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Pride & Prejudice (2005 film) facts for kids
| Pride & Prejudice | |
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UK theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Joe Wright |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by | Deborah Moggach |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Dario Marianelli |
| Cinematography | Roman Osin |
| Editing by | Paul Tothill |
| Studio |
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| Distributed by |
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| Release date(s) | 11 September 2005 (TIFF) 16 September 2005 (United Kingdom) 11 November 2005 (United States) 18 January 2006 (France) |
| Running time | 127 minutes |
| Country |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $28 million |
| Money made | $121.6 million |
Pride & Prejudice is a 2005 romantic drama film. It was directed by Joe Wright. The movie is based on the famous 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It tells the story of five sisters from an English family who live in the countryside. They face challenges with marriage, manners, and misunderstandings. Keira Knightley plays Elizabeth Bennet, and Matthew Macfadyen plays Mr Darcy. They are two main characters who fall in love.
The film was very successful, earning $121.6 million around the world. It cost about $28 million to make. Critics liked the movie, especially Keira Knightley's acting. She was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress when she was only 20 years old. This made her one of the youngest nominees ever for that award. The director, Joe Wright, also won a BAFTA Award for his great first film.
Contents
Story of Pride & Prejudice
The story takes place in England during the late 1700s. The Bennet family lives at their home called Longbourn. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. Mrs. Bennet really wants her daughters to marry rich men. She is very happy when a wealthy man named Charles Bingley moves into a nearby estate called Netherfield Hall.
First Meetings and Misunderstandings
At a big dance, Bingley meets the local people. He comes with his sister Caroline and his friend Mr Darcy. Bingley and Jane Bennet like each other right away. But Elizabeth immediately dislikes Darcy. She thinks he is snobby and hears him say unkind things about her.
Later, Jane visits the Bingleys and gets sick. Elizabeth goes to Netherfield to take care of her sister. While there, she often argues with Caroline Bingley and the quiet Mr. Darcy. After Jane gets better, Mr. Bennet's cousin, Mr Collins, visits. He is a clergyman and a bit silly. Since Longbourn can only be inherited by men, Mr. Collins will get the Bennet family home when Mr. Bennet passes away.
Mr. Collins plans to ask Jane to marry him. But Mrs. Bennet tells him Jane will soon be engaged. So, she suggests Elizabeth instead, and Mr. Collins agrees. The Bennet sisters also meet a charming soldier named Lieutenant Wickham. He tells Elizabeth that Mr. Darcy treated him unfairly and kept him from getting money he was supposed to have. This makes Elizabeth dislike Darcy even more.
Proposals and Surprises
At another ball, Elizabeth dances with Darcy, but it's an awkward dance. The next day, Mr. Collins asks Elizabeth to marry him. She quickly says no. Her mother is very angry, but her father supports Elizabeth's choice.
Elizabeth is shocked when her good friend, Charlotte, agrees to marry Mr. Collins. Charlotte is worried about being an old maid. Soon after, the Bingley family suddenly leaves Netherfield and goes back to London. Elizabeth encourages Jane to visit their aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, in London. She hopes Jane can see Bingley there.
Months later, Elizabeth visits Charlotte and Mr. Collins in Kent. They live near the estate of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Elizabeth is surprised to see Darcy there, as he is Lady Catherine's nephew. Darcy's cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, mentions that Darcy recently stopped Bingley from marrying someone from a "not suitable" family. Elizabeth doesn't know he is talking about her sister Jane.
Elizabeth is upset. Then, Darcy surprisingly asks her to marry him. He tells her he loves her, even though her family is not as rich or important as his. Elizabeth is offended and angry. She refuses him. She tells him she is angry about how he treated Jane and Wickham. Darcy defends himself. He says he thought Jane didn't really care for Bingley. He also points out how some of the Bennets act improperly in public.
Truth and Reconciliation
Darcy later gives Elizabeth a letter. In it, he explains the truth about Wickham. Wickham wasted the money Darcy's father left him. Then, Wickham tried to trick Darcy's 15-year-old sister, Georgiana, into running away with him to get her money.
Elizabeth returns home, and Jane also comes back. Elizabeth goes on a trip with the Gardiners to the Peak District. She visits Pemberley, Darcy's grand estate. She unexpectedly meets Darcy there. He invites her and the Gardiners to dinner. Darcy is much kinder now, and his manners impress the Gardiners. Georgiana, Darcy's sister, also speaks highly of Elizabeth.
