"Lost In Austen" - SPOILER ALERT

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I could not allow the week leading up to Valentine's Day to pass without watching and reviewing at least one version of my favorite, "Pride and Prejudice". "Lost in Austen" is a unique interpretation of the classic. In many ways it stays true to the original, yet it puts its own spin on it.

Amanda Price is a modern day woman living in London whose favorite book is "Pride and Prejudice". She is unhappily involved in a relationship with an unfaithful and oh-so-drunk boyfriend. Amanda longs for something better and she strongly believes her version of Mr. Darcy is somewhere out there.

One day, Amanda discovers the one and only Elizabeth Bennet in her bathroom. She brushes it off as just a dream at first, but soon discovers this is real. The next time Elizabeth appears, Amanda steps through a doorway that leads her right into the early 1800's in Longbourn. She remains trapped in this other world while Elizabeth Bennet remains trapped in modern day London. Over the four episodes, the mini series goes on to focus primarily on Amanda's time in the world of "Pride and Prejudice". The family accepts her as a friend of Elizabeth's while Elizabeth is visiting the city.

While in the world of "Pride and Prejudice", Amanda struggles to make things happen the way they're supposed to happen - the way Jane Austen wrote them in the book. As you might imagine, things don't go as planned and a series of unfortunate events take place, some that are quite hilarious. Being a huge fan of the original, I found myself wanting exactly what Amanda wanted - to make things right, as they are written in the book. And just like Miss Price (Amanda), I was equally frustrated when the wrong things happened. For example, Jane marries Mr. Collins. (However, they do not stay married.) Interestingly, we learn that Jane Austen misjudged Mr. Wickham. He wasn't such a bad guy after all.

As much as Miss Price starts to fall for Mr. Darcy, she insists that he belongs with Elizabeth Bennet and Amanda unselfishly does everything in her power to bring them together. Eventually, Amanda and Elizabeth are able to meet up again in modern day London, to where Mr. Darcy has followed Amanda. Elizabeth has a new life in modern day London that she enjoys. When they try to enter back into Longbourn through the portal, Elizabeth is unable to go. The portal would not open for her. Although Amanda is able to go back to Longbourn, she decides she needs to go back to her modern day life. However, as she is about to enter back into her modern day London home, she finds a note from Mr. Darcy confessing his love for her. Elizabeth stays in modern day London with her family's blessing and Amanda stays in the world of "Pride and Prejudice" with Mr. Darcy, the love of her life.

I loved everything about this mini-series. I can definitely see myself watching it again in the future. It's one of my top three favorite interpretations of "Pride and Prejudice", with the 2005 movie being number 2 and the 1995 mini series being number 1. The casting for "Lost in Austen" was spot on and the creative twist was executed beautifully. One of my favorite characters in this version was Mr. Bennet, played by Hugh Bonneville. I first "met" him as the father in all six seasons of "Downton Abbey" (the fifth and sixth of which I have not yet reviewed.)

I was really rooting for this to end the way Jane Austen meant for it to end and I was surprised it didn't end that way. Yet, it was still a happy ending. Elizabeth has fully embraced modern day life and Amanda ends up with Mr. Darcy even though she tried so hard to unite him with Elizabeth. The more I think about it, the more I realize it was the perfect ending. It had to end differently than the original.

This mini series goes to show the power of embracing whichever journey life takes us on and trusting that everything will unfold the way it's meant to.

October Movies List - 22 Plus a Few

I was reading an article this morning in which the author wrote about how, even as an adult, she has never outgrown the magic of Halloween.  I feel the same way. While I don't go trick-or-treating anymore and my only costume this year were cat ears and a collar (a Halloween-themed necklace I made years ago) that I wore during an informal virtual meetup, I celebrated all month long in other ways. I read several cozy mysteries and, just like last year, I watched a lot of movies (along with a few Halloween-themed episodes of t.v. shows). Once again, I watched too many to write reviews for all of them, but I've compiled a list and I've provided links for the ones that have reviews. 

The ones in green are movies I've seen before and the ones in orange are the ones I watched for the first time. Here's what I watched this October (listed in alphabetical order):

"Alice in Wonderland"

"Alice Through the Looking Glass"

"Black Widow" (Read my review here.)

