When I saw the trailer for this movie I was both excited and disappointed: I hadn't heard any rumors about a new P and P film, so I was thrilled. This is my favorite book. I loved the A and E version, but was eager to see a new take. But, I had never been a Kiera Knightly fan. I don't know why. Maybe I was just jealous of someone that damned pretty. But it occurred to me that this would be the first film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice employing an actress who was actually the right age. Because the elder Miss Bennets are so self-possessed, we don't balk at far more mature actresses playing the roles. But here was an actual 20-year-old playing Lizzie!

Other reviewers have said much of what I would say. The scenery is lush and the score is lovely. Purists and prudes will quibble that Mr. and Mrs. Hurst are left out entirely, and that there is a chaste post-wedding kissing scene at the end (past the point where Austen herself ended the story.) Some scenes take place out of doors, which I found incredibly refreshing. In the book and the previous movies, almost all scenes are indoors. This gives the movie a less claustrophobic feel.

The costumes and sets are just beautiful. Lizzie wears the same few dresses over and over, as she undoubtedly would have done. Hems are muddy, yes, and not only in the scene where she arrives to visit indisposed Jane at Netherfield. There are almost no bonnets in this movie. The dresses of the Miss Bennets and other country girls are flatteringly high waisted, while Miss Bingley,'s London fashions are more extreme and therefore less flattering but more elegant, and the older ladies like Mrs. Bennet still cleave to earlier styles with more of a bodice. These little touches are subtle but thoughtful. Longbourne is delightful, entirely surrounded by a small moat. There are chickens and geese, cows and pigs around, and a lovely dog or two wandering through the house.

The cinematography is stunning. Camera shots are sometimes just one very long single shot lasting many minutes and covering a lot of movement and human interactions.

And Kiera Knightly? Absolutely perfect. You may think that she is too pretty to play Lizzie, but then you have to realize that in 1797 she would have been thought too thin and boyish for ideal beauty. Rosamund Pike makes a perfect, pleasing Jane. Matthew Mcfaddyen is a new gold standard for Darcy. The scene in the rainstorm when he first proposes to Lizzie is dazzling.

This is a movie I will happily watch again and again.

I appreciate this film so much - both as a film lover and as a pro writer/editor with a literature degree. These writers took the best of the novel and put it into two wonderful hours, while maintaining the theme Jane Austen intended - this story isn't so much a romance as it is a statement about social class inequities of the time. (The BBC series with Colin Firth, btw, is fun to watch, but they turned it into more of a soap opera romance - entirely dissing the novel in the process!) There are too many really wonderful performances here to mention. The set is an absolute feast, as is the cinematography. Period details are well-researched, from costumes to interior wall paints to the breeds of dogs running around. But the acting makes the film. For one example, notice the scene where Darcy first proposes and they have a fight - these are two amazing, accomplished actors. I've watched this scene probably ten times, and I get goosebumps every time still.

I want to like this adaptation, but it is honestly difficult for me to watch. The book is full of the kind of humor that makes you feel like the author is winking at you. This movie loses all of that. Lizzie, who should be clever and playful, comes across as nearly stupid in this version. Instead of getting the sense that she and Jane are rolling their eyes and (lovingly) laughing at the follies of their younger sisters, Lizzie comes across as the most insufferably giggly of them all. Darcy comes across as sloppy and constipated instead of a good person who is tense around strangers. It is completely unclear what they are even supposed to like about each other. Mr. Collins is scary instead of ridiculous. Mr. Wickham is grim instead of charming. Charlotte Lucas is obnoxious instead of practical. I won't even bother with how bad the portrayal of British society is.

There are some things this version does well. Several of the minor characters are well-acted, Jane in particular. It manages to deliver more emotional impact at the end since it isn't even trying to portray the restraint expected in British society at that time. But overall, this film butchers the wit and spirit of Pride and Prejudice. It's just another cliched sappy romance.

