I'm not writing a synopsis for this one. You know what this is.
What's different
Not much, really. This adaptation follows the book very closely. There were only a few differences that really stuck out to me. Firstly and most importantly, this version has a secondary theme that was not even hinted at in the book, and that is Mr. Darcy being wet. He gets wet constantly! To start, we see him taking a bath and then watching Lizzie play in the yard. And while he did put on a robe before going to the window, I would like to point out that the robe was clearly hanging open in the front. Later on, we see Darcy all hot and sweaty from fencing practice, which is a very in-your-face metaphor for his internal battle against his emotions. And finally, we have the famous pond scene. And by the way, that pond is NASTY.
I can't believe they passed up the opportunity for him to take yet another bath because he would clearly need one after diving into pond scum. Regardless of his hygiene, though, one is forced to conclude that the overarching theme of this miniseries is Darcy being wet.
The second significant different is that Mr. Bennet seems to suspect Wickham of being a liar. In an added bit, immediately after Wickham and a couple of other officers have visited Longbourn, Mr. Bennet says of Wickham, "It was very good of him to entertain us so eloquently with stories about his misfortunes. With such narratives to hand, who would read novels?" This prompts Lizzie to come to Wickham's defense, and Mr. Bennet cautions her that Mr. Darcy may not be any worse than "your average rich man who is used to his own way." In the book, I think Mr. Bennet was as surprised as anyone by Wickham's villainous nature. I'm not sure what's gained by making him appear more discerning than the rest of the family, including Lizzie.
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| "Oh damn, I haven't been wet in over 30 minutes. Better jump in this disgusting pond!" — Darcy, probably |
I can't believe they passed up the opportunity for him to take yet another bath because he would clearly need one after diving into pond scum. Regardless of his hygiene, though, one is forced to conclude that the overarching theme of this miniseries is Darcy being wet.
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| But who's complaining? |
The second significant different is that Mr. Bennet seems to suspect Wickham of being a liar. In an added bit, immediately after Wickham and a couple of other officers have visited Longbourn, Mr. Bennet says of Wickham, "It was very good of him to entertain us so eloquently with stories about his misfortunes. With such narratives to hand, who would read novels?" This prompts Lizzie to come to Wickham's defense, and Mr. Bennet cautions her that Mr. Darcy may not be any worse than "your average rich man who is used to his own way." In the book, I think Mr. Bennet was as surprised as anyone by Wickham's villainous nature. I'm not sure what's gained by making him appear more discerning than the rest of the family, including Lizzie.
Mr. Collins is given extra opportunities for making a fool of himself in this series. The only one that bugged me, though, was when he ran into Lydia in the hallway when she was in her totally not-revealing underwear. The only reason I can see for adding this is to support the characterization of Lydia as immodest. I've got some problems with this characterization, but I'll save it for the dislike section.
On a related Lydia-centric note, this miniseries shows us a lot of Lydia and Wickham in London, which we don't see in the book. We see the couple hiding out in an inn; we see Darcy tracking them down; and we see their wedding.
It makes sense for adaptations to show some or all of these things because it is a major plot point, and not everything can be conveyed through a letter without it getting a bit dull.
On a related Lydia-centric note, this miniseries shows us a lot of Lydia and Wickham in London, which we don't see in the book. We see the couple hiding out in an inn; we see Darcy tracking them down; and we see their wedding.
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| Wow, you can see so much more detail on blu-ray! |
It makes sense for adaptations to show some or all of these things because it is a major plot point, and not everything can be conveyed through a letter without it getting a bit dull.
What I liked
Obviously, I appreciate the commitment to accuracy in this adaptation. I was impressed that every little party and event mentioned in the book gets screen time. The party at Lucas Lodge, in particular, is nice to see. Other adaptations have tried to merge that party with the first ball at Meryton, and it seems to inevitably create issues with timing. The party at the Phillips' where Lizzie first cozies up to Wickham is even included. Another big one for me is the length of time Jane and Lizzie spend at Netherfield being accurately portrayed. After the nightmare of the 1940 adaptation's scene at Netherfield, I will never not appreciate it being done right. Also nice to see are the little details that aren't required in an adaptation but let the viewer know that the screenwriter did their homework. Like Sir William Lucas being obsessed with court and his own knighthood, for example.
I also liked that Darcy's feelings for Elizabeth came on nice and slow. You could say this is another example of accuracy or that it's a result of everything else being accurate, but I think it's important enough to get its own paragraph and this is my blog dangit so I do what I want. As readers, we spend most of the book with Elizabeth, seeing things from her perspective, so the evidence of Darcy's attraction builds slowly and almost imperceptibly because of Lizzie's obliviousness. Preserving this on film is difficult, especially since the necessary shortening of timelines can make his quiet regard into something quick, obvious, and forceful.
