 | |
List Price: $26.98 | | Label: Universal Studios
Salesrank: 4165
Released: November 13, 2007 |
| Our Price: $18.93 |
| Used Price: $15.02 |
|
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
The greatest love story of all time lives on in the Pride & Prejudice 2-Disc Collector's Edition! The Academy Award®-nominated film based on Jane Austen's masterpiece novel has been repackaged and expanded to a 2-disc edition with all-new bonus features. Academy Award® nominee Keira Knightley stars as heroine Elizabeth Bennet, who upon meeting the handsome Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), believes him to be the last man on earth she could ever marry. But as their lives become intertwined, she finds herself captivated by the very man she swore to loathe for all eternity. And now, their romance shines brighter than ever before in this must-own collector's edition of the film critics said, "Makes you believe in true love and happily-ever-after" (Stephen Holden, The New York Times).
Description of Pride & Prejudice (Two-Disc Collector's Edition):
Literary adaptations just don't get any better than director Joe Wright's 2005 version of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. The key word here is adaptation, because Wright and gifted screenwriter Deborah Moggach have taken liberties with Austen's classic novel that purists may find objectionable, but in this exquisite film their artistic decisions are entirely justified and exceptionally well executed. It's a more rural England that we see here, circa 1790 (as opposed to Austen's early 19th century), in which Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) is one of several sisters primed for marriage, with an anxious mother (Brenda Blethyn) only too desperate to see her daughters paired off with the finest, richest husbands available. Elizabeth is strong-willed and opinionated, but her head (not to mention her pride and prejudice) lead her heart astray when she meets the wealthy Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), whose own sense of decency and discretion (not to mention his pride and prejudice) prevent him from expressing his mutual affection. They're clearly meant for each other, and as Knightley's performance lights up the screen (still young enough to be girlishly impertinent, yet wise beyond her 20 years), Austen's timeless romance yields yet another timeless adaptation, easily on par with the beloved BBC miniseries that has been embraced by millions since originally broadcast in 1995. Individual tastes will vary as to which version should be considered "definitive," but with a stellar supporting cast including Judi Dench and Donald Sutherland, this impeccable production achieves its own kind of perfection. --Jeff Shannon
Pride & Prejudice (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) Reviews:
Very good, short movie 
2009-11-30 - For a normal feature length film, I think this adaptation stays very true to the story. There were a few things that I was sad to see change, like the personality of Mr. Wickham, and the more comic aspect of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. I do prefer the BBC adaptation a bit because you get the full story and you get more time to get to know Mr. Darcy and see the relationship develop. But that version is much longer, and has a few less-than-outstanding actors. If you're looking for a more concise bersion, this is wonderful. The acting is superb and the original music is gorgous! It you're a pianist, I highly recoomend the songbook also.
Just Doesn't Cut It 
2009-11-30 - I've hesitated on reviewing this for several years now even though I've owned the dvd since its release. I guess I wanted to give it couple attempts to change my mind. Unfortunately, I still feel the same way about this adaptation. It's still the most deplorable adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that I've seen even though I really wanted to like it. There are just too many things that were done incorrectly in this adaptation including casting, wardrobe, dialogue, etiquette, and so on. There were too many cringe-inducing scenes and dialogue to allow me the luxury of enjoying it.
While I like Keira Knightley as an actress, her portrayal of Elizabeth was simply wrong. Her Elizabeth erred more on the side of petulant rather than witty. I won't even talk about some of the things that her Elizabeth said and did that Jane Austen's Elizabeth would never say and do because they would be considered improper. I also had a problem understanding Keira Knightley. She spoke her lines way too fast and I was often forced to use the subtitles to understand what she was saying. The rest of the cast I easily understood. I also like Matthew MacFayden. I've seen him in Little Dorrit and The Way We Live Now. However, his portrayal of Mr. Darcy was far too timid. There was nothing confident or supercilious about his attitude; he was therefore unconvincing. The only character portrayal that I liked was Rosamund Pike's Jane. The rest also missed the mark for me.
Overall, I was really looking forward to this adaptation when I heard a new Pride and Prejudice was coming out. Unfortunately, this just didn't cut it.
Classic! 
2009-11-29 - Though many will tell you this version of Jane Austen's "Pride and Predjudice" is watered down for the American taste, they cannot deny the fast pace and appeal this movie has brought to a classic work of literature. Though true that earlier versions may have been more accurate to the original text, this production's vision has brought a fresh perspective to an earlier day that will touch younger viewers and inspire the more experienced to revisit Jane Austen's world again. Superb acting, beautiful photography, well written screenplay and sensitive directing has culminated in this very fine movie. Five Stars. KCL
Simply dreadful!
2009-11-24 - There is no point in trying to list all of the flaws in this adaptation of Austen's classic; I would be here all day! What possessed the makers of this film to cast Keira Knightly as Elizabeth Bennet, or Donald Sutherland as her father? Knightly's Lizzy is a giggling and immature airhead, with no depth of character whatsoever. The language and behaviour of the time is ignored, the dialogue is very clumsy, and the costumes and general appearance of the characters are shabby. Macfadyen's Darcy looked as bored as I was. Did the scriptwriters read the book before setting about writing the script? Was any historical research done? I doubt both. There isn't a scene in the entire film that I can say a good thing about. So badly done. So disappointing.
One of the Best Movies of All-time
2009-11-21 - Wow! I am so glad I made this purchase. I read this book in high school, or was assigned to do so, anyway. High school to me was a blur and I don't remember a whole lot about it, including the details of this book. I couldn't appreciate it then. I picked the book up, again, about a year ago. I loved it from the start and it got better and better, and it had a happy ending. I'm not an avid reader but this book will always be one of my favorites. It's classy, rich, and a must read.
I shied away from watching this movie because I didn't want it to destroy the book like so many remakes of any kind sometimes do. Well, my avoiding this movie was totally unnecessary. This movie is fantastic! It captured all the characters very well, in particular Elizabeth and Darcy. I will say that whilst watching it for the first time and even at the end of the movie it felt rushed, but what do you expect from a two-hour movie based off of a 400 page novel. It's just because I loved the book so that the movie seemed swift; I wanted every line of the book to be developed. I can't tell you how many times I've watched this movie after having watched it the first time. I love movies and it has become my new favorite. As much as the book is a must-read, this movie is a must-see. You need to own it. You won't be disappointed.
Long live the classics!
