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S3:E17 Watching 3 Pride & Prejudice Adaptations…For Science
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This month, Jane Austen turns 250, and to celebrate, we're stepping out of our comfort zone and trying something new.
Analyzing Pride and Prejudice has been done to death. So rather than walk our listeners through the plot step by step and compare it to just one adaptation, we decided to take a different approach. In this episode we talk about the book alongside three major screen versions—the 1940 film, 1995 BBC miniseries, and the 2005 film. We compare characters, key scenes, and the overall vibe of each to Austen’s iconic classic, exploring how each adaptation reshapes the story for its own time and audience.
Hosted by Crystal with co-hosts Keri and Lindsey.
Books & Adaptations Mentioned:
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Pride and Prejudice (1940 Film)
- Pride and Prejudice (1995 TV Miniseries)
- Pride & Prejudice (2005 Film)
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Question of the Episode:
- We all took tests to find out which character we are. So tell us what the test said you were, but then tell us who you think you most identify with. Which "Pride and Prejudice" Character Are You: https://uquiz.com/quiz/QZWtwT/which-pride-and-prejudice-character-are-you
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Thanks for listening to Based on a Book—see you in the next chapter!
Chapters:
(00:00) Introductions
(04:29) Book Ratings
(09:00) Adaptation Introductions & Discussions (SPOILERS)
(57:06) Final Verdicts
(59:14) Question of the Episode
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Celebrating Jane Austen's Legacy
00:00:11
Speaker
Welcome to Based on a Book, the podcast that acknowledges the universal truth that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. I'm your host, Crystal, and I volunteer as tribute.
00:00:23
Speaker
I'm Lindsay, and there are few people whom I really love and still fewer of whom I think will. I'm Keri, and it is truth universally acknowledged that I'll fall for the mean, dark-haired one every time.
00:00:38
Speaker
Every time. It December 2025, and this month we're celebrating the 250th birthday of Jane Austen. This episode, we will discuss Pride and Prejudice, one of the most adapted Jane Austen works, and in a departure from our traditional format, we have each watched a different adaptation. We'll right back. Rather than comparing them to the book alone, we will compare them to each other.
00:01:03
Speaker
But before we dive into that, let's talk about our beloved Jane. Although Jane only ever had six completed novels, they have remained relevant across centuries.
Relevance and Publication of Austen's Novels
00:01:14
Speaker
Her works have been adapted countless times into plays, movies, and television shows. They've inspired tons of fan fiction, been the centerpiece of numerous book clubs, and encouraged conversations all over the world even today.
00:01:28
Speaker
With all of the information about Miss Austin and her works, what did you guys discover? Any shocking details we should know? I know Lindsay probably did a deep dive. What do you got? I learned that her novels were published without her name on them. And her first book, which was Sense and Sensibility, was published under the name a Lady.
00:01:52
Speaker
Just a lady. I love that. like She did that a lot in her book um when she was talking about places sometimes and some people she would just say like M Shire or S whatever because she wanted a reader to be able to fill in the blanks of their own life and feel a little bit more immersed in her writing, which At the time, maybe that worked. Now, I honestly hate it. But whatevs. Carrie, did you find out anything about Jane Austen that you found interesting?
Becoming Jane and Real-Life Connections
00:02:23
Speaker
Well, I actually, so I really love the movie Becoming Jane. I don't know if either of you have seen that. Love it. I'm obsessed with that movie. Seen it a million times. Sometimes I just watch it just to feel something.
00:02:38
Speaker
Okay. And has our girl, you know, Anne Hathaway in there. I, if you've seen that ending, it's pretty emotional. And I didn't know how much it kind of, I mean, maybe this is kind of silly to say, but I didn't know how much it really aligns like with her actual life. And because I figured they took like a lot of liberties with making that film.
00:03:05
Speaker
And I didn't know that she never actually got married. Mm-mm. No, she was engaged once, but only for a day. For only a day. and I didn't know that.
00:03:17
Speaker
So I did learn that, which is really interesting. I read that too. I really love that her, she's one of eight children, I believe, the seventh of eight children.
00:03:29
Speaker
And her father was in the clergy and actively encouraged his children to pursue their own passions, which I think is really awesome because I think we do see that a little bit in Pride and Prejudice, even in Sense and Sensibility, in um a lot of her works you know where a woman is encouraged, a young lady is encouraged to you know not necessarily pursue society so much as pursue her own pleasures. um i think it's really awesome.
00:03:58
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. So let's get down to business.
Recap and Personal Reflections on Pride and Prejudice
00:04:02
Speaker
Pride and Prejudice is centered around the somewhat awkward lives of the five Bennet sisters and their mother's attempts to marry them off.