"Clue"

"Death Comes to Pemberley" (Read my review here.)

"Frankenweenie" (1984)

"Frankenweenie" (2012)

"Halloweentown"

"Halloweentown High"

"Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge"

"Hocus Pocus"

"Into the Woods"

"Labrynth"

"Monsters University"

"Monsters, Inc."

"Muppets Haunted Mansion"

"Murder, She Baked: Just Desserts" (Read my review here.)

"Return to Halloweentown"

"Run"

"Sleepy Hollow"

"The Good Witch"

"The Haunted Mansion"

 My favorites from the entire list are "Black Widow", "Death Comes to Pemberley", "Hocus Pocus", "Monsters University" (surprisingly slightly better than "Monsters Inc."), "Run" (but difficult to watch because of the subject matter), and "Sleepy Hollow". I don't usually like gory movies, but "Sleepy Hollow" is an exception. Johnny Depp's character adds a bit of light-heartedness, which makes the gory scenes easier to tolerate. He is almost as disgusted with gore as I am!

In addition to these movies, I can add some Halloween-themed episodes that I watched - "WandaVision" (which I still love as much as I did the first time I watched it), "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", and "Friends". The actor, James Michael Tyler, who played the beloved coffee shop manager, Gunther, recently passed away from cancer. I am happy he's in the Halloween episode and I can honor his memory by watching it (and all of the other 150+ episodes he's in). He was like the seventh "friend" and he will be missed.

If you'd like to read what I watched last year, click here.

And that's a wrap on October 2021! I have lots of movies and books lined up already for November and December. Stay tuned!

"Death Comes to Pemberley" - SPOILER ALERT

I am continuing my quest to eventually watch everything remotely related to "Pride and Prejudice" and there's no better time than Halloween month to watch "Death Comes to Pemberley".

Not surprisingly, this is a very dark mini series (consisting of three 1 hour-long episodes). It is a murder mystery, after all. Mr. Denny is, as you may recall from "Pride and Prejudice", a friend of Mr. Wickham's. His best friend, in fact. They don't always get along, though. One thing led to another and as they are on their way to the Darcys' ball with Lydia Wickham (uninvited), Mr. Denny is murdered. Of course, the prime suspect is Mr. Wickham. He has a reputation, a motive, and no alibi.

That would be way too obvious, though. Mr. Wickham desperately pleads his innocence throughout the series, to no avail. Of course, in true dramatic fashion, he is saved just seconds before he was to be hanged. There are some twists and turns in the series that lead us and mislead us, as any good mystery does, and even though his fate is somewhat predictable, it was interesting to see how it all unfolded.

Lizzy is able to get a signed written confession from the man who really did commit the murder (not a main character from the original "Pride and Prejudice") and she races to submit it in time. The real murderer was already ill and died just a few minutes after he signed the confession. Whew! It was clear he didn't mean for any of this to happen to Mr. Wickham and he was sincerely sorry for what he did. He died in peace surrounded by those who loved him.

Thanks to Lizzy's quick thinking and quick running, Mr. Wickham is saved. The man has a reputation, but I believed him when he continuously denied any wrongdoing in the murder. It's a side of him that we did not see in "Pride and Prejudice", though it's evident he's still greedy as can be. Kudos to the filmmakers who gave him more depth without ruining the side of him "Pride and Prejudice" fans are familiar with.

Imbedded in this movie is also the unfolding of Georgianna's future. Who will she marry? Her cousin, who Mr. Darcy insists is the right man for her or jovial, Mr. Bingley-like Henry? I was rather annoyed at Mr. Darcy for meddling in their business, especially after what he and Lizzy went through with their relationship. Eventually, Mr. Darcy came to his senses and encouraged Georgianna to marry for love. If only he had listened to Lizzy's advice all along, this mess wouldn't have happened, but I'm glad he (once again) cleaned it up. There are echoes of Jane and Mr. Bingley in how Mr. Darcy handled this situation. Hopefully now he really has learned his lesson. While we never actually witness Georgianna's and Henry's wedding, it is clear that they will be happy together.