An urgent letter from Jane arrives, saying that Lydia has run away with Wickham. Darcy leaves quickly. Elizabeth goes home, thinking she will never see Darcy again. Her mother worries that Lydia's actions will ruin her other daughters' chances of marrying well.
After a stressful wait, Mr. Gardiner sends news that Lydia and Wickham are married. The newlyweds return to Longbourn. Lydia accidentally tells Elizabeth that it was Darcy who found them and paid for their wedding. He also bought Wickham a position in the army.
Bingley and Darcy return to Netherfield and visit Longbourn. Bingley proposes to Jane, and she accepts. Late that night, Lady Catherine visits Elizabeth. She demands that Elizabeth never marry Darcy. Lady Catherine claims Darcy has been promised to her own daughter since they were babies. Elizabeth is deeply insulted and tells Lady Catherine to leave.
The next morning, Elizabeth meets Darcy while walking. He apologizes for his aunt's visit. He tells Elizabeth he still loves her. Elizabeth's feelings have completely changed, and she accepts his proposal. She tells her father the truth about Darcy's kindness. Mr. Bennet is happy that Elizabeth has found love and gives his permission for them to marry.
Main Actors and Characters
- Keira Knightley as Elizabeth "Lizzy" Bennet
- Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy
- Brenda Blethyn as Mrs Bennet
- Donald Sutherland as Mr Bennet
- Rosamund Pike as Jane Bennet
- Jena Malone as Lydia Bennet
- Tom Hollander as Mr Collins
- Penelope Wilton as Mrs Gardiner
- Judi Dench as Lady Catherine de Bourgh
- Simon Woods as Charles Bingley
- Carey Mulligan as Catherine "Kitty" Bennet
- Talulah Riley as Mary Bennet
- Rupert Friend as George Wickham
- Kelly Reilly as Caroline Bingley
- Tamzin Merchant as Georgiana Darcy
- Claudie Blakley as Charlotte Lucas
- Cornelius Booth as Colonel Fitzwilliam
- Peter Wight as Mr Gardiner
- Roy Holder as Mr Hill
- Pip Torrens as Netherfield Hall Butler
- Meg Wynn Owen as Mrs Reynolds
- Sinead Matthews as Mrs Betsy
Making the Film
How the Story Was Adapted
The movie Pride & Prejudice was a team effort between British and American film companies. These included Working Title Films from Britain and Universal Studios from America.
The screenwriter, Deborah Moggach, worked for over two years on the script. She wrote many different versions to make the story fit a movie. She removed some parts of the book that weren't needed for the main story. At first, she wrote everything from Elizabeth's point of view, just like in the book. Later, she added a few scenes from the men's side, like when Bingley practices asking Jane to marry him.
Joe Wright became the director in 2004. This was his first time directing a big movie. He was a surprising choice because his past films were more about real-life social issues, not romance. But the producers liked his fresh ideas. Wright had not read the book before, but he was very touched by the script. He then read the novel and called it "an amazing piece of character observation."
Wright had only seen the 1940 movie version of Pride and Prejudice. He purposely did not watch other versions. He wanted his film to be as original as possible.
Costumes and Style
Jacqueline Durran was the costume designer. She and Joe Wright wanted the film's look to be different from the TV show. They chose clothes from the late 1700s, which often had a natural waistline. Older characters wore clothes from the mid-1700s, while younger characters wore a style that was just starting to become popular.
The costumes also showed how rich or poor the characters were. For example, Caroline Bingley wears a very fashionable dress when she first appears. All the women at the Netherfield Ball wear white, which was popular at the time. The costumes and hairstyles were also made to look good to modern audiences, even if they weren't exactly historically perfect.
To make the Bennet sisters look different, Elizabeth was dressed in earthy colors because she loved the outdoors. Jane's clothes looked refined but a bit homemade, showing the Bennets didn't have much money. Mary, who loved books, had serious and practical clothes. Lydia and Kitty were dressed to look like a pair, often with similar but slightly different outfits. Unlike the 1940 film, the Bennet sisters in this movie wore comfortable, slightly worn dresses.
