The latest version of Jane Austen's classic romance, Pride and Prejudice, opens tomorrow in "select cities." It opens across the rest of the U.S. November 23. The story, for those who don't know (or for those who might just be going because it is the latest Keira Knightley film or something), is set in England at the close of the 18th century or the dawn of the 19th century. Intriguingly, this is actually something of an issue as regards the book, but everyone recognizes it was written during the Napoleonic wars, and that the presence of the soldiers which play an integral part in the tale is largely the result of England's ongoing conflict on the continent, even though Austen never actually specifically addresses that fact.
The five Bennet sisters have been raised with the knowledge that absent their marriage to respectable, wealthy husbands, their futures are somewhat grim given that their father's estate is "entailed away." Their mother is fixated upon marrying the girls off, even as their father exists in a somewhat bemused bubble in which he rather ignores the overall issue. When a wealthy bachelor takes up residence in a nearby mansion, the whole neighborhood is abuzz - not to mention the Bennets as well. The hope is that with the man's sophisticated circle of London's friends, along with the recent addition of a number of young militia officers, there will be no shortage of suitors for the Bennet sisters. But when Lizzie (played here by Kiera Knightley) encounters the handsome and quite proud Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), the sparks fly.
With a cast that includes Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Tom Hollander, Rosamund Pike and Judi Dench, this is being billed as the first "movie" version of the story in 65 years (overlooking, as it does, both Bridget Jones' Diary and Bride and Prejudice, undoubtedly because each are "modern" versions of the story). And it also strives to ignore the immensely popular 1995 BBC miniseries starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, which for many stands as the definitive cinematic version.
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