The other night, one of the many versions (not my favorite) of Pride and Prejudice was on TV, and Tom watched with me and enjoyed it. He'd never before thought Jane Austen was his thing.
Cathy, we saw the 2005 version with Keira Knightly, which is good. My favorite is the 1980 BBC version with Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul. The best Mr. Darcy, IMO, was Laurence Olivier in the movie from 1940, in which the women wore inappropriate hoop skits, because it was thought that the Empire style dresses of the period looked too much like nightgowns. Of course, Greer Garson was too old to play Elizabeth.
Larry was the business. I think he's the only actor who has played both Darcy and Heathcliff. I like the 2005 version too. I think most of the actresses have been too old to play Elizabeth, haven't they? Keira Knightley was only 20, so she was about right. I'm kind of pleased you didn't go for Colin Firth and his blessed breeches.
PS. The one problem with Keira Knightley is that she is far too beautiful for Lizzie. No one would ever refer to her as just "tolerable". Also, I wasn't sure that Matthew MacFadyen quite caught Darcy's disdain - he seemed shy, rather - but I'm a big fan of his and I thought he put across Darcy's underlying human decency really well.
By the way, Mimi, I guess you know the actors playing Jane and Bingley in the 2005 film fell in lurve and got engaged, only then he ran off with a bloke? I believe they're the best of friends still though. It's neither here nor there, just a piece of film gossip.
Also, I thought Colin Firth was a pretty good Darcy, there was just far too much fuss made about the one completely inauthentic scene. Also, can I point out that Pemberley is inevitably portrayed as a massive, incredibly grandiose stately home - it would have been far smaller than that.
testing testing ... allright I'm just testing out recent pics now to see how they go ... what do you reckon Mimi, smiley or not smiley? I look a heck of a lot like my mum in the smiley one (God rest her soul).
Cathy, I did not know the gossip about the actors who played Jane and Bingley. I like gossip. My ears are always open to a juicy bit of gossip.
I want dramas based on JA's novels, which are true to the period, to be faithful to the customs of the time. In the movie "Clueless", the Emma story, the drama is taken to a completely different time and setting, and that's fine. I loved "Clueless".
The scene from the 2007 version of "Persuasion", which shows Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth kissing in the street, bothered me, too, as did Emma Thompson's version of "Sense and Sensibility", in which Thompson starred herself, at age 36, as Eleanor, a 19 year old.
The scene from P&P, with Elizabeth discovering Darcy stripped to the waist, was, I thought, gratuitously inappropriate, hunky as Firth was in the scene. Having said that, he played a fairly decent Darcy.
Despite Darcy's original snotty comment, I've pictured Elizabeth as quite pretty, if not beautiful. Remember Darcy's later comment, "I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow."
Look, these characters are like my family, and when they're brought to life in a drama, I want it done right, according to my estimation of what is right.
Cathy, I like your new picture. You're quite pretty. You look like a different person from the other pic. I may not have recognized you. I like the smiling picture better.
I remember the first time I looked in the mirror and saw my mother. Shocking!
As a fan of Fight Club --the immutable texture of multiple realities, sometimes violent and reeking with testosterone-- and having recently lived through a personal experience of multiple realities sometimes violent... --this made me laugh because it is such a spoof.... spoof of all that is and would be normally offensive!
Sorry Elizabeth --yes, it is so bad on so many levels --and it made me laugh because it is so bad.... and so true... kinda like Lady Gaga....
Thank you for the laugh Grandmere. PS--I didn't have time to post it earlier --have a wonderful excursion 'over there'!
I agree with you about appropriate, although if I reread Austen I always think of the main characters and the narrator as closer to my age than they are, just because Austen's voice is so mature, so I didn't have such a problem with Emma Thompson.
What I like about Colin Firth was he got quite annoyed with being thought of as hunky and has made a point of playing non-hunky roles since.
He he he he!!
ReplyDeleteCathy. I thought so, too.
ReplyDeleteThe other night, one of the many versions (not my favorite) of Pride and Prejudice was on TV, and Tom watched with me and enjoyed it. He'd never before thought Jane Austen was his thing.
What version was that, if you don't mind my asking, Mimi?? ... And what's your favourite?