Filming Locations
The movie was filmed entirely in England over 11 weeks in the summer of 2004. The filmmakers wanted to make the movie feel very real. They used many close-up shots of the characters. They also changed some scenes to more romantic outdoor places than in the book. For example, Darcy's first proposal happens outdoors in the rain in the movie, but indoors in the book.
Stamford, Lincolnshire was used as the village of Meryton in the film. Here, the militia is being filmed.
The film crew used seven different estates in six counties across England. Many places needed work to make them look like they were from the 1700s. Special effects were used to remove modern things like gravel driveways or power lines.
Grand houses were chosen to show the wealth of certain characters. Chatsworth House in Derbyshire and Wilton House in Salisbury were used for Darcy's home, Pemberley. The old manor house Groombridge Place in Kent was chosen for the Bennet family's home, Longbourn. Its inside was made to look "shabby chic," meaning old but charming. Basildon Park in Berkshire was used for Netherfield Park, where the Bingley family lived. Burghley House in Cambridgeshire was used for Lady Catherine de Bourgh's estate, Rosings. The nearby town of Stamford became the village of Meryton.
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An exhibit about Pride & Prejudice at Basildon Park, which was used as Netherfield in the film.
Music for the Film
The music for the film was written by Italian composer Dario Marianelli. A French pianist, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, played the piano parts, with the English Chamber Orchestra.
The music was inspired by early piano pieces from the time period, like those by Ludwig van Beethoven. Some songs were even composed before filming began, so the actors could perform them in the movie.
Editing the Film
Joe Wright made his film two hours and nine minutes long. This is much shorter than the five-hour TV show from 1995. He wanted to focus mainly on Elizabeth and Darcy's story. Anything that didn't directly help their story was cut out.
Some big changes from the book included making several events happen faster. Also, some minor characters were removed. The film also cut out many parts where characters think or talk about recent events.
The filmmakers discussed how to end the movie. They didn't want a wedding scene because they felt it would be too cheesy. For the North American release, a final scene was added. It showed the married Darcys having a romantic evening at Pemberley. This scene was not in the book. Some fans of Jane Austen did not like this ending because they felt it wasn't true to the book. This scene was removed from the British version after test audiences found it funny by accident. However, later, the film was re-released in the UK with this ending because some viewers wanted to see it. The original British ending finished with Mr. Bennet giving his blessing to Elizabeth and Darcy's marriage.
Release and Success
Box Office Earnings
Pride & Prejudice first showed at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2005. It was released in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on September 16. It was the number one movie in its first week, earning £2.5 million (about $4.6 million). It stayed at the top for two more weeks.
The film came out in the United States on November 11, 2005. It earned $2.9 million on its opening weekend. It ended its run in US cinemas in February 2006, with a total of over $38 million. The film's success in America was partly because Jane Austen's stories are very popular.
Pride & Prejudice was released in many other countries. It earned a total of $121.1 million worldwide. It was one of the highest-grossing films of 2005.
Watching at Home
The movie was released on DVD in February 2006 in the US and UK. It included special features like comments from the director and the ending scene of Elizabeth and Darcy kissing. A special "deluxe edition" DVD was released in November 2007. A Blu-ray version came out in January 2010.
Impact of the Film
Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice has had a lasting impact. Even years after its release, Keira Knightley was still known for playing Elizabeth Bennet. This was true for many young people who hadn't seen the older TV show.
The film also influenced how other historical dramas were made. Some critics felt it made Austen's story more popular for a wider audience. It helped create a new type of historical film that appealed to younger viewers without losing its classic feel.
Making Pride & Prejudice was the start of a long working relationship between director Joe Wright and Working Title Films. Many actors and crew members from this film worked with Wright again on his later movies. For example, Keira Knightley, Brenda Blethyn, Dario Marianelli, and others worked with him on his 2007 film Atonement.
In 2017, Netflix shared that a person from Chile watched the film 278 times in one year! It was later reported that this person was a 51-year-old woman who loved the film and saw Elizabeth Bennet as a "feminist icon."
See also
In Spanish: Orgullo y prejuicio (película de 2005) para niños
- Jane Austen in popular culture
- Janeite
- List of literary adaptations of Pride and Prejudice
- 2005 in film
- List of British films of 2005
- List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role
- 78th Academy Awards
- 63rd Golden Globe Awards
- 59th British Academy Film Awards