I must say, for the most part, these characters stayed true to the originals. Lydia is my favorite character in this series. Her personality is easily recognizable. She is...well...Lydia. She added some much appreciated comic relief to this dark series. Georgianna is her sweet, innocent, and gentle self, just a bit older. I also really liked the actor who played Mr. Darcy. He is also easily recognizable. Mrs. Bennet looks younger in this series, which I found odd, but she has the same feisty and worrisome personality that we all love. Or do we?

Sadly, the only character I was uncomfortable with in this series was Lizzy. The movie takes place six years after the end of "Pride and Prejudice", but she looked like she aged at least 10 years. She was also made to be much more serious than she was in previous films. Her character in "Death Comes to Pemberley" just didn't vibe with me. For much of the mini series, Mr. Darcy didn't respect her either and she seemed unhappily married until the end of the series. By the way, they do have one son in this movie, but he isn't on screen much. He is simply there to serve the purpose of reminding Mr. Darcy what's really important. The final scene in the mini series is reminiscent of "Pride and Prejudice". Mr. and Mrs. Darcy are outdoors happily discussing the fact that Lizzy is pregnant again. This is where the series ends.

Overall, I really liked this follow-up to "Pride and Prejudice". It stayed surprisingly true to its predecessor, while still taking it to the next level. I have not read the book, but on its own, "Death Comes to Pemberley" mini series is an engaging murder mystery (and so much more). And if they dare, I think there's even enough to work with for another follow-up.

"Normal People" - Mini Series (SPOILER ALERT)

"Normal People" is an Irish mini series based on the best-selling book. It follows the relationship between two people, who meet in high school, over a period of five years. The mini series was released on Hulu last year. As usual, I am late to the party. I finally watched it this month.

I have not read the book, so I have nothing to compare the mini series to. Often times after watching a mini series or movie based on a book I haven't read yet, I become interested (or more interested) in reading that book. That is not the case for "Normal People." I was glad to be done with it so I could move on to something else entirely. On the bright side, there are twelve episodes that are each only about 30 minutes long, so I got through it pretty quickly. Whew!

I was hoping to watch a complex, but good modern day romance. Instead, what I feel I got was a constant raunchy display of physical attraction between two very unhappy people with low self-esteem. I was rooting for each character individually to find happiness within themselves, but not once in this mini series was I rooting for the couple to end up together. Their physical addiction to each other came with very little emotion that I could feel. Maybe that's good because in the end when they went their separate ways (at least temporarily...we just don't know), I was not depressed; I was relieved.

This is not to criticize people who are unhappy or have low self-esteem because I recognize this is a real challenge for a lot of people. However, the mini series could have used this theme to address that problem in a deeper, more tasteful, and intelligent way. It was a missed opportunity to focus on a real problem that so many people could relate to. There was one episode that touched me more deeply than the others. It was when Connell was grieving the passing of his friend. He received counseling to deal with this struggle. I commend the series for that, but it was not a huge part of the story.

There is another theme that could have been developed more to add much more depth. Connell and Marianne came from different backgrounds as far as money goes. Connell's mother works as a housekeeper for Marianne and her very snobby and abusive family (which in large part explains why Marianne is the way she is - another topic that could have been addressed more deeply). Besides going to the same high school, this is how they meet and become friends...or whatever they were. The difference in social classes could have been a more prominent theme and it would have been a slightly better movie.

Since most of the mini series takes place in Ireland, I was expecting to at least see some of the beautiful scenery that the country is known for. There were glimpses of it in the background, but nothing that awed me. That was another huge disappointment. 

On the bright side, the acting was great and I love their accents. Daisy Edgar-Jones, who plays Marianne, is British, but her mother is Irish. This is why she was able to nail the accent. Paul Mescal, who plays Connell, is authentically Irish. Apart from that, I'm happy to move on.

"Pride and Prejudice" (Episode 6 - 1995 Mini Series) - SPOILER ALERT

The final episode begins with Mr. Bennet and Lizzy privately discussing the severity of the situation with Lydia and Mr. Wickham, while in the background, Mrs. Bennet rejoices over her youngest daughter's marriage. Meanwhile, the wedding proceeds with only Mr. Darcy and Lydia's aunt and uncle present as guests. Lydia wonders out loud, "Where is everyone?" 

