I will admit that I am about as far from the perfect guy to be reviewing Pride & Prejudice as you can get. However, while scrolling through Netflix, my wife came across it and it was her turn to pick the movie and this was what she picked. Back in 2005, I could not have had any less interest in going to see this in the theatre!
How to Download Pride & Prejudice
The movie was released in September 2005. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
We had to read the classic Jane Austen novel at university and watch parts of the 1995 TV mini-series as well. It was not my thing at all and soured me on what I have heard is an absolute classic. Still, I went into this Keira Knightly-led adaptation with an open mind and I have to say, I quite enjoyed it! It is a solid romantic drama that has a lot of heart and some witty humor in it as well.
The Key Facts
| Fact | Information |
|---|---|
| Movie Title | Pride & Prejudice |
| Release Date | September 2005 |
| Download and Streaming | Available for download/streaming |
| Main Characters | Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, Lydia, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet |
| Plot | Romantic story about Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy |
| Review | A surprisingly enjoyable adaptation with heart and humor |
| Setting | Well-done costumes and set design capturing the time period |
| Lead Actress | Keira Knightley as Elizabeth |
| Comparison | Matthew MacFadyen vs. Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy |
| Final Thoughts | Unexpected enjoyment and engagement with the characters |
A Surprising Enjoyment
I can see why those who love this kind of thing speak of it so highly. No doubt most people know the basics of what the story of Pride & Prejudice is, but I still want to give my take on it. We have five sisters – Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia who live with their parents Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.
Unexpected Charm
Mrs. Bennet is desperate for her daughters to marry good and wealthy men, but the headstrong and smart Elizabeth has other ideas. The main gist of this English period romantic story is about Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy falling for each other, I thought it would be as cliché as you could get, but this is one love story that I think is just truly timeless.
Memorable Characters
All of the characters felt interesting and I have to say that I am not a huge Keira Knightly fan, but she is fantastic in this movie as Elizabeth. She is so likable that it is impossible for you not to want to see her be happy. My wife did complain that Matthew MacFadyen is nowhere near as good as Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, but from what I have seen, pretty much everyone who loves the original TV series says the same thing!
Captivating Setting
The setting of the movie is something that I love. The costumes and the set design are so well done and just absolutely fantastic and manage to capture (well I think it does, I was not around all those hundreds of years ago!) the time period perfectly. It must have been a blast for the cast to get to dress up like this, well apart from some of those corsets of course!
Final Thoughts
There is honestly not much more that I feel like I can say about Pride & Prejudice from 2005. I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I am not saying I loved it and I see it as a classic like everyone else does. However, it held my attention, and made me care about the characters and I will not deny that the ending did put a big smile on my face!
