There’s a wonderful moment in the terrific 2005 version of “Pride & Prejudice”let’s just call it the Keira Knightley version, what-what? — that your teenage girls can’t help but notice.
Knightley, as Elizabeth Bennet, has told off the rich man who is courting her so many times that she’s practically given up on marriage. On a consolation trip with an aunt and uncle, a carriage breakdown forces her to walk to rich Darcy’s estate to ask for help.
The headstrong Elizabeth has heard tales of the majesty of Pemberley. Yet the incomparable beauty and sprawl of the place takes her by utter surprise. And with one small hiccup of a self-deprecating laugh, Knightley conveys a whirlwind of regret, resignation, disgust, confidence and determination at the choices she’s made so far.
Knightley is the best thing about this satisfying adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel, but she is not the only great thing. Director Joe Wright chose a stellar supporting cast, from Donald Sutherland to Blenda Blethyn to Tom Hollander as an obsequious cleric. Wright also employs deft camera shots to show the intimacy and teetering refinement of the Bentleys’ overcrowded household, as well as the sweeping meadows and manses that promise a brighter future.
Can this adaptation of an 1800s novel speak to the “Twilight” generation? Absolutely. There is no expiration date for searing dialogue, witty banter, dewy-eyed hunk-gazing and adolescent self-doubt or self-discovery. The fate of the Bennet girls and their haughty suitors will be replayed every decade — Hollywood may be working on the next version as we speak.
“Pride & Prejudice”
Rated: PG, for mature discussions of money, class and marriage
Best suited for: Girls 11 to 17, and all Anglophiles
