Rating: 
Summary: Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition
Review: I saw it back in what 1995 and i fell inlove with it .. i sware .. i now own the dvd version and i can say its worth youre time you well be happy and sad the way they made darcy is well cool .. Colin Firth does a great job of being mr . darcy ... i watch it all the time .. i just dont like mr . collins and mr wickham hes odd
Rating:
Summary: Must Have
Review: I absolutely loved P&P, it's my favorite book. I had gotten the version w/ Greer Garson & Laurence Oliver, but didn't like it much, b/c although it was entertaining, the makers really cut out a lot of the important and "juicy" scenes that were in the book. Plus many characters were also omitted.
But this version of P&P is absolutely the best one out there. Not only are the dialogues straight out of the book, except a few, but the movie stays very true to the book. In any scenes that were added to the movie, one does not feel disappointed b/c the added scenes not only enhance the movie, but also make it more entertaining. The costumes were true to the times, and so were the actors that played their parts. The casting director has done a wonderful job in choosing the actors, b/c they actors really give life to the characters they play. One does not get the feeling that they are reciting a bunch of rehersed lines, but that they are living the part & replying as if the lines were of the vernacular for them. If you loved the book, there is just no way you won't love the movie. Plus since it's by A&E and the BBC you know the movie has to be worth it. The extra footage that is given in the DVD is also entertaining to watch, especially the "Making of P&P" segment. All in all, the movie is an absolute must have!
Rating: 
Summary: To "DARK" to the BRIGHT novel
Review: I don't like this TV-Movie. I watched it in 1996 and I don't recommend it the anyone. I am and was and will only in love with the BBC 1980 Edition starring Elizabeth Garvey and David Rintoul. They are the best because they really look like "Elizabeth & Mr Darcy". The 1995 Edition produced a dark scene for everyone and only "Charlotte" was given the right pick. There is no else perform best than the 1980 Edition. I can't believe people who like the 1995 rather than the 1980s' will have their sense on reading the Jane Austen Best Novel very well. If you read it through and carefully watch the 1980 "Pride and Prejudices", you will understanding why I've been in love with this Edition. It's a bit shorter than we expect, but it's also a very great fun of watching!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful
Review: I saw this movie and then was prompted to read the book. I am so impressed that the movie is so acurate and follows the book well. Read the book for more info. The movie is a definate part of our family video library.
Rating:
Summary: Great adpation
Review: This version of "Pride and Prejudice," with Colin Firth is really good and well worth seeing. It's pretty much true to the book, some things were added though. It is really lovely in the scenery in England and the authentic Regency era costumes that they use. Jennifer Ehle is great as Elizabeth Bennet. It's very romantic and entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: this is an excellent and even enchanting adaptation of austen's novel, mainly for two reasons: the casting is (almost) perfect for every character, even the minor ones; and the film is long enough to tell the whole story w/o hurry or abridgement. the only miscast character was miss bingley. she's supposed to be a 'suitor' for mr darcy, but not only doesn't she look the part, she doesn't really play it either. otherwise, wonderful. i watched it twice in the first week i borrowed this. now: why aren't there any eliza bennetts in this world? i've never met one, and i've known some very accomplished women who are harvard and mit phd's. beauty. brains. and virtue. why can't you find all three in a single girl? sigh!
