Introduction...
One of the most well known and loved novels by Jane Austen is Pride and Prejudice. Written between the years 1796 and 1797, and original titled First Impressions it was not published until 28th January 1813, after it had been rejected when Austen had first intended to publish it.
Many adaptations have been made of this novel; the focus of this chapter will be on the BBC 1995 mini-series adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. It is a six part drama series first aired on BBC 1 on the 29th of September and finishing on the 29th of October. It was adapted by Andrew Davies. This version emulates perfection in all aspects. It was this version that popularised the novel and Jane Austen; critics and viewers alike believe that it is the best version of the novel to date. It is the BBCs most successful ever series. It stars Colin Firth as Mr Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet. As a result of the success of this version, Colin Firth became a household name and still is today. The series was honoured with several awards, including a BAFTA Television Award for Jennifer Ehle for Best Actress and an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Miniseries or a Special.
Many adaptations have been made of this novel; the focus of this chapter will be on the BBC 1995 mini-series adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. It is a six part drama series first aired on BBC 1 on the 29th of September and finishing on the 29th of October. It was adapted by Andrew Davies. This version emulates perfection in all aspects. It was this version that popularised the novel and Jane Austen; critics and viewers alike believe that it is the best version of the novel to date. It is the BBCs most successful ever series. It stars Colin Firth as Mr Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet. As a result of the success of this version, Colin Firth became a household name and still is today. The series was honoured with several awards, including a BAFTA Television Award for Jennifer Ehle for Best Actress and an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Miniseries or a Special.
The Script
The ScriptOn evaluating the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice it is clear that the script stays faithful to the novel and the differences seen were only slight. In terms of dialogue the script stays faithful to the novel, but some differences have been noted. The mini-series has more open dialogue between the characters. For instance in the series Elizabeth and Wickham are in the garden of Longbourn and she congratulates Wickham on his forthcoming engagement to Mary King. He apologetically explains his position and she laughs it off. This conversation does not occur in the book. This stood out because a gentleman of Wickham’s stature would find it hard to speak so openly about his reliance on his female suitor for finances, especially to a female companion, this does not seem very believable for this era and even though Wickham was a cunning man he still had to uphold the manners and traditions of the day. Austen seems conservative in her writings and through the conversations her characters have the reader had an idea of the unspoken rules of society. Another similar instance shown in the series is when the party including Sir Lucas, Maria Lucas and Elizabeth travel to Mr and Mrs Collins house. On the journey, Sir Lucas openly declares that he is happy and proud of Lady Catherine’s wealth and also of Charlotte’s match to Collins; this declaration is not in the novel. A man with a high social standing in society such as Sir Lucas would not talk openly about his happiness about another person’s financial situation that could in essence benefit his daughter. As his daughter is married to Mr Collins and he being an employee of Lady Catherine, she supplies them with their financial income, one would find it quite odd that he would comment on this matter in public.
Characters...
CharactersOverall the characters stay faithful to the novel. All the relevant characters are included within the series which is essential in any adaptation. Benjamin Whitrow did a brilliant job of portraying the character of Mr Bennet A few minor notes to mention are changes that were made to the character of Mr. Bennet.
In the series Mr Bennet says Wickham is telling tales about his misfortunes, while the rest of the family believes otherwise, he goes on to also say that he believes that Darcy might turn out to be fine and the family goes on to discuss the matter. This scene is not in book. This was a positive addition to the series as it shows Mr Bennet isn’t as non-observing of others that some may initially thought. In the series Mr Bennet is usually shown to being in his own company the majority of the time, so some viewers may expect him not to be clued in to the activities occurring around him. This scene shows he has more observational skills then we are first led to believe, this point is not made clear in the novel. Another point on Mr Bennet is that he is very conservative with his emotions. He does feel but rarely reveals his emotions as was the norm for gentlemen of that era. In the series it shows Mr. Bennet talking to Elizabeth about his feelings and opinion of himself. This is not an accurate portrayal of the times but it does make Mr Bennet somewhat more human which would make him more appealing to viewers. A similar instance shows Mr. Bennet telling Bingley he may be one of the few people he can tolerate. This also is not in the book, but these little instances of emotion shows a softer side to Mr Bennet which would add to his appeal. Other characters worth mentioning are Elizabeth and Jane Bennet who are portrayed by Jenifer Ehle and Susannah Harker. Overall their presentation of the characters was done well but the actresses were more mature than Austen intended. Elizabeth Bennet is 20 in the novel but Jenifer Ehle is 25 at the time of filming, it is not a huge age difference but many critics believe that she was too old and the playful and sweet Elizabeth was lost in her portrayal.
In the series Mr Bennet says Wickham is telling tales about his misfortunes, while the rest of the family believes otherwise, he goes on to also say that he believes that Darcy might turn out to be fine and the family goes on to discuss the matter. This scene is not in book. This was a positive addition to the series as it shows Mr Bennet isn’t as non-observing of others that some may initially thought. In the series Mr Bennet is usually shown to being in his own company the majority of the time, so some viewers may expect him not to be clued in to the activities occurring around him. This scene shows he has more observational skills then we are first led to believe, this point is not made clear in the novel. Another point on Mr Bennet is that he is very conservative with his emotions. He does feel but rarely reveals his emotions as was the norm for gentlemen of that era. In the series it shows Mr. Bennet talking to Elizabeth about his feelings and opinion of himself. This is not an accurate portrayal of the times but it does make Mr Bennet somewhat more human which would make him more appealing to viewers. A similar instance shows Mr. Bennet telling Bingley he may be one of the few people he can tolerate. This also is not in the book, but these little instances of emotion shows a softer side to Mr Bennet which would add to his appeal. Other characters worth mentioning are Elizabeth and Jane Bennet who are portrayed by Jenifer Ehle and Susannah Harker. Overall their presentation of the characters was done well but the actresses were more mature than Austen intended. Elizabeth Bennet is 20 in the novel but Jenifer Ehle is 25 at the time of filming, it is not a huge age difference but many critics believe that she was too old and the playful and sweet Elizabeth was lost in her portrayal.
