Pride and Prejudice (1980)
A review by Laurel Ann Nattress
I have been blogging about Jane Austen for over five years and I have reviewed many books and movies, yet I have held off writing about the one that really turned me into a Jane Austen disciple—the 1980 BBC/PBS Pride and Prejudice. When something is close to our hearts we want to keep it in a special place, so my personal impressions of Fay Weldon’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s most popular novel has remained my own. In this bicentenary year, I think it is time for me to share.
It first aired in five (55) minute episodes on the BBC in the UK in 1979, and on US television on Masterpiece Theatre between October 26 and November 23, 1980. I was a great fan of Masterpiece and period drama and remember being quite excited to watch the new series. I was not disappointed in the first episode—in fact, I was mesmerized—and watched each episode again when they aired again each week on PBS. Considering that in 1980 disco music was all the rage and Magnum P.I. and Three’s Company were the most popular television shows, you might understand why this anglophile was entranced by a series set in Regency England with beautiful costumes, country houses, sharp dialogue and swoon worthy romance. I was totally hooked and started reading the novel for the first time while the series aired.
Now, considering that many of you who are reading this review where not even born by 1980, you might not get the significance of the way in which our entertainment was doled out to us in the those early days. There was the television broadcast, and that was it. In fact I did not own a VCR yet, so I could not tape a video. I had to wait another 10 years before I saw the series again after purchasing a VHS tape of the series. Shocking, I know. But remember that the Internet would not be born until the mid-1990’s and the concept of streaming video—it was totally 21st century technology.
On reflection, why did I like P&P 1980 so much when it originally aired, and does it still stand up to the litmus test for P&P adaptations?
Even though the BBC had produced radio and television adaptations of Pride and Prejudice in 1938, 1952, 1958 and 1967, this would be the first time that a US audience would see a television series of Jane Austen’s novel. Some of us had seen the 1940 MGM move of P&P staring Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson, but it was hardly faithful to the novel and was a two hour theatrical movie. Very little of Jane Austen’s original language had been used, Let’s not even begin the conversation about the changes that were made. Now for the first time we could hear Austen’s words and see the plot unfold as she imagined it—well not word for word or scene by scene—but screenwriter Fay Weldon did adhere much more faithfully to Austen intensions than had been experienced before, nor since. Here is a list of the cast and production team:
And, what may you ask is the P&P litmus test? Why the first proposal scene of course. If the screenwriter, director, and actors can portray the misguided, passionate tension of Mr. Darcy and the cool indignance of Miss Eliza Bennet in Austen’s masterful scene as well as it unfolds in the 1980 version, then there is hope for the rest of the production.
5 out of 5 Regency Stars
Pride and Prejudice (1980)
BBC Worldwide (2004 re-issue)
DVD (226 minutes)
ASIN: B000244FDW
- Elizabeth Bennet – Elizabeth Garvie
- Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy – David Rintoul
- Mr. Bennet – Moray Watson
- Mrs. Bennet – Priscilla Morgan
- Jane Bennet – Sabina Franklyn
- Mary Bennet – Tessa Peake-Jones
- Kitty Bennet – Clare Higgins
- Lydia Bennet – Natalie Ogle
- George Wickham – Peter Settelen
- Mr. Collins – Malcolm Rennie
- Charlotte Lucas – Irene Richard
- Mr. Bingley – Osmund Bullock
- Caroline Bingley – Marsha Fitzalan
- Lady Catherine de Bourgh – Judy Parfitt
- Director – Cyril Coke
A life-long acolyte of Jane Austen, Laurel Ann Nattress is the editor of the short story anthology Jane Austen Made Me Do It, and Austenprose.com, a blog devoted to the oeuvre of her favorite author and the many books and movies that she has inspired. She is a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, a regular contributor to the Jane Austen Centre online magazine. An expatriate of southern California, Laurel Ann lives in a country cottage near Snohomish, Washington where it rains a lot. Visit Laurel Ann at her blog Austenprose – A Jane Austen Blog, on Twitter as @Austenprose, and on Facebook as Laurel Ann Nattress.
2 comments
I would love to buy the 1980 version on dvd but I can’t find it anywhere. This is the best version. David Rintoul used to live in Glasgow and went to the same swimming pool I did as a child.
Nic
Jane Austen’s “Pride & Prejudice” is the finest love story ever written, in my opinion, & I agree with your article that Fay Weldon’s 1980 TV mini-series is the best ever adaptation of the book. Much of the dialogue is taken directly from the novel &, why not, when the writer was so brilliant it could hardly be improved upon. Elizabeth Garvie was excellent as Elizabeth Bennett but I thought David Rintoul was absolutely superb as Fitzwilliam Darcy exactly as I imagine Jane Austen envisioned him. As a young man Mr. Rintoul was an exceptionally handsome man & he played the somewhat aloof, proud & haughty Darcy wonderfully well. Great too was Judy Parfitt playing his aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Ms. Parfitt has a natural, imperious, almost regal bearing with a beautifully intoned speaking voice. She is an actress who can just nail a character from the upper classes effortlessly. Malcolm Rennie also nailed his character of the pompous, somewhat comical clergyman Mr. Collins. Many literary critics have tried to analyse why almost 200 years after they were written, Jane Austen’s novels are still so immensely popular. The best reasons are probably that the themes of love & matrimony are relevant in any time period & the fact is that she was just so darned good as writer. She was an acute observer of human nature & her stories are written with a matchless wit. You cannot help thinking that P&P’s Elizabeth Bennett was an extension of herself, but prettier!.
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