From Print to Film: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice 1995, 2005

Like other well established demographics such as the comic book fiends or the star wars fans, women have their own groups. Not nearly as publicized or stigmatized, we have our potential obsessions- and oddly enough they typically involve lots and lots of words. And romance. This makes books a likely candidate to tickle a woman's fancy: Oprah's book club, (does anybody remember the Rules?), and of course, Jane Austen. Long revered was the BBC miniseries adaptation of Austen's Pride and Prejudice ten years before, starring one of women's favorite reluctant leading men, Colin Firth. But with Focus Feature's modern revamp of the timeless romance, the attempt to capture a new generation of hearts was clear. So how does this new version hold up to its predecessor?

If you're like me, you're tempted to assume the old version is better merely because it's a miniseries and well, not made in 2005. In matters of faithfulness, the 1995 adaptation is considered essential. The series is nearly righteous in its detailed re-enactment from every plot point down to the accuracy of the period's design, for which it won an Emmy. However if you're a high-schooler with a book report due in the morning, the thought of tackling the five hour hour drama dwarfs the risks of just picking up the actual book considerably. The novel's latest makeover may prove less is more, clocking in at 127 minutes and significantly reducing some of the book's many plot lines. Characters Charlotte Lucas, Mr. Collins, Lydia Bennett & Mr. Wickham's fates are reduced to supporting events surrounding the lives of the now entirely central characters of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. The screenplay was helped along by fellow Jane Austen hall-of-famer Emma Thompson who won an Oscar for her input on the re-workings another classic Sense & Sensibility. Joe Wright marks his feature film directing debut, a veteran of BBC television and unlikely candidate for the project with his handsomely disheveled eccentricity and admitted ignorance to the book- the director admits to not reading much growing up due to dyslexia.