ReplyDeleteCathy, we saw the 2005 version with Keira Knightly, which is good. My favorite is the 1980 BBC version with Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul. The best Mr. Darcy, IMO, was Laurence Olivier in the movie from 1940, in which the women wore inappropriate hoop skits, because it was thought that the Empire style dresses of the period looked too much like nightgowns. Of course, Greer Garson was too old to play Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteLarry was the business. I think he's the only actor who has played both Darcy and Heathcliff. I like the 2005 version too. I think most of the actresses have been too old to play Elizabeth, haven't they? Keira Knightley was only 20, so she was about right. I'm kind of pleased you didn't go for Colin Firth and his blessed breeches.
ReplyDeleteUmmm . . .
ReplyDeleteCome on, Elizabeth watching a cat fight is always fun, right?
ReplyDeleteNevermind. I hear you already. "Sheee-ut no!"
Why doesn't Elizabeth like this clip, then? ...
ReplyDeleteI could actually imagine her in a Jane Austen scenario running a fight club for girls. I'm just sayin'.
Cathy, I'll let Elizabeth respond - or not.
ReplyDeletePS. The one problem with Keira Knightley is that she is far too beautiful for Lizzie. No one would ever refer to her as just "tolerable". Also, I wasn't sure that Matthew MacFadyen quite caught Darcy's disdain - he seemed shy, rather - but I'm a big fan of his and I thought he put across Darcy's underlying human decency really well.
ReplyDeleteYes, I should rephrase myself: Elizabeth - why don't you like this clip?? ...
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Mimi, I guess you know the actors playing Jane and Bingley in the 2005 film fell in lurve and got engaged, only then he ran off with a bloke? I believe they're the best of friends still though. It's neither here nor there, just a piece of film gossip.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I thought Colin Firth was a pretty good Darcy, there was just far too much fuss made about the one completely inauthentic scene. Also, can I point out that Pemberley is inevitably portrayed as a massive, incredibly grandiose stately home - it would have been far smaller than that.
ReplyDeletetesting testing ... allright I'm just testing out recent pics now to see how they go ... what do you reckon Mimi, smiley or not smiley? I look a heck of a lot like my mum in the smiley one (God rest her soul).
ReplyDeleteCathy, I did not know the gossip about the actors who played Jane and Bingley. I like gossip. My ears are always open to a juicy bit of gossip.
ReplyDeleteI want dramas based on JA's novels, which are true to the period, to be faithful to the customs of the time. In the movie "Clueless", the Emma story, the drama is taken to a completely different time and setting, and that's fine. I loved "Clueless".
The scene from the 2007 version of "Persuasion", which shows Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth kissing in the street, bothered me, too, as did Emma Thompson's version of "Sense and Sensibility", in which Thompson starred herself, at age 36, as Eleanor, a 19 year old.
The scene from P&P, with Elizabeth discovering Darcy stripped to the waist, was, I thought, gratuitously inappropriate, hunky as Firth was in the scene. Having said that, he played a fairly decent Darcy.
Despite Darcy's original snotty comment, I've pictured Elizabeth as quite pretty, if not beautiful. Remember Darcy's later comment, "I have been meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow."
Look, these characters are like my family, and when they're brought to life in a drama, I want it done right, according to my estimation of what is right.
Cathy, I like your new picture. You're quite pretty. You look like a different person from the other pic. I may not have recognized you. I like the smiling picture better.
ReplyDeleteI remember the first time I looked in the mirror and saw my mother. Shocking!
As a fan of Fight Club --the immutable texture of multiple realities, sometimes violent and reeking with testosterone-- and having recently lived through a personal experience of multiple realities sometimes violent... --this made me laugh because it is such a spoof.... spoof of all that is and would be normally offensive!
ReplyDeleteSorry Elizabeth --yes, it is so bad on so many levels --and it made me laugh because it is so bad.... and so true... kinda like Lady Gaga....
Thank you for the laugh Grandmere.
PS--I didn't have time to post it earlier --have a wonderful excursion 'over there'!
Thank you Mimi! smiley it is then.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about appropriate, although if I reread Austen I always think of the main characters and the narrator as closer to my age than they are, just because Austen's voice is so mature, so I didn't have such a problem with Emma Thompson.
What I like about Colin Firth was he got quite annoyed with being thought of as hunky and has made a point of playing non-hunky roles since.
Dearest Margaret, I just posted the great news about Joel at WB. My heart is full.
ReplyDelete