Pride & Prejudice (2005 film)
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| Pride & Prejudice | |
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| Directed by | Joe Wright |
| Produced by | Tim Bevan Liza Chasin |
| Written by | Novel: Jane Austen Screenplay: Deborah Moggach |
| Starring | Keira Knightley Matthew Macfadyen Brenda Blethyn Donald Sutherland Rosamund Pike Jena Malone Simon Woods Tom Hollander Claudie Blakley Rupert Friend Kelly Reilly Judi Dench |
| Music by | Dario Marianelli |
| Distributed by | Focus Features |
| Running time | 129 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$28 million |
Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice (1813) has been the subject of numerous television and film adaptations. This 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).
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[edit] Cast and crew
- Keira Knightley as Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet
- Matthew Macfadyen as Fitzwilliam Darcy
- Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. Bennet
- Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet
- Rosamund Pike as Jane Bennet
- Jena Malone as Lydia Bennet
- Carey Mulligan as Catherine "Kitty" Bennet
- Talulah Riley as Mary Bennet
- Dame Judi Dench as Lady Catherine de Bourgh
- Simon Woods as Mr. Bingley
- Kelly Reilly as Caroline Bingley
- Claudie Blakley as Charlotte Lucas
- Rupert Friend as Mr. Wickham
- Tom Hollander as Mr. Collins
- Penelope Wilton as Mrs. Gardiner
- Peter Wight as Mr. Gardiner
- Tamzin Merchant as Georgiana Darcy
- Charlie Drysdale as The Gentleman Farmer
[edit] Comparisons to book and other adaptations
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:
- The elimination of the characters Louisa Hurst, Mr. Hurst, Maria Lucas, Mrs. Phillips, Lady Lucas (though she is mentioned), and the Gardiners’ children (they are said to be childless). Director Joe Wright also briefly considered eliminating the character of Mary Bennet.
- The extreme condensing of the roles of Mr. Wickham, Georgiana, the Lucas family, and Colonel Fitzwilliam (who is referred to as Darcy's friend rather than cousin).
- 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 filmmakers elected to change several scenes to different, and more romantic, locations from the ones in the book. For instance, in the film, Darcy first proposes outdoors in the rain; in the book, he calls on Elizabeth at Hunsford Parsonage. In the film, his second proposal occurs at dawn on the moors, where he and Elizabeth have been walking independently; in the book, they are walking mid-day with family and friends.
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.
A notable difference between this and other adaptations was the choice to use costumes and hairstyles from 1797, when the book was completed, rather than 1813, when the book was published.
Director Joe Wright was the first Pride and Prejudice 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 era in one location.
This was also the first adaption to cast a leading actress who was Elizabeth’s age, 20.
[edit] Reaction
The film is rated 85% fresh by Rotten Tomatoes [1]. 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). [2]
[edit] Box Office
The movie took the number one spot in the UK its first week; earning £2.5 million ($4.5 million) in 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 widest domestic release).
The film debuted with an opening weekend of 2.9 million USD on 215 screens. Two weeks later this increased to 1,299 screens, and the box office returns increased to 7.2 million USD. The film has grossed over $100 million US dollars worldwide.
[edit] DVD
- UK release: February 2, 2006
- U.S. release: February 28, 2006
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
