Rating: 
Summary: Simply amazing
Review: I am going to cut to the chase here: this movie is stunning. If you love Jane Austen, you must see this.
Rating:
Summary: Pride & Prejudice
Review: Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book and after hearing some good things about the A&E production, I had to watch it. I wanted to see the country dances, the grand estates, the interesting characters brought to life. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are such interesting characters and the actors who portrayed them in this series did an excellent job. Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy. He brings this character to life. Jennifer Ehle also did a great job in playing Elizabeth Bennet. Everything was so realistic. The script writers did a good job of editing some parts so that the main idea and the most important points would be able to retain the same meaning through the two different mediums.
I hesitated for some time in whether to purchase the VHS or DVD version. Many reviewers mentioned that the quality of the DVD was horrible. After watching the DVD for myself, I felt that there was nothing so bad. The audience is still able to capture the feeling and the theme of the story. It isn't of absolute perfect quality, but it is still watchable and still highly enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: If you love the book, you'll LOVE the mini-series
Review: I just forced my husband to watch this over the weekend so I am somewhat P & P obsessed right now. What can I say about this mini-series...if you love the book, this the mini-series for you. It remains faithful to the original work and the performences are excellent. I did feel they rushed the ending a bit-- showing the wedding instead of showing how they all ended up (like the novel). Also, there is some great dialogue between Darcy and Elizabeth in the novel in which Elizabeth asks Darcy when he loved her, etc. This was not put in the mini-series, so I think it was less romantic...the ending was so rushed, we didn't get to see them flirting and getting to know each other better.
The reason I gave this DVD four stars instead of five is because of the DVD itself. This is a special edition DVD,but there is really nothing in it that makes it special...only a featurette. There is no commentary, no intereviews, no deleted scenes or anything. There aren't even subtitles...it's just a normal DVD- nothing special about it. The picture quality was quite good, however. All in all, I recommend it for all Austen (and especially P & P) fans.
Rating:
Summary: mozart to the Rescue
Review: There is an absolutely hilarious scene about an hour or so into the series. The bennett family is at a village gathering. The whole family (except Jane) has by turns rendered Elizabeth speechless with embarrassment--in front of the ever proud Mr Darcy. The youngest daughter has lambasted the assembly with a musical performance to rival the worst Idol's Simon has endured. The middle sisters have invented a new level of crassness to the art of flirting. Mr Collins, the ever unctuous, has committed a horrendous faux pas - a scene that makes one realize what a great actor Colin Firth is, how DID he manage to keep a straight face. And to top it off Mr Collins is about to threaten the company with a musical encore to rival the youngest sister's now infamous performance, when the eldest Bingley sister rushes up to the piano and furiously plays a Mozart sonata. Ever into the breach, the magic of Mozart. This movie/series has it all. Austen authenticity, riots of laughter, unmatched social commentary by way of brilliantly witty dialogue (all of it direct from the original writer's lips), great performances, and at its heart the best love story ever. Best casting of leads in recent memory.
Rating:
Summary: Pride and Prejudice Is Wonderful!!!
Review: I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I have viewed this program over 40 times. And I am a middle-aged man. I have read the novel 3 times though it will probably be some time before I read it again. Like the film adaptation, I wish someone would contemporize the language, just a little bit, to make it easier to read. It wouldn't take many subtle changes to bring it alive again for modern readers. This film adaptation and the performances are excellent. Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth are wonderful to watch. Darcy's angst is palpable as he is drawn to Elizabeth Bennet in spite of the difference in social class and the impropriety of her family. It must be time to watch it again.....
Rating:
Summary: An enchanting film.
Review: A sort of eighteen century chick flick. This is an adaptation of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" which was first published way back in 1816. This already sets a pretty definite mood to the film. Language can be difficult to understand for those who aren't used to it. Lots of formal bowing and that sort of thing. I personally, am pretty used to all this and can enjoy this movie without getting annoyed at all the formal language. I actually think it adds to the subtlety of the wit and sarcasm which both the film and the book possess. The story is about the Bennet family living in Longbourne, England. Mr. Bennet married much lower in society and so most of his fortune has been lost and his five daughters need to marry wealthy men in order to stay alive, basically. This plot puts off a lot of people. I'm not sure why, but it does. So, let me say that this film is really very good. Jane Austen was a literary genious, in my humble opinion, and her wit and skepticism is conveyed very strongly through Miss Elizabeth Bennet (Jennifer Ehle), the heroine of the story. The hero is Mr. Darcy, played by Colin Firth who also played a Mr. Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary. The characters are so intriquite in this story. Each compliments the other in manner, appearance, and speech. My personal favorite is Mr. Collins, the bumbling clergyman who is keen on complimenting every one beyond what they deserve. He's so crazy and kind of oily and groveling, its really hilarious. I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to give it a try. I can't really put it in a category. I guess, romantic comedy but also a certain amount of drama. And of course in a certain 18th century style.
Rating:
Summary: DVD worth the money!
Review: I love Jane Austin! I first saw this series on A&E. I thought it was great. I didn't know, however, how much better it could be until I got the DVD! The detail is so much better!! I'm a period costume fan, so I was delighted to find that the detail of the costumes was so much more visible with the DVD. I also swear that there were extra scenes. The extra features (location info, actors' bios and interviews), all the behind the scenes features were great! All in all, I feel that if you are wavering between VHS and DVD, definitely go with the DVD, you won't be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best films I've ever seen!
Review: Colin Firth makes an excellent, snotty, Mr. Darcy. This is a tale about a British family that does not have a male heir, but instead has five girls. A wealthy man, Mr. Bingley, buys a home there and soon the town is all a buzz. To welcome the new resident they decide to have a ball in his honor. At the ball Mr. Bingley meets Jane. He is captivated by her beauty and sweet demeanor. His friends however do nothing to hide their disdain for such middle class foolery. Bingley tries to get Darcy to dance with Elizabeth, Jane's sister, he makes a snide comment about Lizzie's plainess and refuses to dance. What they do not realize is that Lizzie had heard his comments. Now she is disposed to dislike him. He on the other hand takes a second look and decides he likes what he sees, but she will not give him the time of day. Throughout the movie they dance around each other, dancing the steps of two very independent people learning to overcome social barriers and preconcieved ideas to find love where they least expect. Wonderful script, characters, and performances. It is fun to see Mr. Darcy overcome his pride and Lizzie her prejudice. This movie is well worth watching. One of the best Jane Austen movies ever made.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely worth buying!
Review: Although I have seen other movie versions of P&P, this one is far and away the best. Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle are wonderful as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. Also especially noteworthy are Julia Sawalha as Lydia (she is awesome!), Barbara Leigh-Hunt as Lady Catherine de Bourghe, and Anna Chancellor as Caroline Bingley (Mr. Bingley's sister). She is a formidable presence and does a great job! One of the funniest sequences in this production is a silent scene (played under a voice-over) in which Darcy and both of Bingley's intimidating sisters are talking sternly to Bingley and we see them from Mr. Bingley's POV (they were looking down at the camera). You might have to see the scene to understand what I mean, but trust me, it's fantastic - just like the rest of the production. :)
Rating:
Summary: Technical hints
Review: Marvelous adaptation, as praised before. However, I want to make some technical remarks on this widescreen edition. The back of the box claims an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 which is known as Cinemascope, but the true ratio is approximately 1.7:1. Secondly, the so-called Ultimate Picture Quality is exaggerated because the colors are as pale as on the TV-edition. On the other hand this edition has a Making-of featurette, which the TV-edition lacks. All in all it is undoubtedly worth five asterisks.
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