And how do I know this delicious fact? Why, because I have made it up, of course!
Would you like to join in the celebration? Then check back every day this week for another P&P post... personally I'll be watching a different version of P&P each evening, and I'll tell you all about it! So, my dears, stir up a nice cup of cocoa, toast yourself a crumpet, and settle in for a delightful Austen-fest, because our celebration starts out with none other than...
The A&E version! The quintessential Pride & Prejudice film, it kicked off a true renaissance of P&P appreciation. When it first premiered in 1996, we didn't have cable tv and so I had no idea this P&P event even existed. Sad, but true! However, just a week or two after it first played, I was flying to Rochester NY and read a review of Colin Firth's performance in People magazine. They said his performance as Mr. Darcy was the greatest since Laurence Olivier's legendary 1940 portrayal. (More on Olivier later this week - stay tuned!) I clipped the review, determined to find this new movie and see it. However, when I arrived in Rochester NY, I found that my dear friends had watched each nightly installment, were in raptures about the entire series, and had taped the entire show. All five plus hours! Oh joy!! (Yes, back in the day of VHS. Stone Ages, I know!) We sat down to watch... and I was enthralled. So delightful and delicious and just so so so! There really weren't enough superlatives to describe what a masterpiece it was. It is. The whinging and screeching of Mrs. Bennet and her nerves. The oily solicitude Mr. Collins. The drool-worthy handsomeness of Mr. Darcy. The let-me-slap-her-now-ness of Lydia. Oh, and didn't we all envy Jennifer Ehle the privilege of being Elizabeth Bennet? Ooooooooo.... Aaaahhhh....
Months later, it was available for purchase through Signals specialty catalogue -- a lovely boxed set of five VHS tapes for just $139. Yes, just $139.00 (plus Shipping & Handling)! And of course I immediately purchased a copy. Of course! Soon, my sisters and friends, all of my general acquaintances even!, were all equally enthralled. We had P&P parties, and P&P afternoons, and P&P late night marathons. Oh, the glory days! I tracked down the Making of... book (available only in the UK) and read it cover-to-cover. The exquisite cd soundtrack was discovered and giddily acquired. The beautiful VHS boxed set was watched, and loaned, and revered.
Then came the dvd release (just two discs, $59,00!) and several years later, the Special Edition dvd. Which was a disappointment. The picture resolution was terrible and I immediately returned that one. The 10th Anniversary edition I skipped. And now there's even a Blu-ray version -- which, of course, means I'm now exceptionally curious to know if the Blu-ray has better image or sound. (Anyone know?)
So, here we are, many years later... and how has it held up? Well, my dears, I still think it's quite delicious and lovely and charming. And, yes, enthralling. Colin Firth is still beyond compare as Darcy -- yes, we're still drooling. The homes are still charming (though some of that wallpaper... ). Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Collins, Lydia, and Mr. Wickham are all still appalling. I still wish I was Elizabeth and wish for some of those exquisite linen textiles and dishes and furniture. My fingers are itching to pick up some needlework, or perhaps I need to go for a walk in the woods, and I definitely need to serve 'tea'! And did I mention Colin Firth... Sigh... Yes, I say it's still the quintessential P&P, and probably will be for many many years to come. So, what do you think?