Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I, like a few other people I see here first heard of this adaptation from the Bridget Jones book. After that build up I just had to see it and I'm thrilled that I did. It immediately got me caught up in that world and you end up just caring about these characters and I literally could not stop until I'd seen the whole thing. It's funny that it says that in the editorial review because it's true! I stayed up until 1:00 AM to see the end because I just had to see these two people come together! Please watch this fabulous movie and enjoy! Jennifer Ehle is a delight. She has such a special quality and the entire cast is picture perfect.
Rating:
Summary: All Hail Colin Firth!
Review: It's funny, I first became aware of this movie through the novel "Bridget Jones's Diary" (which, of course, is a modern version of P&P). Those who have read "Bridget Jones" know that Bridget has a huge crush on Mr. Darcy as played by Colin Firth. In the movie version of the book, of course, Colin Firth plays Bridget's love interest, Mark Darcy. So I bought P&P sight unseen because I was utterly impressed with Colin Firth's performance in "Bridget Jones"--and I wanted to see what the big deal was with the scene where he dives into the lake.P&P is now my favorite movie. It is a wonderful adaptation of Jane Austin's novel--probably the best version ever made. It is very nearly word-for-word, as a matter of fact, which is why the movie is so long. It also makes reading the novel even more enjoyable, because I now have Alison Steadman's voice in my head whenever I read Mrs. Bennett's dialogue! The actors' performances are exquisite. Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy in a way nobody else could possibly be. Jennifer Ehle is a wonderful Elizabeth--she has such a spirit and presence about her. And I must say, Crispin Bonham-Carter's Mr. Bingley is just as good-natured and vacuous as he should be. The only complaint I have with this movie is that there are no programmed subtitles. I have an excellent ear for English accents, but I had a problem understanding a few lines. There is no better way to spend 5 hours than enjoying this movie. By all means, save your breath to cool your porridge, and fall in love with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy!
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't be more pleased.
Review: The DVD edition that I speak of is ASIN: B00005MP58. I mention it because I read the other reviews before purchasing and almost didn't purchase it because of one review that wrote scathing criticism of the color. The complexions are lighter than in the TV production that I taped when it first aired but in my opinion that is in keeping with the 19th century ideal of a creamy white complexion for ladies. Any lady with any color was considered common and not a lady. The color on the costums and in every other aspect is quite good. This widescreeen, anamorphic version adds a great deal to my enjoyment and it is now possible to get a look at more of the spectacular detail put into this production. The additional footage answers some of my questions about minor characters which provides more clarity and realism. This is the very first DVD that I purchased with my new DVD player and it was first because my own taped version was wearing out and no longer pleasant to watch because it had been played so many times. I never tire of watching this movie because of the wonderful character studys and the humor along with the story. This has become my absolute favorite movie and my standby. Don't hesiteate to add this DVD to your collection.
Rating:
Summary: (4.5) The best book-to-movie adaptation I've ever seen!
Review: I'm almost ashamed to admit that it wasn't until a few months ago that I first read Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice. It had been on my "to read" list for quite some time, but for whatever reason I just never got around to reading it earlier. When I finally started it, I found I could not put it down, and I finished the book in a little more then one day's time. I loved it. Pride and Prejudice instantly ranked high among my favorite pieces of classic literature. Having already seen and very much enjoyed the movie Bridget Jones's Diary (a modern-day adaptation of Pride and Prejudice) in which Colin Firth plays a modern Mr. Darcy, I was very eager to see this highly acclaimed BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, with Firth as the original Darcy. This movie version of the classic story was everything I hoped for and more. It is the most direct book-to-movie adaptation of any novel I've ever seen, with the filmmakers adhering almost without exception to the original storyline. Even the dialogue relies heavily on direct quotes from the book. I have only noticed three very minor deviances, all of which I feel actually enhance the story, rather than detractng from it: (1) The opening shot of the movie, showing Darcy and Bingley riding across the countryside on their horses to look at the Netherfield estate, is not included in the book, which opens with the Bennet family learning of Mr. Bingley's arrival there. (2) The scene in which the tormented Darcy throws himself into the pond at Pemberley and emerges, to stop the hearts of many a female viewer, in a deliciously clinging wet shirt is, needless to say, not in the book. (3) The end of the movie, showing Elizabeth and Darcy's wedding, is another addition to the story, though I found it most welcome, as the book left me wanting a little more closure, which the movie provides. The entire cast is unbeatable, with every actor and actress turning in a flawless performance. Jennifer Ehle is the perfect Elizabeth, and captured her character exactly as it had been in my head while reading the book. Her small nuances of facial expression display all the depths of Lizzy's personality in a way I can imagine few other actresses being able to accomplish. Likewise, Colin Firth is the ideal Mr. Darcy. I can't imagine any other actor doing as well. He manages to convey a wide range of emotions while remaining austere and short on words. The actors and actresses playing the shrill Mrs. Bennet, the delightful Mr. Bennet, the good-hearted Jane, the frivolous Lydia, the prudish Mary, the simple but loveable Mr. Bingley, the fearsome Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the imbecilic Mr. Collins, and the rogueish Whickham are all equally good. My one major disappointment with this DVD is the poor picture quality, which alternates between bad and even worse (and hence why I've knocked half a point off of my rating). At best it is a little fuzzy, and at worst it is sometimes downright grainy. The color balance also fluctuates. I would have liked to have seen this touched up more, as it would have completed an otherwise perfect viewing experience. Despite the poor image quality, however, I would highly recommend this film version of Pride and Prejudice to any fan of the novel, and even to those who have not read the book, as it follows the novel so precisely. Definitely two thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars!
Review: Great movie! It is the best version of the book that I have ever seen.
