Pride and Prejudice, entertaining and educational

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P has been participating in a literature circle this year with other high school students in our community.  I am pretty sure they are all homeschool students, too.

Back in August, the kids who were interested in being part of the circle met and choose the books for the year.  There were only 4 in attendance that day, so they each picked 2 titles for the reading selections.  The lone girl there asked for Pride and Prejudice as it was on her reading list.  Even though the boys were not thrilled with the selection, it went onto the list.

P was sick this past week when the circle met, so he missed the opportunity to hear what other people thought.  But, this homeschool mama was prepared with the Pride and Prejudice mini-series that aired on A & E many moons ago.

the basic plot:

Jane Austen’s classic novel about the prejudice that occurred between the 19th century classes and the pride which would keep lovers apart.

 

I have to admit that I was a bit eager to watch this rendition as I had seen the newer movie and felt it was lacking.  Besides, Colin Firth is one British actor I adore and seeing him in his youth was a nice way to spend some of my time.

The other reason for my selecting this one is that it stays true to the novel.  P hasn’t finished reading the text, but agreed that the dialog was word for word from what he has read to date.  So, unlike many other movies or series based on a novel, it appears they did not take out a bunch or mutilate the material.  Instead, it is the novel brought to life for the viewer.  I have to say that the casting was done exceptionally well and I couldn’t have pictured the story almost any other way.

The mini-series aired over 6 episodes and comes in around 300 minutes in total.  Our library had the original version (now since re-mastered) and you could tell where each episode originally ended as the colors changed slightly.  During the long viewing, you’ll hopefully grow to appreciate the struggles women faced as who they married determined what kind of life they would have.  And, you’ll see that while people are marrying based on attraction or love, they still mostly follow expectations of society to stay within their own ‘class’ or station in life.

P was not a huge fan of the show, so we watching in 1 hour segments.  One of his comments throughout was about the dresses worn by the Bennett girls.  To his mind, they looked like nightgowns!  I guess the way people dressed just seemed so odd to him compared to the way most people are clothed today.

As for the ‘eye candy’, I can’t post this without including this photo of Colin Firth when his character, Mr. Darcy, has just finished a dip in the pond.

 

Now, the newer motion picture version was okay.  I can’t say that I was especially fond of it, though.  But, for an introduction to the story it would be an okay movie to watch.

What I did find is the director puts way more focus upon sexual tension than you’ll find in the mini-series.  Not that the idea of attraction is never broached as there is no doubt to the illusion of the marital act having occurred between Mr. Wickham and various women (or some would say girls) in his past leading up to his marriage to the youngest Bennett sister.

Now, when it comes to a movie loosely based on a novel, my absolute favorite is Bride & Prejudice.  The story is altered to fit both the modern times and the setting spilt between India and England.  But, the underlying struggles are still there and in many ways I feel like this movie shows how universal some of the theme found in Pride and Prejudice truly are.  (Which is why I think it an excellent novel for high school students to read!)

This particular movies is also what I’d call “Bollywood Light” as it introduces the viewer to the style of movie making so prevalent in India.  If you can’t stand musicals, you’ll probably take issue with Bollywood.  But, if you prefer to NOT see all the kissing and beyond that is the ‘norm’ in Hollywood films and enjoy musicals, then this style of film is worth checking out.  I’m actually a little sad to see the cost of the DVD on Amazon right now and will have to keep my eye open for a bargain if our library system does not own a copy to borrow.

Here are links to Amazon for the different versions mentioned:

 

This post has been submitted for inclusion in The Christian Home Issue 52 hosted here. As the featured columnist for the Movies and Music category, you can be looking forward to weekly posts on what we are watching or music we’ve enjoyed.

 

Feel free to leave suggestions for me as well that are family friendly or uplifting for adults.  While I have movies and some music selections in mind, I’m always on the lookout for other great choices.