So which Pride and Prejudice should you watch?
(Disclaimer: They’re all wonderful in their own way.)
BBC Mini Series from 1995:
The most realistic of the options at hand
Gives you nearly six hours to give the story the time it deserves
Has the time to give you all of the characters without feeling rushed
The characters are adorable (or annoying depending on needs Mr. Collins), but they aren’t godlike. It’s great to see real people on screen
You actually get to see Lydia and Mr. Wickham hiding from their family which I don’t see in any other adaptation?
More time is dedicated to Mr. Darcy’s point of view
Collin Firth (according to fandom)
I personally have an issue with some the music even though its still admittedly good
It does take about six hours to get through, though you can take a break between each episode
If you’re looking for fluff, this is the least fluffy version of the lot
Probably has the most muted colors of the three, but it’s also from 1995 so…
Pride and Prejudice 2005 (with Keira Knightley)
Talk about a bi dream world
This is definitely the fluffy one
Probably the easiest one to sit down and watch all at once as it is a movie
Elizabeth walking across a field to meet Darcy where he proposes is such a dream sequence
It flows rather nicely as a story and certainly does the story justice for the time its given
Keira Knightley is a wonderful actress in my opinion
The music is rather repetitive, you could replace the soundtrack with one song and be close to the current one
Probably goes the least in depth of the three
Kitty and Mary don’t get as much focus as they deserve
You don’t get quite the sense that a bunch of time is passing
Feels much less real than the other two
Lizzie Bennet Diaries (Youtube)
Definitely the easiest to watch if you only have a few minutes here and there
This is a thoroughly modern version, so keep that in mine
Stays loyal to the story while making it modern. There’s no question that this is Pride and Prejudice
Charlotte is fucking adorable
Lydia has an amazing character arc that fits in a more modern sense and is PERFECT
Georgiana is the cutest thing I have ever seen
Lizzie encompasses the young adult in this day and age
I think they all have Twitters which is really neat?
There are several characters you never get to meet like her mother and father, only second hand
It is very Lizzie centric (which I like), and that’s obvious, but it means that you get more of her than you will than in any other adaptation and less of everyone else
Mary does exist, but as a cousin rather than a sister (because most people don’t have 5 kids in this day and age)
I honestly can’t speak highly enough of any of these, especially the Lizzie Bennet Diaries which is just such a unique take on the series.
