Another day, anotherNetflixadaptation of a beloved literary classic. Hot on the heels of last year’s controversial announcement that the streamer would be adaptingThe Picture of Dorian GraybyOscar Wilde, last weeksaw the full cast revealfor Netflix’s upcoming take onPride & Prejudice. A six-part television adaptation ofJane Austen’s most beloved novel, this new rendition shouldgive Austen fans plenty of reasons to be excited. Not only isEmma Corrintaking on the lead role of Elizabeth Bennet, butOlivia Colmanis alsopolishing off her period drama chopsto play Mrs. Bennet. Even with a team of big names behind the project, however,Netflix’s new remake could never hold a candle to the previousPride & Prejudicedirected byJoe Wrightback in 2005.
2005’s ‘Pride & Prejudice’ Is the Perfect Film Adaptation of Jane Austen’s Novel
Any Austen fan familiar with 2005’sPride & Prejudicewill immediately understandwhy this film is irreplaceable. Forget the fact that it’s many viewers' go-to comfort film, or the fact that it’s easily one of those incomparable films thatfeels perfect from start to finish. Wright’s version ofPride & Prejudiceis simply timeless for all the best reasons, bringing Austen’s vision to life inone of those rare instances when all the stars alignto produce a riveting retelling of a story already told countless times. What’s more, the 2005 version’s appeal begins with its own stellar casting. Aside from a memorable supporting cast that includesan utterly charmingDonald SutherlandandRosamund Pike, the chemistry betweenKeira Knightley’s Liz Bennet andMatthew Macfayden’s Mr. Darcy needs to be studied in a classroom.
Both actors embody their characters' emotional journeys perfectly, with Knightley bringing out Liz’s clever stubbornness and gradual admiration alongside Macfayden’s own slow march from condescending nobleman to endearing romantic. Likewise,the pair conquer their individual pride and prejudiceswithinone of the most gorgeous period dramasever put to film. It’s not from storytelling value alone that Wright’s film is considered one of, if notthe greatest Austen adaptation ever made. In an improvement from previous high-profile versions of the story, such asColin Firth’s 1995 miniseries, the landscapes and production value of 2005’sPride & Prejudicedon’t just emulate the aesthetics of Regency-era England. Every scene and still image sparkles, evokingthe richness of a vivid painting brought to lifeand put onscreen for all the world to see.
The Best ‘Pride & Prejudice’ Adaptation Celebrating Its 20th Anniversary is Streaming on HBO Max
Hello, Lizzie Bennet.
The World Doesn’t Need Another ‘Pride & Prejudice’ Adaptation
There’s seemingly no end to the number of ways 2005’sPride & Prejudicecan be praised. While viewers who aren’t accustomed to the drawing rooms andballroom dances of English period dramasmay find the film slow at times, the truth is that Wright’s film masterfully paces the events of Austen’s novel whiledrawing out the full potential of the story’s most dramatic moments. Just take the film’s climax, for example. What feels like a subtle, almost courteous love confessionin Austen’s original novel is transformedinto one of the most romantic scenes in Hollywood history when Macfayden’s Darcy proposes to Knightley’s Lizzie Bennet in the country at dawn, highlighting how Wright’s film perfects its source material to createan unparalleled adaptation of one of humanity’s most enduring love stories.
Of course, as with any artistic adaptation, there are countless ways to interpret Austen’s novel and even more ways to reinvent what has already been written. The plays ofWilliam Shakespearehave certainly been modernized enough timesfor audiences to dispel any possible limits to future adaptations of his work. Yet, with the first look at Netflix’s adaptation seeming to revisit the same time period of Austen’s original novel and aspiring to be yet another faithful retelling of the familiar story,the project itself can’t help but feel unnecessary. In all respects, the 2005 version ofPride & Prejudiceis perfect, or at leasta perfectly beautiful ode to one of Austen’s best characters. Trying to recreate a sense of romantic magic that has already been mastered is a bitlike climbing a mountain that has already been climbed. Sure, Netflix can do it, but is it really worth the effort?
Instead of trying to fill a void in Austen’s canon, the streamer’s latest adaptation feels like a larger symptom of Hollywood’scurrent dependency on remakes and franchises. In an industry that has recently come to rely even more heavily on pre-established IP, the popularity of 2005’sPride & Prejudicemay make a modern remake feel like a safer betto grab audiences' attention, but at the same time, this announcement is also a disappointment. At the end of the day, Netflix should try to act less like a Mr. Collins and be a little more like Mr. Darcy,taking a chance on stories viewers wouldn’t expectrather than those the platform finds most convenient.
Pride and Prejudice
Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice?
