploring an entire area in one shot.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Changes between release versions

The American release version included a final scene (not in the novel) of the married Darcys enjoying a romantic evening at Pemberley. This ending did not test well with British audiences, so it was cut for UK and international release. The British version ends with Mr. Bennet's blessing upon Elizabeth and Mr. 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.

[edit] Reaction

The film is rated 85% fresh by Rotten Tomatoes.^[1] 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. ^[2] 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). [1]

[edit] Box office

The movie took the number one spot in the UK its first week, earning £2.5 million ($4.5 million) while playing on 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.

The film debuted with an opening weekend of US$2.9 million on 215 screens. Two weeks later, this was increased to 1,299 screens, and box office returns increased to $7.2 million. The film has grossed over $121,147,947 worldwide at the cinema box office.