Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

I had never seen the original version of Pride and Prejudice, which was a mini-series from 1995 that starred Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet. I'm told that the story is incredibly in-depth and follows the book perfectly, which is why it's so long. My mom loved the series, but all I could remember was, "Jeez, this is slow. Where's the romance again? I don't get it." Of course, back then I was younger and didn't have the patience to get into the full story, let alone the intellect to really understand those big vocabulary words they kept using.

Ten years later, enter another version of Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightly as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfayden as Mr. Darcy. When I saw the previews, I still wasn't very impressed. A remake? Great. They're going to butcher it. Most remakes don't impress me. If anything, it just reminds me how strapped Hollywood is for good stories these days...they've got to borrow the original. And how on earth are they going to jam the entire story of Pride and Prejudice into two hours while the older version was five hours long? I've read the book, and I was too scared to watch the movie and be disappointed.

Well, I finally rented it and watched it.

WOW.

Not only was I very impressed, I was completely lovesick after that. That movie reminded me of true angst; that loves comes unexpectedly from an unlikely person, and that sometimes that even though there are barriers, love overcomes all things.

Yeah, yeah, I'm a romantic. I'm also a sucker for bonnet movies. I love Jane Austen books. If you don't know the story of Pride and Prejudice, you've been living under a rock, but below is a brief synopsis...

Plot: Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, who by no means are very rich, but aren't exactly poor, have five young daughters that aren't yet married. By law, only men are allowed to inherit the estate and all the money with it, so it becomes Mrs. Bennet's prerogative to marry off her daughters to well-endowed men. When Jane, the eldest, finally manages to catch the attention of a nice young man named Mr. Bingley, he introduces to them his best friend, Mr. Darcy. Darcy is anything but kind to the girls, however, and Elizabeth Bennet (the second oldest) doesn't forgive him for his rude behavior. Because she is the most independent and outspoken, she and Darcy usually end up in an argument whenever they try civil conversation together, and she begins to hate him for his haughty and cruel demeanor.

Things are not always how they seem, however, and when Mr. Darcy confronts Elizabeth and makes a shocking proposal, things turn more confusing and complex than ever.

"It would be most inconvenient since I've sworn to loathe him for all eternity!"

The story is pretty self explanatory - it's about pride and prejudices made by people. Austen's original title for her book was First Impressions, which is also an accurate description of the story, considering that you should never judge a book by its cover. Not only is it a romantic tale, but it also focuses on the complicated relationships between sisters, their embarrassing mother, and their nonchalant father. The movie is perfectly balanced when it comes to the emphasis on family and the wooing of suitors, reminding us how close it can be to our real lives when it comes to our embarrassing family and dating. I have two sisters and I definitely related to the story of Pride and Prejudice simply because of the similar love/hate relationships.

Not only is the story well balanced, but it is also incredibly accurate. I've read the book and there are even quotes in the movie that match exactly with those in the book. Of course, some scenes had to be shortened, some had to be removed altogether, and some had to be altered a little to correctly depict the story within a two-hour time frame, but they managed to do it perfectly. Not one important scene was left out, and only one major scene had been altered - but I think it was to the benefit of the story and not to its detriment. The "rain scene" in the movie did not exist in the book, but man oh man...it was the best freakin' scene I've seen in a long time. It made my heart beat pretty fast, that's for sure.

Kiera Knightly does a wonderful job portraying Elizabeth Bennet in this film. I was skeptical because I was so used to her in Pirates of the Caribbean but she pulls off the role of Lizzie nicely. Her dialogue, although complex, flows through her mouth as if she's been speaking that way all her life, and even though she's magnificently gorgeous and skinny, she comes off as plain as can be in the film, making it all the more believable. Matthew Macfayden was absolutely born for the role as Mr. Darcy. I don't think anyone could have done a better job than him. He had some pretty big shoes to fill (because Colin Firth made a perfect Mr. Darcy as well, even a great Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary) but he was absolutely brilliant in this film. I had never heard of Matthew Macfayden before, but now I absolutely love him. In this movie, you see him as Mr. Darcy and your original impression is, "What a dick." But later on, as Mr. Darcy grows on you, he manages to morph from a haughty jerk to a soft, caring person. Who knew?

The cast wouldn't be complete without Brenda Blethyn (Mrs. Bennet), Simon Woods (Mr. Bingley), or Rosamund Pike (Jane Bennet), who all did wonderful jobs as their character. They literally made these people come to life, and their performance was absolutely perfect. Ooh, an added bonus is Judi Dench as Lady Catherine - that woman is a phenomenal actress.

My icing on the cake? The music, of course! Guess what kind of music! PIANO!!! The piano solos throughout the movie are beautiful, and definitely put the finishing touches on an age-old classic.

Overall: It's a bonnet movie, but if you're into bonnet movies, I implore you to watch this one. There's nothing disappointing about it; it's full of romance, drama, some silly parts, and it'll make you smile (if you catch all the clever jabs Elizabeth takes at Mr. Darcy). I think you should definitely give this movie a try if you're too strapped for time to read the book.

This movie was brought to you by CaptainD's Good Movie Write-Off!

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older