Rating: 
Summary: Counterfeit Romance in BBC's Pride and Prejudice
Review: What is it that brings Darcy and Lizzy together? Not sexual attraction, apparently, there isn't any. This sham romance undermines a beautifully crafted film brought to us by the BBC. Glorious cinematography presents the English countryside, lovely homes, and exquisite costumes of this period drama to advantage. In the VHS version, the sunlight is often too bright and the coloring is sometimes off, green piano keys for example. Perhaps this is due to poor film quality because of a low budget. Great editing techniques are used to lead the audience to different locations and time periods. The score and sound effects are also noteworthy. Classical music adds emotional depth to several scenes. The screenplay is based on Jane Austen's most popular novel. There is little deviation from the plot of the book, but the dialogue is less subtle. For example, in the film Charlotte says that on some days she sees her (irksome) husband for only a few minutes. Jane Austen's character has too much discretion to say this; in the original story this information is inferred by Eliza. The acting is sometimes overly sentimental but usually of fine quality. A list of the best performers would include Barbara Leigh-Hunt (Lady Catherine de Bourgh), David Bamber (Mr. Collins), Lucy Scott (Charlotte), Julia Sawalha (Lydia), Alison Steadman (Mrs. Bennet), Crispin Bonham-Carter (Mr. Bingley), and Anna Chancellor (Miss Bingley). Jennifer Ehle's performance is not bad, just annoying. Most of the time she appears to be on the verge of tears for no apparent reason. Her only resemblance to standard romance heroines is a pretty face and figure. And Darcy is an unusual romance hero as well. Colin Firth portrays him as a feral young man almost totally lacking in social grace. In the beginning, Mr. Darcy acts very weird, which may be an attempt to look intense; this is especially noticeable during the first ball in Hertfordshire. Whether the director or the actor is at fault is not clear. He becomes more human-like over time, which is wonderful to see, especially in the end when he and Lizzy begin to relate well, like old friends. It's interesting that though most characters in the film resemble their corresponding characters in the novel, the lead man and woman differ radically from the hero and heroine of the book. Ehle's pouty, sentimental, self-satisfied Eliza Bennet is very different from Austen's sharp, classy, devil-may-care heroine. And the queer, nervous Mr. Darcy in this movie is the complete opposite of the calm, strong, fatherly Mr. Darcy in the novel. This does not matter, however, because the screenplay, though of high importance, is merely one of many elements which combine to form the final product - a movie. This is a romance movie, and we expect a romance. Not just lover's dialogue, sweet music, bared breast and muscle, but the thing itself: apparent sexual chemistry between the lead actor and lead actress. Alas, that one important element is lacking in this faux romance.
Rating:
Summary: Great film!
Review: You will not be disappointed in this captivating film! This story is about Elizabeth Bennet, a sophisticated yet somewhat sassy character and Mark Darcy, a proud man that struggles with his love for Elizabeth and his social standing in society.You easily become wrapped up in this tale of love that stands the test of time.
Rating: 
Summary: A fine productin but definitely not Austen
Review: I cannot comment on this film without comparing it with the 1980 BBC's version. If I hadn't seen the 1980 BBC's "Pride and Prejudice", I would probably adore this 1995 film like many people here. However, I must say that except the lavish decoration, this film is far inferior to the 1980 BBC's P&P in every respect: screenplay, performance, music, etc. It's a pity that quite a few people are mistaken Jane Austen's spirited novel with a simple romantic story; one reviewer even praised the film as an epic. In her book, Austen writes about a serious topic with subtle humor, which is exactly what A&E version fails to capture. Both movies have added some lines or scenes based on the original novel, however, the Garvie/Rintoul is more true to the novel. Some people like A&E version because of the "extras" it offers, while some of these are described on the book such as Mr. Dancy's preventing his sister eloping with Wickham and later his searching for Lydia and Wickham in London, others are merely screenwriter's add-ons, three examples here, the first is Colin Firth came out of his bath and saw Jennifer Ehle playing with a dog, the second is the wet Colin Firth encountered Jennifer Ehle unexpectedly in Pemberly, and the third is Colin Firth practices fencing to show his determination of winning back Jennifer Ehle's affection. These are ridiculous and unnecessary. At the same time, the A&E version has missed or changed some important scenes that are essential to the book. For instance, Lizzy's first piano performance at Lucas' ball (instead, she went off to teach Lydia how to behave). Most of the interesting dialogues between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley are completely gone. Two in particular, one is after Mr. Darcy tells how he admires Elizabeth's beautiful eyes, the