Miniseries and Film Adaptations of Pride and Prejudice

Which is your favorite adaptation of the Jane Austen classic?

Good Sunday morning, and welcome to this week’s edition of Literary Ladies Lite.

If you’re the kind of Jane Austen fan who reads Pride and Prejudice every year or two, chances are good that you’ve seen at least one of its miniseries or film adaptations. Re-reading the book and/or revisiting one (or more) seems to me a great way to spend a few cozy hours at this time of year when night falls so early.

Considering the unabated reverence for this novel, it's somewhat surprising that there haven’t been even more P & P adaptations. For many devotees, there can never be Too Much Jane.

In addition to the miniseries and film adaptations of Pride and Prejudice listed here, there was also a 1967 British TV adaptation which seems to have been lost to time. Which of these have you seen? Which do you think is most faithful to the original spirit of the novel?

2005 film: a British and American collaboration

How do you encapsulate Pride and Prejudice in a two-hour film? The 2005 version starring Kiera Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett and Matthew Macfayden as Mr. Darcy manages to do just that. It was a collaboration between British and American film production companies.

Ms. Knightly does good work, though for me, it’s hard to forget that this is Kiera Knightly and not Elizabeth. My preference for sinking into the story is to have someone lesser known cast as the iconic Elizabeth. And the actor who plays Mr. Darcy seems like he wants to be somewhere else.