Back at the Longbourn House, Mr. Bennet proclaims that Lydia and her new groom will never be welcome there. Well, apparently, Mr. Bennet couldn't bear to not see his youngest daughter because in the very next scene, the newly married couple arrives at the house. Lydia is blissfully happy in an annoying sort of way. 

While at the house on a walk with her sisters, Lydia announces that Mr. Darcy was at the wedding, much to Lizzy's surprise. Ooops! Irresponsible Lydia was not supposed to let that secret out! Later, Lizzy sends a letter to her aunt asking if Mr. Darcy really was there. Her aunt is surprised that she was unaware of his attendance. She confirms that Mr. Darcy was there and tells Lizzy everything in a letter back to her. He was the one who put forth the money so Lydia and Mr. Wickham could marry and the Bennet's family reputation would not be ruined. 

Not long after this, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy both arrive at the Longbourn House. Everyone is overjoyed at Mr. Bingley's arrival, but Mrs. Bennet is not happy about Mr. Darcy's visit. She accepts him into the house anyway, since he is a friend of Mr. Bingley's. Mr. Bingley says that he hopes to be in town for at least a few weeks, as his eyes happily meet with Jane's.

As Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy leave, Mr. Darcy explains to Mr. Bingley that he concealed the fact that Jane visited London. Mr. Darcy owns up to his mistake and says he was wrong to hide her visit. Mr. Bingley has forgiven Mr. Darcy before one can even begin to say the word "forgiven". He asks Mr. Darcy if he then has his blessing and when asked if he really needs his blessing, Mr. Bingley says no, but it would still be good to have. Mr. Darcy offers his blessing in a way that only Mr. Darcy can.

After Mr. Darcy leaves, Mr. Bingley returns to Longbourn, much to everyone's delight. After an awkward and mostly speechless meeting with the sisters and Mrs. Bennet, all the ladies, except Jane, leave the room so that Mr. Bingley and Jane would be alone. A few minutes later, Lizzy returns to check on Jane and finds out that all is well between Mr. Bingley and her. Mr. Bingley and Jane became engaged and everyone in the Bennet family is happy for them. Jane says she is not only happy for herself, but also for her family. This says a lot about her unselfishness and maturity.

After some time has passed, Lady Catherine de Bourgh arrives at Longbourn to have words with Lizzy. Lady Catherine heard that Mr. Darcy plans to marry Lizzy, much to Lizzy's surprise. Lizzy confirms that they are not engaged, but refuses to promise never to become engaged to him. Lady Catherine is angered by this because she does not feel Lizzy is worthy him. She had planned on her own daughter marrying Mr. Darcy, since her daughter's infancy. Lady Catherine leaves, but not on good terms.

Later, Lizzy and Mr. Darcy take a walk together and have a heartfelt conversation. I felt like this is where they finally came to a full understanding of each other. Mr. Darcy asks Lizzy how she feels about him and she says it's the complete opposite of how she used to feel. Happiness for the two of them is clearly on the horizon.

Lizzy has a talk with her father, who already gave his blessing to Mr. Darcy. However, Mr. Bennet is confused about Lizzy's feelings. She explains that she was wrong about Mr. Darcy and that she loves him. That was the only reservation Mr. Bennet had about them. Once he finds out that Lizzy really does love Mr. Darcy, she is given her father's blessing to marry.

The final scene is the wedding, which was not at all shown in the 2005 movie version. The place is packed with everyone, except Lydia, Mr. Wickham, Lady Catherine, and her daughter. It turns out to be a double wedding with Jane marrying Mr. Bingley and Lizzy marrying Mr. Darcy. This was the perfect way to wrap up the series. It further solidifies the close relationship Lizzy and Jane have had all along. I knew that, in the end, we would see Mr. Darcy marrying Lizzy, but I did not expect to see the double wedding. The married couples then ride off in separate horse drawn carriages.