other is Miss Bingley's compliments about Mr. Darcy's writing. One dialogue is badly rewritten: in the book Mr. Darcy gives two reasons why he doesn't want to join Elizabeth and Miss Bingley in their walking about the room, here in the A&E film, he's only shown half intelligent and sharp by omitting one reason. Also the part where Elizabeth observes and analyzes his father's attitude towards his wife is replaced by "daily proof". The last part where she analyzes how Mr. Darcy falls in love with her at the first place should have been kept. Regarding the acting, old BBC's version is more close to the period. Characters are more lady and gentlemen like. Characters in the A&E version, on the contrary, do not behave as courtly as they should. Upon seeing Ehle crossing her arms when listening to her father's comments on her refusal to Mr. Collins' proposal, I dislike this Elizabeth considering her very rude. The A&E version is entirely miscast with the exception of Charlotte or maybe Mr. Bennet. Jennifer Ehle misinterprets Lizzy totally. She's not even physically up to the description in the novel. She always reads her lines in a hurry and even needs to catch her breath in order to finish the sentence. She doesn't show any wit and appears proud and rude like the two Miss Bingley (when she went to visit her sick sister and came across with Colin Firth [another "extra"], he appeared much more polite than she). Elizabeth Garvie's Lizzy is adorable, witty and beautiful. She IS Elizabeth, no doubt. Colin Firth is not a proud Darcy but rather a miserable one with gloomy eyes. David Rintoul may lack Firth's sensuality, but he IS the pride and satirical Mr. Darcy. A&E's Jane is not as sweet and beautiful as Sabina Franklyn's Jane. Bingley is OK but could be more candid. His sisters are hateful. Miss Bingley doesn't show any interest in pursuing Darcy (in the early BBC's version, Miss Bingley is perfectly portrayed by Marsha Fitzalan). Mr. Wickham is not as handsome and attractive as described in the book. Alison Steadman's Mrs. Benetts is nothing but noisy, Priscilla Morgan's Mrs. Bennet is a simple-minded mother whose entire interest is to have her 5 daughters well married. A&E's Mary is abominable while Tessa Peake-Jones's Mary is a young lovely bookworm with lot of comments. I particularly dislike David Bamber's Mr. Collins. He is not funny at all and appears despicable, Malcolm Rennie's Collins, instead is much more comical with his distinct long figure, awkward movements and some details such as the non-stop apology. Lady Catherine de Bourgh is OK but lack the bossiness as Judy Parfitt's portrayal of her. The music in 1980's version is a perfect match to the film. The A&E version is a fine productin and a great entertainment, but definitely not Austen.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful adaptation, poor DVD transfer
Review: I will not repeat all of the praise given by other reviewers with regard to the acting, the screenplay, and the filming of this wonderful version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I watched it under protest from my then-girlfriend/now-wife, and reluctantly became a major fan not only of this miniseries but also of Austen's books in general. If that's not high praise I don't know what is. As wonderful as this miniseries is, and as significant a success as it has been, it is rather astonishing to me that its producers would have shlocked together this "Special Edition DVD" in such a clumsy manner. We actually own both the "Special Edition" and the older "ordinary" DVD version of this miniseries. Here are the notable differences: (1) The original DVD version displays the show in fullscreen 4:3 aspect ratio, precisely as it was televised in the United States. The "Special Edition" displays the show in letterbox format. Kudos for the "Special Edition", it makes the staging of various shots more enjoyable to watch. (2) The original DVD version merely pasted together all of the episodes to the miniseries. In between episodes, the original DVD dutifully replayed all of the opening and closing credits in the places where a television viewer would have seen them. The "Special Edition" removes all but the first and last credit rolls, allowing the viewer to be more immersed in the storyline. Again, kudos for the Special Edition. (3) The original version demonstrated vibrant colors, good exposure and contrast, and an all-around pleasant and detailed picture. The "Special Edition" has dull, washed out colors with overexposed bright areas and underexposed dark areas in every scene. For instance, during the first dance on disc one, Darcy's hair looks exactly the same as Darcy's shirt which looks exactly the same as the wood panelling on the wall behind him which looks exactly the same as Caroline's hair: i.e., all of them are "black" with no internal detail whatsoever. We have switched back and forth between the original/"Special" DVDs to verify, and the difference is unmistakeable and rather astonishing. In this category, the "original" DVD wins hands-down. It's sad, really. So close to releasing the definitive version of the show, and yet so far. Maybe there will someday be a "third" release where the producers will finally get it all right.
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