I enjoyed the great performances by the minor characters in this miniseries. Maria Lucas stood out to me, and I think Lucy Davis was delightful in this role. She brought a lot of energy to a small part and made me notice a character that I largely overlooked in the book. Colonel Fitzwilliam was also fun to watch; although he didn't shine quite as much as Maria, he had his moments for sure.
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| "I'm very important, you know!" |
I also liked that Darcy's feelings for Elizabeth came on nice and slow. You could say this is another example of accuracy or that it's a result of everything else being accurate, but I think it's important enough to get its own paragraph and this is my blog dangit so I do what I want. As readers, we spend most of the book with Elizabeth, seeing things from her perspective, so the evidence of Darcy's attraction builds slowly and almost imperceptibly because of Lizzie's obliviousness. Preserving this on film is difficult, especially since the necessary shortening of timelines can make his quiet regard into something quick, obvious, and forceful.
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| Darcy has to budget a lot of time for long, soulful stares across the drawing room. |
I enjoyed the great performances by the minor characters in this miniseries. Maria Lucas stood out to me, and I think Lucy Davis was delightful in this role. She brought a lot of energy to a small part and made me notice a character that I largely overlooked in the book. Colonel Fitzwilliam was also fun to watch; although he didn't shine quite as much as Maria, he had his moments for sure.
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| "I have no idea what's happening, but gosh you're pretty." |
What I disliked
I wanted a little more from the first proposal scene. It's the most famous scene of the book (though not of this particular adaptation), so it's important to get it right. As far as accuracy goes, it was perfectly fine; my dissatisfaction is with how it was acted. When Lizzie and Darcy devolve into arguing, both of them are too restrained, I think. Maybe this is true to life and easily explained as attempting to preserve a polite veneer, but to me, the whole point of the argument is that they fail to be polite. They say all the right hurtful things to each other, but I want more visible emotion from both, though maybe Lizzie in particular. I like the adaptations that show her getting really riled up. I want to see all her feelings — surprise, offense, anger, and cold hatred — plainly on her face.
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| My p-p-poker face my p-poker face |
I had a hard time with how this series treats Lydia. Throughout the series, she is shown to ignore propriety in her pursuit of always having a good time. Some of this is supported in the book, but this series adds a few things to really drive it home. At the Netherfield ball, for example, as the whole Bennet family embarrasses themselves during dinner, the only embarrassment depicted in the series that was not in the book is Lydia stealing a sword and making some officers chase her through the dining room. Another example is the scene where she runs into Mr. Collins while in her underwear. We also see quite a bit of Lydia and Wickham together, after they run away and before they marry, which we don't see in the book. These short scenes emphasize Lydia's sexuality.
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| "I have done what none of my sisters has, and I the youngest of them all!" *whispers* She means sex. |
It's hard to empathize with Lydia, but I was ready to cheer this depiction of a sexual woman in a time long before that was an acceptable thing to be, or to admit to being. The closing scenes of the series undid that completely. During the double wedding of Jane/Lizzie and Bingley/Darcy, the officiant makes some remarks about marriage as a holy institution while the camera roves across all the married couples. When the minister says that marriage was invented partly as "a remedy against sin," it cuts to a shot of Lydia and Wickham in bed, pretty clearly post-coital. So the lesson here is not that Lydia is sexual and that's okay, but rather that being sexual is bad and being nonsexual is good. Thank god (literally, in this case) that we have marriage so sex can be deemed morally okay sometimes.
This lesson might make sense in Austen's time but not in ours. If Austen had been explicit about this in the book, I would overlook this as another example of accuracy, but that is not the case. If she meant to teach her readers something through Lydia's bad example, it was at least not explicitly stated. This adaptation would have done better to leave moral lessons out of it, or to at least keep it as subtle as Austen had.
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| The moral of this blog is: fuck that, do what you want. |
To end on a lighter note, here are a few little things that bothered me:
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| Darcy's nipples |
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| The double wedding trope |
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| The super awkward kiss |
So remember, folks: the reward of chastity is bad kissing on your wedding day. The end.
Adaptation wish list
- Is Elizabeth sassy? — Yes.
- Is Elizabeth silly? — Sure, though it comes across as more fun-loving in this series.
- Does Darcy undergo real and significant change after being rejected? — Yes!
- Are Darcy and Elizabeth each guilty of both pride and prejudice? — Yes!
This is a very faithful adaptation, and it's also entertaining, which is not necessarily a given for a straight adaptation. There are a handful of fanciful additions (some of which land better than others) that spice things up, but no major changes to the story, and the additions are forgivable because of the accuracy of everything else. It's just a shame about Lydia's treatment, but otherwise A+, loved it!
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