00:04:11
Speaker
Set in Georgian England, our story is filled with social class distinctions, which set the stage for scandalous romantic entanglements, many faux pas, and general gossipy goodness, which we all love.
00:04:25
Speaker
This is a reread for me, but I think this is a first time read for each of you, right? So what did you think of the book? Let's start with Carrie. Ooh. Okay.
00:04:39
Speaker
So yeah, like you said, this is the very first time I've read Pride and Prejudice, but I'm very familiar with this story because I've watched the 2005 adaptation hundreds of times. I love that adaptation. So I know the story pretty well, but this is my first time reading it and you both will be shocked.
00:05:08
Speaker
I'm giving it five cups of tea. oh but my heart. loved this book. I adored this book.
00:05:21
Speaker
I thought it was so, so good. I like this is honestly probably one of my biggest accomplishments, like reading accomplishments for the year.
00:05:34
Speaker
and I think also because I just, I know this story very well. And it, you know, I mean, shocker, Carrie liked, you know, classic, like that's insane. Okay. I'm shocked. Also my very first Jane Austen, never read a Jane Austen before. And I don't know, i just loved everything about this. And I really did like a, Very big, like deep dive. Thank you, Storytime for Grownups podcast for helping me through this.
00:06:03
Speaker
It really helped me dive into all like the backstory of and everything. Like people say there's, I feel like a lot of people say there's not a lot going on in the story, but I feel like there actually is so much going on in the story. Like the characters are so energized and they're so, their personalities are amazing.
00:06:25
Speaker
like very unique between each other representing like a whole range of personalities. There's love, there's heartbreak, and there's elopements, there's a navigating society and etiquette for women and men and different social standings.
00:06:41
Speaker
I just I really loved it. I can't believe that but I loved it. That is so exciting. Lindsay, what did you think? Okay. Let so
00:06:55
Speaker
me bring it down. I'm just kidding. No, I had read some of this book in high school, but this is my first beginning to end read on my own.
00:07:08
Speaker
And as we all know, this book was written in like the 1800s. So... The language is obviously a little hard to comprehend, but the story is great. Overall, the story is great.
00:07:24
Speaker
I love the romance. It makes me giddy. The tension between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, i live for it. It's beautiful. i love it. So I gave this one three proposals.
00:07:38
Speaker
I love it. Well, I'm not going to keep you in too much suspense. I give this a solid four turns about the room. I love all of Jane Austen's works. Sense and Sensibility is by far my favorite though.
00:07:52
Speaker
ah And this one I feel like moves a little bit too slowly for my tastes. um I think the story kind of drags at times. And there's so, late it's like Carrie said, there's a ton going on. There's a lot here.
00:08:08
Speaker
And the more you start to realize is there, the more I feel like it almost pulls from the main storyline. um Having said that, I reread this all the time. It's, you know, I don't think it is Jane Austen's best, but it is, I mean, even Jane Austen's worst is still amazing. So I'm, I'm pretty excited. um Yeah.
00:08:33
Speaker
I think ah the characters though, are a huge part of why And the storylines are a huge part of why I love all the adaptation adaptations so much.
00:08:43
Speaker
Because I think a lot of them leave out those little tiny extraneous things that do pull away. So we get that centralized core plot and storyline a little bit better.
Comparing Pride and Prejudice Adaptations
00:08:53
Speaker
So let's take a look at what each of us watched.
00:08:58
Speaker
I... watched the 1940 film adaptation starring Greer Garson as Elizabeth Bennett. and I can't wait to hear about this. I know. And Laurence Olivier as Mr. Darcy.
00:09:10
Speaker
ah This film was based based on a stage adaptation. which makes a lot of sense considering the limitations of recording at the time. All of this was filmed on sets. The screenplay was written by Jane Murfin and Aldous Huxley, a name that most people recognize for his contributions to satire and science fiction. So I was really excited to see how this one went. Carrie, what did you watch?
00:09:39
Speaker
I watched for the very first time the 1995 BBC miniseries adaptation of Pride and Prejudice because I already watched the 2005 movie before. And yes, I did watch it again because I just had to.
00:09:58
Speaker
This is a six episode mini series, which is like about 55 minutes each for each episode produced by Sue Birtwistle and directed by Simon Langton.
00:10:11
Speaker
Pretty popular success as it stars Jennifer Ely as Elizabeth Bennett And Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, who continues in his Pride and Prejudice journey with Bridget Jones' Diary. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:10:30
Speaker
Lindsay, what did you watch? Okay, so I watched the infamous 2005 film adaptation directed by Joe Wright and starring Keira Knightley and Matthew, i don't want to say his name wrong, McFadyen.
