Review of Pride and Prejudice

Not as great as the 1995 masterpiece, (starring Colin Firth as in one of his many Darcy roles to come!)but a faithful and engaging version of Jane Austin's tale of female character, primogeniture, and money as a motivator. The story focuses on five unmarried girls, in particular the second-eldest, in turn-of-the-19th century England. Elizabeth Garvie portrays this spirited but sensible girl in contrast to her sisters who are Sweet but Boring (Jane), Bookish and Plain (Mary), Pretty yet Scheming (Lydia), Lovely but Whinging (Kitty). Elizabeth is her judicious father's favorite. It is eventually clear that her mother, favors the eldest (Jane) on a societal level, but seems to identify most with and take the part of the pretty and scheming Lydia. The tale surrounds the mother's attempts to get the respectable and penniless girls married off as soon as possible. Her mother's (priscilla Morgan as Mrs. Bennet)non-stop nattering about her nerves is deliciously keyed to drive any sane man to drink and any respectable girl to roll her eyes in utter mortification. Natalie Ogle as Lydia captures the conceit and naive enthusiasm of a 15-year-old girl who is in over her head and still charging into the deeper water. Malcome Rennie as the daft Mr. Collins (cousin to the five girls and the male heir to the entire family estate upon their father's death) is unparalleled at guilelessly delivering the Left Handed Compliment (''Do not make yourself uneasy, my dear cousin, about your apparel. Lady Catherine is far from requiring that elegance of dress in us, which becomes herself and daughter."). His imperious patroness, Lady Catherine de Burgh, is forcefully played by Judy Parfitt. The brooding Darcy character (David Rintoul) is a difficult role to convey due to the pervasive call for stiff formality and a concealment of feelings. However, there should be a forcefulness to the man as he is eventually revealed to be powerful and respected. It is difficult to ascertain whether this actor was led astray by the director's calls for a flat brooding portrayal, or the actor was not able to evince the minuscule nuances that must be dragged out of this role. The joy of this story, when well told is that it is romantic and funny, but also serves as a reminder of how restricted both men and women were to their societal roles by the nature of property and finances at the time. It demonstrates how the manner in which money moves in a society influences greatly how that society must behave. By example, since reputation is an important factor in this highly networked community, a girl with no dowry and a tainted reputation is devastating to both herself AND the her entire family, since there is no anonymity in the vastly cooperative English countryside. Overall, an unglossy, but satisfying and faithful production of an enjoyable classic.