Overall, I prefer the mini series version of Pride and Prejudice. In the beginning, I thought Mr. Bingley having two sisters in the mini series would somehow affect how affect the plot, but I didn't notice a difference. There are several scenes in the mini series that I really enjoyed watching, but are not at all in the movie. And there were others that were done differently and were more pleasing to me in the mini series. After watching the mini series, I re-watched the 2005 movie version and I felt like a lot was missing. I can see why audiences generally prefer the mini series over the 2005 movie.

Either way, I can see myself watching one or the other over and over and over again anytime I need comfort food for the soul. I don't know if I've ever been able to say that about any other movie before. 

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

"Pride and Prejudice" (Episode 5 - 1995 Mini Series) - SPOILER ALERT

This episode begins at a parlor in town. Lizzy sees Mr. Darcy there and meets his sister, Georgiana, for the first time. Lizzy and Mr. Bingley are also pleased to see each other again after eight months. When Lizzy and Georgiana are easily bonding, Georgiana says that she would love to have a sister. There is a pause when Lizzy and Georgiana look at each other. I can only imagine Lizzy is thinking, "I want to be your sister (in law)." Mr. Bingley wants to know how Lizzy's family is doing and he makes it a point to ask how "all" the sisters are doing and if they are still at home. (Cue thoughts of Jane.)

The next night, Lizzy and her aunt and uncle have dinner at Pemberley. Both Georgiana and Lizzy play the piano on this night as they continue to bond. Lizzy also sings, which is a lovely addition that the 2005 movie did not show. When Mr. Bingley's sister brings up Mr. Wickham, Mr. Darcy almost cannot keep his cool, but he does. Georgiana suddenly looks up from the piano when Mr. Wickham's name is mentioned and Lizzy hurries back over to turn the page so she can continue playing. Lizzy and Mr. Darcy silently, but lovingly, look at each other from across the room. After Lizzy and her aunt and uncle leave Pemberley, Mr. Bingley's sister is shocked to learn that Mr. Darcy thinks so highly of Lizzy. 

In the next scene, Lizzy reads letters from Jane. In the letters, Jane informs Lizzy that Lydia, their youngest sister, has run off with and plans to elope with Mr. Wickham. Yikes! Lizzy tells a comforting Mr. Darcy what she just learned about Lydia. Lizzy decides that she must go back home to be with her family, which means she has to cancel plans to spend more time with Mr. Darcy and Georgiana. Mr. Darcy excuses himself and Lizzy goes on to think he will never want to see her again.

Mr. Bennet and his brother go off to look for Lydia. Mr. Bennet then goes back home alone. Jane and Lizzy have another one of their private sister-to-sister conversations. It is so comforting to me to watch their conversations, as they confide in each other. They discuss the fact that the entire family's reputation will be scarred by Lydia's actions. At this point, Lizzy thinks of Mr. Darcy, but is convinced he, along with others, will want to have nothing to do with her. 

Mr. Collins visits the Bennet sisters. Kitty avoids him at all costs, but the other three sisters listen to what he has to say. I found his brief visit odd and it seems most of the other sisters did, as well. Jane is the only one who feels he had good intentions in saying how sorry he is that Lydia has run off with Mr. Wickham. The other sisters simply find him annoying.

We then see Lydia with Mr. Wickham. She seems happy, but reluctantly so. She wants to go out that night, but Mr. Wickham says he's busy. She doesn't seem to care really, as she gloats about her newfound relationship. She comments that Kitty, her next oldest sister, will be jealous of  her.

Mr. Darcy goes to see Lydia and Mr. Wickham, but we do not see what happens yet. Meanwhile, Mr. Bennet shares with Lizzy and Jane a letter he received from his brother. The letter reveals the unfathomable terms of Lydia's and Mr. Wickham's engagement. Mr. Bennet thinks that his brother has put forth a ton of money so that the two can marry, a hefty amount that Mr. Bennet could not possibly repay. Jane, continuing to see the best in everyone, thinks that Mr. Wickham truly does love Lydia and that his why he's not asking for much. However, Lizzy and her father feel that his intentions are different.

We will wrap this up in one more episode! Stay tuned!