Rating: 
Summary: No Match for the Original
Review: Really boring. Stick with the marvelous, original 1940 classic. How can A&E's wimpy cast possibly compete with Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Edna May Oliver, Ann Rutherford, Edmund Gwenn, et al? Answer: they can't. The 1940 original will be on DVD sooner or later, but in the meantime a decent VHS of this great old movie will at least keep you awake, which is more than I can say for this dreary DVD issue.
Rating:
Summary: PERFECT IN EVERYWAY!!
Review: This movie is better than any Best Picture Oscar winner in quite some time. I am a huge fan of Austen's and this movie has made me an even bigger fan! Each character is perfectly cast down to the silly and stupid Lydia. I can't say how many times I have seen this movie (especially the part where Darcy first confesses his love) and how I turn on the subtitles so I do not miss anything!! I don't think there is anything more I can say about Colin Firth that other women have not. Aside from the sex symbol factors, his acting, not with words but with expressions and his eyes deserves him to be a HUGE star. Way underrated!!
Rating: 
Summary: Most Excellent Production- Poor Transfer Quality
Review: I loved the A&E production of Pride and Prejudice. The cast was perfect, it brought the characters I loved from the book alive, and as I wrote in my VHS review, my husband (a military man who wouldn't be caught dead watching a period film about marriage and without guns, grisly deaths, and explosions) sat through this from beginning to end in one sitting. By the 4th tape, he was yelling at me to pop the next tape in; thus is the power of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Now, I have my brother- a 16 year old gamer who's never read a piece of classical literature of his own will- to add to that list of people who thought they'd never like it, but in the end, couldn't wait to see if Elizabeth and Darcy get together! I won't bore with the details, since so many people here have so very deservingly praised this production. So, instead of reviewing the acting, performances, and the production in general, I'll be contributing a review about the special edition DVD's quality. Color quality is really lacking. They aren't unbearable or intolerable, but noticable if you've seen the VHS. I'm not saying it's just a little noticable, it's very noticable. The VHS offered a warm and rich viewing of P&P, something I miss while watching the DVD. It isn't, however, unbearable. It's not ghastly to the point where people are the same color as the walls (like I've heard some people say). I'm a P&P nut, so I'll still choose my VHS set over the DVD when I want to just sit down and enjoy P&P- if you love the lovely flushed, warm faces of the VHS and the broadcast (especially the rosey cheeks of Jennifer Ehle), then stick with the VHS. Everybody looks very fair (read: pale) in the DVD. Other reviewers aren't kidding when they say colors are washed out. Lighter colored clothes all sort of blend into the same sort of off-white color. You see the most drastic gap in quality between the VHS and the DVD when you compare the Bingley sisters and Lady Catherine, who all wear vibrant colored silks. On the DVD, their clothes are nothing but a shade of what it was on the VHS. Worse off than the color is the contrast. Some things (like Darcy's hat when he steps out of the carriage with the Bingleys and Hursts) have no outline or definition if it's dark on dark backgrounds. The worst, I think, is the blurring. On this transfer there are a LOT of motion artifacts. Grass blurs when shots are panning, backgrounds blur even when people move in some shots! This, I can safely say, was not a problem on the VHS, but it's a big problem on the DVD. (Again, not ghastly to the point where you can't watch it, but definitely noticable.) Some people like to nitpick every little problem, and will make a situation out of nothing. I'm sorry to say the complaints lodged against the special edition DVD release of P&P weren't made by such people, and, rather, made by sound and sane consumers. But it isn't so bad to the point where it's unwatchable or too detracting (unless you must absolutely have the best, best, best!). Though I love my (now ever more precious) VHS set, the changing of tapes and rewinding gets tiresome. What the DVD offered was relief from the opening, the credits, the rewinding, the forwarding, and the getting up and changing of tapes. The special features were nice, but nothing spectacular. Only a few secondary characters are interviewed (only Mr. Collins and Mrs. Bennett, and perhaps one other secondary character, I believe), but none of the lead characters, which was very, very disappointing. I was hoping for a glimpse of Jennifer Ehle or the actresses who play Jane, Charlotte, and Lydia out of their period costumes, but, alas, that didn't happen. I'm glad it's widescreen, I'm glad it's in DVD format, I'm glad I only need to get up and change the disc once, but I'm definitely disappointed with the transfer quality. I'm waiting for a re-release that will do the series justice. It's just an awful, awful shame, but still decent enough... for now. These complaints are all superflous, however, and centered around the quality of the release itself. The genius of Austen, the charm of the story, and the liveliness and talent of the cast are still fully captured and well presented in this edition... just a teensy bit blurrier and whiter than usual!
Rating:
Summary: Best Novel Adaptation I have seen!
Review: This is an amazing DVD! The picturization is awesome and the characters are perfectly cast! The usage of language is impeccable. It been a delight to watch this movie. I have watched it 3 times in the last 1 month and hope to watch it many times in the future!
Mr. Darcy rocks!!
Rating:
Summary: Third best "movie" of all time.
Review: Shocking to me when first I realized it, the A&E production of "Pride and Prejudice" is number three on my personal list of favorite movies of all time. Every character is perfectly cast and played, from Mr. Darcy to Mr. Wickham and from Miss Elizabeth Bennet to Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Not to mention Mr. Collins, a supremely entertaining character at whom the viewer will laugh with pleasure. If you enjoy watching "Emma", you will find "Pride and Prejudice" more richly rewarding for its greater story line and character dimensions and its happy ending. My wife and I have watched "Pride and Prejudice" at least once a year since it first aired. Next to "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II", I think that "Pride and Prejudice" is the most entertaining movie ever made.
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