Added Scenes
Any differences observed where added in for entertainment value. One such scene and probably the most famous of the series is when Darcy arrives at Pemberley on horseback and then goes on to dive into the lake and swim, he then emerges dripping wet and happens upon Elizabeth. This scene does not occur in the book, Darcy does arrive at Pemberley but details of how he arrives are not mentioned. The conversation between Elizabeth and Darcy after he emerges from the lake does not take place either. These scenes were added to show the growing relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth and the scene of Darcy in the lake one might think, was solely added for the benefit of the viewer.
This adaptation shows their growing relationship very well. There are many intimate scenes between the pair that do not occur in the novel, which is a demonstration of how the emphasis has changed from economic reasons to social basic for married and how modern viewers cud relate more to love and intimacy as essential to relationships, it is clear the director is trying to show that this has all changed. A few to mention are, when Elizabeth arrives at Netherfield to inquire about her sisters health she happens upon Darcy in the garden and they converse briefly. This scene shows Elizabeth to be slightly embarrassed by the situation. This embarrassment comes from being caught tracking through muddy fields and not being quiet presentable to company. Elizabeth does not care much for social traditions and how she may be perceived by Darcy, but initially she was embarrassed. This embarrassment turns into defiance which is very well presented in her facial expressions. The inclusion of this scene was a good choice as Elizabeth’s character presents Austen’s feminist views and feminism is a feature seen throughout the novel so it is essential that that the viewer sees these scenes to fully understand the moral of the story. This scene also shows how socially awkward a character Darcy really is, it helps the viewer understand that Darcy is not just rude and proud, but he is shy and reserved and it takes him time to become fully acquainted with people. Elizabeth is shown directly into the parlour with everybody present except for Jane on arrival to the house.
In another scene Elizabeth goes in search for Bingley but happens upon Darcy who is playing Billiards by himself, the encounter is quite awkward and it shows that there is some repressed tension between the pair. With Darcy’s feelings growing for Elizabeth and Elizabeth feeling quite the opposite, this scene does a good job in showing this. In another similar scene it shows Darcy emerging from a bath, he then proceeds to the window and watches Elizabeth playing with dogs from a far and observes her for a while. This scene may lead the viewer to wonder what he may be brooding over. It is apparent that Darcy’s feelings for Elizabeth are growing and adds to the mystery of him as the viewer still sees Darcy as rude and arrogant yet, this scene shows a deeper side to his character.
This adaptation shows their growing relationship very well. There are many intimate scenes between the pair that do not occur in the novel, which is a demonstration of how the emphasis has changed from economic reasons to social basic for married and how modern viewers cud relate more to love and intimacy as essential to relationships, it is clear the director is trying to show that this has all changed. A few to mention are, when Elizabeth arrives at Netherfield to inquire about her sisters health she happens upon Darcy in the garden and they converse briefly. This scene shows Elizabeth to be slightly embarrassed by the situation. This embarrassment comes from being caught tracking through muddy fields and not being quiet presentable to company. Elizabeth does not care much for social traditions and how she may be perceived by Darcy, but initially she was embarrassed. This embarrassment turns into defiance which is very well presented in her facial expressions. The inclusion of this scene was a good choice as Elizabeth’s character presents Austen’s feminist views and feminism is a feature seen throughout the novel so it is essential that that the viewer sees these scenes to fully understand the moral of the story. This scene also shows how socially awkward a character Darcy really is, it helps the viewer understand that Darcy is not just rude and proud, but he is shy and reserved and it takes him time to become fully acquainted with people. Elizabeth is shown directly into the parlour with everybody present except for Jane on arrival to the house.
In another scene Elizabeth goes in search for Bingley but happens upon Darcy who is playing Billiards by himself, the encounter is quite awkward and it shows that there is some repressed tension between the pair. With Darcy’s feelings growing for Elizabeth and Elizabeth feeling quite the opposite, this scene does a good job in showing this. In another similar scene it shows Darcy emerging from a bath, he then proceeds to the window and watches Elizabeth playing with dogs from a far and observes her for a while. This scene may lead the viewer to wonder what he may be brooding over. It is apparent that Darcy’s feelings for Elizabeth are growing and adds to the mystery of him as the viewer still sees Darcy as rude and arrogant yet, this scene shows a deeper side to his character.
My Conclusion of this adaptation
Andrew Davies stayed very true to the novel which many Austen fans appreciate. Sadly the same cannot be said for his rendition ofSense and Sensibility which will be elaborated on further on in this dissertation. This adaptation remains the favourite among critics and myself due to how faithful it was to the novel, as many people who opt to view these types of period dramas are usually fans of Austen’s writings to begin with.