It is a Truth Universally Acknowledged...

...That a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife..... Oh, if only.

Well folks, I FINALLY went to see the latest version of "Pride and Prejudice". For those who aren't aware, I'm a Jane Austen nut, which probably makes me the worst judge of any movie based on one of her novels. (I always end up nitpicking instead of enjoying...) So before I start tearing this one apart, let's establish 2 things. A. If you aren't familiar with the story at all, you're going to LOVE this movie. B. If you haven't seen the A&E mini-series that was made in the mid-90's starring Colin Firth, you will LOVE this movie. If both apply, stop reading this right now, and haul your bottom and your best friend to the nearest theater. If either of these does not apply, you're going to find yourself sitting in there with one eyebrow raised.

I can't be too harsh on the movie because frankly, I'm in love with the story. It could be done with animated animals and I still would have liked it. BUT, there were a few things that I just couldn't get past. First of all, it's just sooooo dramatic. They've turned a parlor comedy based on wit and misunderstanding into an "Oscar movie". Halfway through, I really wanted to stand up and tell everyone to lighten up. Also, I understand that P&P is a really long book, and that all of it couldn't be squashed into two hours- I was expecting some things to be edited and rearranged- but the biggest changes were things that would not have taken any more time to do properly. There are at least two major instances, one being a meeting between Darcy and Elizabeth in her bedroom at night instead of outside during the day (ugh... come on, that would have been such a scandal then, and it's completely out of his character), and the other being the visit paid by Lady Catherine to the Bennet home, again in the middle of the night instead of during the day (again, scandalous and totally out of her character). Ok, and I was really miffed that Pemberley was decorated in the neo-classical style instead of Victorian (but since no one else cares about historical inaccuracies...)

And, bless his heart, Matthew MacFadyen is no Colin Firth... not by a long shot. But we can't hold that against him. Colin was born to play Mr. Darcy. He's practically type-cast.

To its favor, this P&P is beautiful. The cinematography and the locations are unparalleled. And being dramatic isn't all bad. The ending, though "inaccurate", was very moving and magical. I'll admit that I liked the change, and it had me all tearey-eyed. It's probably more "realistic" in certain ways too (more than even the book is). Some of the more caricatured characters- Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Collins, and Lady Catherine were quite subdued by comparison to the original story. Unfortunately, this also makes the whole thing a lot less funny.

So... the bottom line is: If you're in the mood for a passionate, haunting, epic-style love story, go see the version in theaters now- it's well worth the money. I'll be first in line for the DVD- it's perfect for those nights at home alone with popcorn and wine coolers. If you're a Jane Austen fan, and in the mood to laugh (and fall madly and irreversibly in love with Colin Firth!), plant your butt on the couch for the whole five hours of A&E's mini-series version.