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 6

"Pride and Prejudice" (Episode 4 - 1995 Mini Series) - SPOILER ALERT

Episode 4 begins with distraught Mr. Darcy composing a letter to Lizzy. (Ah! There's the letter.) In the letter, he explains his dealings with Mr. Wickham, as he recalls in a flashback why their friendship ended. He also explains why he separated Mr. Bingley and Jane, and he makes no apology for it because it was all done with good intentions. He does, however, admit in the letter to Lizzy that he was wrong to hide from Mr. Bingley that Jane visited London.

Lizzy receives the letter and is, at first, disgusted by Mr. Darcy's words. However, she later realizes that Mr. Darcy truly is a noble man. On the way back home, Lizzy has a brief, but powerful, flashback of Mr. Darcy eloquently telling her how "ardently" he admires and loves her.

I really love Lizzy's and Jane's sisterly relationship, especially in the mini series version. They confide in each other and offer each other words of wisdom. I also really admire, as does Lizzy, the way Jane tries so hard to see the good in everyone. They agree that it would not be a good idea to share with their general acquaintances any of what Lizzy learned in the letter . The one thing Lizzy does not tell her dear sister, Jane, is what really went down with Mr. Bingley and why he left her.

One of my favorite quotes so far in the entire mini series is when Lizzy says to Mr. Wickham about Mr. Darcy, "I don't mean to imply that either his mind or his manners have changed for the better. Rather, my knowing him better improved my opinion of him." This is such a powerful statement. It lets Mr. Wickham know that Lizzy is now on Mr. Darcy's side. It also puts the ownership on Lizzy herself. It wasn't that Mr. Darcy changed; rather, he was always like that and she just got to know him better. I think that's something we can all try to remember when we catch ourselves being quick to judge someone.

Later in the episode, Lizzy travels with her auntie and uncle to Mr. Darcy's home, assuming he would not be there. When they first see the estate, they comment on how they will never know the person who marries Mr. Darcy. While on a tour of the lavish Pemberley estate, Lizzy and her aunt and uncle learn more about Mr. Darcy - that he is a good man and has been a good person throughout his life. While on the estate grounds, Lizzy and Mr. Darcy run into each other when he returns home a day earlier than planned. One little detail I noticed was that Mr. Darcy was asked if he wanted to ride the horse home, but he declined and opted to walk. Lizzy loves walking, which is why that subtle scene stood out to me. They are both surprised and almost speechless when they suddenly meet face to face. Their awkwardness, especially Mr. Darcy's, in this scene is touching.

The natural scenery in this episode is especially breathtaking. The field of what appears to be dandelions and all the trees are gorgeous. It made me want to visit!

Mr. Darcy and Lizzy have a nice little chat a bit later on the estate grounds, and the episode ends with Lizzy and her aunt and uncle leaving Pemberley.  As they pull away from the estate, Lizzy looks back at Mr. Darcy and smiles. This was a nice contrast to the way the previous episode ended when she looked uneasy. The tides are turning.

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 5

Episode 6

"Pride and Prejudice" (Episode 3 - 1995 Mini Series) - SPOILER ALERT

Episode 3 was not as easy for me to follow as the previous two were. A lot is revealed. However, after having watched it four times, with captions on, I finally have a good understanding of it.

In this episode, Lizzy, much to her surprise and dismay, finds out that her good friend, Charlotte, is engaged to (and eventually marries) Mr. Collins. The Bennets also discover that Mr. Bingley now appears to have no interest in Lizzy's older sister, Jane. Elizabeth immediately jumps to the conclusion that this is all Mr. Bingley's sister's, Caroline's, fault and Jane eventually confesses that she agrees Caroline wants to have nothing to do with her. 

But wait! 

It is later revealed to Lizzy by Colonel Fitzwilliam (I love that name), a friend of Mr. Darcy's, that Mr. Darcy is the one who tore Jane and Mr. Bingley apart. Having no understanding of why he did this, except apparently to be a big meanie, Lizzy gives Mr. Darcy a piece of her mind. Additionally, in the same conversation, Lizzy confronts Mr. Darcy about his dealings with Mr. Wickham. Mr. Darcy is clearly hurt by this attack on him.