I finally gave in and watch this rendition of P&P because of all the great reviews it has. Boy I wish I could get that 2 hours of my life back! First off P&P if my favorite novel of all time. I LOVE it and have since I was 12 and first watched the A&E miniseries with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Soon after I bought the novel by Jane Austen and have read it more times than I can say. I even named my first daughter Elizabeth and call her Lizzy! Anyways back to the point that this movie is horrible. It seems that none of the actors/actresses portrayed the personalities of their characters in the book. They made Jane seems vapid, Lizzy seems giggly and stupid and Mr.Bennet as a doting father (he’s not). They deleted whole characters out of the movie who were in the book and rushed through so much of the story that had I not known the book so well I would have been completely lost by the end. My only thought on why so many people like this version is maybe they didn’t read the book or watch the A&E series? I don’t know but please don’t waste your time on this HORRIBLE movie.

This production of Pride and Prejudice is simply brilliant. The scenery, costumes, musical score, camerawork, casting – the actors live their parts and I am now spoiled because I cannot imagine the characters being played by any others. I would guess that many of the actors in the film would consider this their best work. Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn portrayals of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet stand out as my favorite supporting performances. The major scenes that Donald Sutherland shares with Keira Knightley [Elizabeth Bennet] are quite warm and felt true to how a doting father would be with his favorite daughter. Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy paired with Keira Knightley’s Lizzie is so intensely perfect and beautiful; the two bring such a freshness to the classic characters. I think this is one of those films that no matter how many times I see it, which is least ten times as I do watch it every year, I never feel like I’m “watching a movie.” I get lost in it so much so that I can feel the air, smell the grass or hear my heart pound when I imagine dancing at the ball or experience the grandeur when walking through Pemberley for the first time. I sense that most of the magic in this film due to Joe Wright’s flawless directing. Thank you Mr. Wright, you have made a gem.

I am very loyal to the BBC version, but a friend persuaded me to give this a fair chance. So, I did. It was incredibly disappointing from start to finish. I was not impressed with any of the acting, although the scenery was gorgeous. Keira Knightley is no Lizzie, that's for sure! I didn't find her to be witty or charming or to hold any of the qualities that draw people to Elizabeth. I also did not find myself swooning at this Mr. Darcy, either. Colin Firth's portrayal gave life to Austen's vision and the connection between Ehle and Firth was quite clear. They were the real deal. Ms. Knightley simply does not have the chops for this role. It was forgettable and lacking in whatever it is that compels me to watch the BBC version every year at least once to revisit two of my favorite literary characters. I don't recommend this version. Grab the BBC copies and give yourself a lovely evening.

I love the BBC version. This was a Hollywood, 'Indie' version with models who can't act *cough* (Keira Knightly). If you don't care about words (the screenwriter decided to switch who says which line?!?) or anything other than seeing something 'pretty', this is the film for you. The costume design was atrocious. Judi Dench looked like Marie Antoinette (different time period?). So boring I didn't even watch the end. Basically the screenwriter, director, actors, and costume design got it all wrong. It's the magazine version of P&P. Emphasizing things that have no meaning and leaving out the important moments that make the story so great.

The plot was accurate for the most part. There were a few instances where two different scenes were squished together so that the whole thing could fit into one movie. I loved the colors and setting. However, you really miss out on some great humor and irony in this version. The cast was poorly chosen. Keira Knightley plays an awful Elizabeth. Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn are not cut out for Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, but they did not completely botch it either. Matthew Macfadyen does a pretty good job as Darcy, but Simon Woods is too awkward to make a good Bingley. Tom Hollander is too tense for Mr. Collins. He is supposed to be a pompous, cringy kiss-up, not a nervous little midget.

I definitely recommend watching the BBC's [[ASIN:B0083IJKUW Pride & Prejudice Season 1]] instead. The actors are just like the characters from the book, and they play their roles perfectly. Because it is a TV series, the whole thing is not sped up to fit into a 2 hour time frame. It is very well paced and extremely funny. Mr. Bennet's humor is spot on, Mrs. Bennet's simple-mindedness is hysterical, and Mr. Collins' flattery and pompous attitude are hilariously cringy. They also play out the drama considerably well. Jennifer Ehle does a much better job than Keira Knightley in making Elizabeth a sensible women who despises Darcy, and Colin Firth carries out the Darcy's transition from proud to humble very smoothly and realistically.