The Short Version
Today it’s Pride and Prejudice on screen: the famous nineteen ninety five series, the twenty oh five film, a few wild cards, and the new Netflix version arriving in December. There are spoilers for the book.
The short version: the nineteen ninety five series is the most faithful, the twenty oh five film is the most romantic, and the Netflix series is the big unknown.
The 1940 Film
The first big screen version came from Hollywood in nineteen forty, with Greer Garson as Elizabeth and Laurence Olivier as Darcy.
It moves the costumes to a later, fancier era, and softens Lady Catherine at the end. It’s charming, but it’s very much a Hollywood comedy.
The 1995 BBC Series
Then came the one many fans still call definitive: the nineteen ninety five BBC series, written by Andrew Davies, in six episodes.
Jennifer Ehle plays Elizabeth, and Colin Firth plays Darcy. At around five and a half hours, it has room for almost every scene in the book.
What 1995 Adds
The most famous moment in it isn’t in the book at all. Darcy, hot after a ride, dives into a lake at Pemberley, and then runs into Elizabeth in his wet shirt.
Davies also shows more of Darcy’s side, like scenes of him fencing and brooding, to make his change of heart easier to see. The book stays almost entirely with Elizabeth.
The 2005 Film
In twenty oh five, Joe Wright directed a new film, with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth and Matthew Macfadyen as Darcy. Knightley was nominated for the Oscar for best actress.
It’s earthier and muddier. The Bennets’ house is messy, there are pigs in the yard, and the camera never sits still.
What 2005 Changes
At about two hours, it has to cut a lot, and it moves some scenes. The first proposal happens in the pouring rain, at a little temple, instead of indoors at the parsonage.
And the second proposal happens in a misty field at dawn, with Darcy walking toward her. It’s swoony and totally invented. The American release even added an extra kissing scene at the end.
The Wild Cards
Then there are the loose adaptations. Bridget Jones’s Diary, in twenty oh one, is a modern retelling, with Colin Firth playing a Mr. Darcy again, this time Mark Darcy.
There’s also Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, from twenty sixteen, and Fire Island, from twenty twenty two, which moves the story to a gay holiday weekend in New York.
The Netflix Series
Now the new one. Netflix’s six episode series arrives on December third, twenty twenty six. It’s written by Dolly Alderton, the author of Everything I Know About Love, and directed by Euros Lyn, who directed Heartstopper.
Emma Corrin plays Elizabeth, and Jack Lowden plays Darcy. Olivia Colman is Mrs. Bennet, Rufus Sewell is Mr. Bennet, and Fiona Shaw is Lady Catherine.
What We Know So Far
It’s produced by Lookout Point, a BBC Studios company. At six episodes, it has the same room to breathe as the nineteen ninety five series.
Netflix hadn’t said, as of October, whether all six episodes will drop at once or weekly. And we won’t know how faithful it is until December.
What Every Version Keeps
Almost every adaptation keeps the same backbone: the insult at the first ball, Mr. Collins’ proposal, the first proposal and the letter, Pemberley, Lydia’s scandal, Lady Catherine’s visit, and the second proposal.
That’s a sign of how tight Austen’s plot really is. It’s hard to cut much without the whole thing falling apart.
Which To Watch
So, which should you watch? For the book, scene by scene, the nineteen ninety five series. For one gorgeous evening, the twenty oh five film.
And for something new, the Netflix series in December. But read the book first. The narrator’s jokes are the part no adaptation can really film.
Your Turn
Colin Firth or Matthew Macfadyen? Tell me in the comments. My review and the full summary are linked below.