Colonel Fitzwilliam also tells Lizzy that Mr. Darcy has nothing but good things to say about her, but she's in disbelief. Lizzy is convinced by Mr. Darcy's mannerisms that he can't stand her.  He finally makes it clear to her that he loves her and wants to marry her, but she does not accept. The episode ends after Lizzy rejects Mr. Darcy's proposal to marry her and she has a confused and upset look on her face. Unlike in the movie, Mr. Darcy does not leave a letter for her explaining everything. At least not yet.

I am very excited to see what happens next! 

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

"Pride and Prejudice" (Episode 2 - 1995 Mini Series) - SPOILER ALERT

In the second episode of "Pride and Prejudice", we meet Mr. Wickham and Mr. Collins. As in the movie, Lizzy is attracted to Mr. Wickham and repelled by Mr. Collins. In this episode of the mini series, Mr. Bingley's sister warns Lizzy about Mr. Wickham and the way things went down with him and Mr. Darcy. Caroline Bingley does not recall the details of what happened between Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy, which may be why Lizzy does not put much confidence into what she is being told. Lizzy's friend, Charlotte, also tries to persuade her to give Mr. Darcy a chance. I don't recall them trying to help Lizzy "see the light" in the movie the way it happened in this episode of the mini series. However, it is clear in my mind how in both versions, Lizzy's older sister, Jane, tried to help her see that she hasn't known Mr. Wickham for very long and that falling for him so quickly might not be such a good idea. Lizzy still does not see things the way the other women do. She continues to be captivated by Mr. Wickham's charm and annoyed by Mr. Darcy's seemingly cold attitude.

In the 2005 movie version, the scene where Lizzy and Mr. Darcy are dancing together is one of my favorite parts. I especially love the way they filmed part of that dance as if the two of them were dancing alone. I still love this dancing scene in the mini series even though that detail of them seemingly dancing alone was not there. 

As charming as the mini series is, there is also light humor in it. One scene that made me laugh was when Mary was singing off key and the horse outside starting whinnying and the dog started howling. That gave me an unexpected chuckle! If you've read some of my reviews of the Marvel movies, you'll see how much I love just the right amount of humor in a movie. Such is the case for both the movie and so far the mini series versions of "Pride and Prejudice".

Even though I know what happens next, I can't wait to see what happens next!! (Although by the time this post will publish, I typed it before watching the next episode.)

Episode 1

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

"Pride and Prejudice" (Episode 1 - 1995 Mini Series) - SPOILER ALERT

After watching the 2005 movie version of "Pride and Prejudice" and enjoying it so much, I just had to watch the 1995 mini series. I had high hopes because I've read and I've been told that most people who watch the 2005 version first, enjoy both of them, but most who watch the 1995 mini series first don't enjoy the 2005 version.

There are six episodes in the mini series and I will post reviews of each one separately. 

My first impression of the mini series was that it had more of an early 1800's feel to it than the 2005 movie did. I don't know if that's because it was made in the mid 90's when television wasn't as sharp or if it's because of the way the movie was intentionally filmed. Either way, this aspect was a little uncomfortable for me at first, but I quickly grew to love it even more so than the sharper 2005 version.

Episode 1 starts off differently than the 2005 movie did. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley ride up in front of the Bennets' house and they converse about meeting the ladies. From this conversation, my immediate impression of this version of Mr. Darcy was that I could see the softer side of him. He also had a slight smile at times throughout this first episode. He still had a very stern personality, as he did in the 2005 version, but it didn't strike me as quite as harsh in the 1995 mini series. I was happy to see this because he seemed to have more depth to his character very early on.

I am not familiar with the book, but I thought it was interesting that in the mini series, Mr. Bingley has two sisters instead of one. I have not yet decided if this is a good or bad thing or if it's neutral. I'm interested in seeing how this plays out through the six episodes. 

I was a little confused when Mr. Darcy expressed to one of Mr. Bingley's sisters that he was interested in Elizabeth. He seemed to also have some reservations about her, so maybe even he was confused about how he felt about her. Also, Elizabeth defended Mr. Darcy by telling her mom that she misunderstood what he said. So it seems in the mini series there is a hint of understanding between the two of them at the very beginning. I didn't get that impression in the beginning when I watched the 2005 movie version. 

So far I'm liking the mini series! Stay tuned for a review of the next episode coming soon!

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6