Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Where to Watch
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- Before Keira Knightley was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- The original script for Pride & Prejudice was written over a decade before production finally began in 2005.
Pride & Prejudice is a 2005 British romantic drama directed by Joe Wright, an adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel. Keira Knightley stars as Elizabeth Bennet, one of five sisters in an English country family whose mother is desperately seeking advantageous marriages for them all. When the wealthy Mr.
Bingley moves to the neighborhood with his friend Mr. Darcy, played by Matthew Macfadyen, Elizabeth's initial impression of Darcy as arrogant and insufferable gradually gives way to a deeper understanding as she discovers the prejudice in her own judgments and the pride that has masked his genuine feelings. Joe Wright's directorial vision was to strip away the drawing-room formality associated with previous Austen adaptations, particularly the beloved 1995 BBC series with Colin Firth, and present a more earthy, lived-in world where the Bennet farmhouse is muddy, the sisters share beds, and the emotions feel raw rather than corseted.
Keira Knightley's Elizabeth was spirited, quick-tongued, and physically active in ways that connected Austen's heroine to modern audiences, earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress at age 20. The dawn proposal scene, shot in golden light with Darcy approaching across a misty field, created one of the most breathtaking romantic images in modern cinema. Dario Marianelli's piano-and-strings score won numerous awards.
Pride & Prejudice earned $121 million worldwide on a $28 million budget.
