Monday, November 07, 2005

Pride and Prejudice

So the new Pride and Prejudice movie comes out on Friday. When I first heard about this movie I was outraged. How could someone try to remake Pride and Prejudice while Colin Firth is still alive? I mean, if they wanted him to reprise the roll as a forty year old Darcy I think we'd all be game, but to have some sniveling little Alan-Rickman-wannabe try to fill those shoes just ten years after Firth ... the hubris!

But it's been a couple months since I first received the shocking news, and I've calmed down enough to admit that I'm genuinely curious to see Knightly as Elizabeth (I was never too impressed with Jennifer Ehle's performance) and Judy Dench as Lady Catherine. Plus, I'm always up for a little Jane Austen, no matter what the form.

So far the reviews aren't bad. I hope I can see it this week and I'll let you know what I think.

8 comments:

Friar Tuck said...

Oh geez. I dont get the Jane Austin stuff.

Crystal Starr said...

Kim I felt EXACTLY the same as you did about Colin. To be honest I don't like Kera Knightly (not sure if that's her name) and I am not excited to see her play Elizabeth. I liked the other one, I thought she was pretty and real.

I am going to see it though because it is such a great story and it will just be interesting to see the different actors anyway.

Steve and Sara said...

I saw a preview for it last week and it looked very good. I'm sad to say that I have not read the book, nor seen the movie with Colin Firth. Kim/Crystal, once you have seen it you will have to post about it. Let me know which version you liked better.

Kimberly Cangelosi said...

Well Clint, there probably aren't a whole lot of former football player/wrestlers who dig Jane Austen, no matter how much they enjoy reading, but if your first encoutner with Austen was in a high school english class I would recommend giving her a second shot - there's a lot of really funny stuff in her writing - especially Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Northanger Abbey.

Pride and Prejudice is full of bitter little gems like this; "To his wife he [Mr. Bennet] was otherwise very little indebted, than as her ignorance and folly had contributed to his amusement. This is not the sort of happiness which a man would in general wish to owe to his wife; but where other powers of entertaiment are wanting, the true philosopher will derive benefit from such as are given."

Crystal, I exagerated...I was impressed with Ehle's performance the first time I watched it, but having read the book a couple more times since then it seems to me she played Elizabeth a little too confident and smug. But I think her playfulness, family loyalty and sense of humor were just right.

Sara, the BBC version is six hours long, so even if this new one is good, you should go rent the old one to see all the stuff that didn't make it into the theater version. (including the wet-Darcy scenes much loved by Bridget Jones!)

Crystal Starr said...

When I read that I could just hear Mrs. Bennet disappointedly screaching/whining, "OH MR. BENNET!!" hehehe It makes me happy!

Crystal Starr said...

Kim you put me in the mood so I started watching P&P this morning. It's so wonderful!

Here's a fun little quote from the movie that I can't wait to use on Scott. It's not exact but it goes something like this...

"I suppose she's tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me."

Capital, capital!!

Steve and Sara said...

Oh my gosh... 6 hours?? That's crazyness. I will have to watch sometime soon though, because I want to watch it. It will have to be over a long weekend though. Maybe over Thanksgivng.

Kimberly Cangelosi said...

More great Pride and Prejudice quotes:

"Every savage can dance." -Mr. Darcy

"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?" - Mr. Bennet