silverusagi

First, wow. A lot of people really hate P&P 2005. I mean, I knew I did, but it's gratifying to see I'm not alone, LOL. But before moving on to the awesomeness that is P&P 1995, I watched P&P 1980 with Elizabeth Garvie. It's really not a bad adaptation. Definitely the best of the 80s Austen adaptations. It's sort of a charming little miniseries, going about in its quiet way. It doesn't quite have the life that the 1995 one does, but I can imagine this Elizabeth Bennet going on just as easily as I can the 1995 one. We get a lot of little scenes that were left out of the 1995 version, like Darcy asking Elizabeth to dance at Netherfield, Elizabeth talking about Bingley's character, Elizabeth talking to Mrs. Gardner about Wickham, Miss Bingley teasing Darcy a lot about his interest in Elizabeth, and Darcy and Elizabeth at the end of the novel when don't get a chance to talk to each other during an evening at Longbourn. The main cast are all very good with their roles. It's a take on Elizabeth that's still very true, and I like this Darcy's extreme reserve. And I really like Jane and Mrs. Gardner. Also, there is a very believable scene where Mr. Collins proposes to Charlotte. That's exactly how it must have gone--him telling her that he liked her best, of course, but only proposed to Elizabeth out of the duty he felt to her family because of his inheriting their estate. And Darcy's entrance at Pemberley is just like it is in the book--very undersated, with him just appearing around a hedge.

Downsides, in random order: Lines from the prose of the novel itself are made into dialogue in places. Nice way to try to bring things in, but I'm not sure how well it works. The officers' costumes are horribly ugly. As far as I can tell, there's no Maria Lucas. If there is, she only appears at assemblies, and does not accompany Elizabeth to Rosings. Darcy's "portrait" at Pemberley is clearly just a photo that's been lacquered over, LOL. But those are all minor things, and didn't make me not enjoy it. The real nitpick I have is how the other Bennet girls are handled. There are too many scenes of them all "hanging out" in the same bedroom. Mary is way too interested who is moving into Netherfied. I feel like the writers are trying to include all the girls in the events going on, but it doesn't ring true. Kitty is terrible. She looks about 25, and she sure can't act 17. I have no idea why she was cast. Lydia is the truly painful thing. She's the right age, but she just cannot act. She especially can't act a difficult role like Lydia. You wouldn't think Lydia would be a difficult character, but she really is (just like Marianne of S&S is). Based on results, it's really hard to act that shallow and unthinking without coming off as being purposefully spiteful and flippant. This Lydia comes off like she's constantly putting on an act, and when she comes back married, it's like every line is just full of fake sincerity. She doesn't sound silly and careless. The actress has no idea how to do silly and careless and man obsessed. It's really, really bad. But on the upside, she's not in it much until the fifth part when things start revolving around her.