00:10:46
Speaker
this movie is actually set in 1797, which is the year that Jane Austen wrote the first draft of Pride and Prejudice. And usually most adaptations are set in 1813, which is when she revised and finalized Pride and Prejudice. And Joe Wright did this because he didn't like the gowns in the 1813 era. Interesting. I mean, that's fair. Yeah. That's fair.
00:11:14
Speaker
yeah that's it So we're about to dive into the important stuff. If you haven't read or watched any variation of Pride and Prejudice, this is your opportunity to stop and go do so. But if you're still with us, maybe we can convince you to watch one of these adaptations.
00:11:31
Speaker
Let's start with the characters. Most adaptations leave out a lot of the side characters like Mr. Bingley's other sisters or all of the Lucases outside of Charlotte and her mother.
00:11:43
Speaker
Did any of your adaptations leave out anyone you were surprised to see missing? Or add someone one that wasn't in the book? Mine left out the basics. it like the more The most common characters were all there.
00:11:59
Speaker
Pretty standard stuff. I think when I was watching, like there's like this whole like little tiny documentary thing. About the making of the BBC series. And it was the producers like main goal of actually making this very close to the book.
00:12:19
Speaker
That was a big goal of theirs. And they left in a lot of side characters. that's awesome. They left in they have both sisters, both of Bingley's sisters.
00:12:31
Speaker
They have, I mean, There's a lot of side characters up in here. so There's so many. Yeah, there's like lots of aunts, lots of uncles. But they leave in, i believe it's like the first set of... There's like, isn't there two aunts and uncles in here?
00:12:51
Speaker
The first set of aunts and uncles. I'm forgetting their names. I don't remember either, honestly. That Mr. Collins is playing cards with and stuff.
00:13:02
Speaker
They leave them in there. There's like a lot of side characters that they leave inside this whole BBC series, which I thought was really cool. Yeah. Was there anybody in the book, Lindsay, that wasn't? like I know there were a lot not in your adaptation because I think we've all seen your adaptation. But were there any in the book that you wish had you had seen?
00:13:24
Speaker
can't think of anyone in particular. I did read that, and I can't remember which sister it is. I did read that the director was going to leave out one of the Bennett sisters. And I can't remember if it was Mary or Kitty. Interesting. He was convinced to leave her in.
00:13:41
Speaker
i'm so glad, because they really do play off each other. We need all five. Yeah, that's like a necessity. Because they all kind of, like I said before, they represent like a different personality.
00:13:52
Speaker
Yeah, each one them for sure. they have They all kind of almost need to be in there because they all kind of like play off of each other.
00:14:04
Speaker
i feel like each one of the characters in the story really is... They they have big personalities, right? for Like well-developed personalities. We get to know each one as like And not just the sisters, like even some of the side characters. Yeah. And we really get to see like, oh, this person is like gossipy. This person is catty. This person gets excited really easy. This person's fickle. this but You know, and we you can really kind of tell.
00:14:33
Speaker
In my adaptation in the nineteen forty s black and white adaptation, let me tell you, Jane and Elizabeth both are like really into fashion They're, you know, picking out the different colors of their dresses, commenting on everyone else's fashion. And we, I don't think we see that in the book really at all. I mean, we get the, the traditional, like a, what are kind of commentary of like what people should be wearing, but not a judgment of what people are wearing. But we do see that in the 1940s adaptation.
00:15:09
Speaker
Were there any characters that their personalities were different in your adaptations than what you read in the book. I feel like they brought the same personality, but times it by a hundred.
00:15:27
Speaker
Okay. In the ah BBC series. Like, the mom, Mrs. Bennett, times a hundred. Like, she is over the top. And I already know, like, watching ah Lindsay's adaptation, that one I already know. Like, she's just very over top. But, like, very in, like, a funny way. Right. She's definitely the comic relief. Yeah, she's the comic relief. But in the BBC series, she is just on 100. I'm like, how is this lady not having a heart attack?
00:16:02
Speaker
Like, how is she not having like an aneurysm every day? Like, she literally is so stressed out. Every single day. And, like, because that's, like, her job. That's, like, her main job. Like, I need to get my kids married and out of here. And you know what else I noticed, too?
00:16:20
Speaker
Is that the BBC series almost, like, sticks to... I don't know what the right word is, but like sticks almost to like the decorum of the time, you know? Like it's very important to them to stick to that. And like me knowing how Lindsay's adaptation is, Lindsay's adaptation is like comfortable. Like it's like fun and comfortable. And it's like there is like a whimsy, like a whimsical thing about it. And my adaptation is like much more serious than,
00:16:57
Speaker
There's like a serious more serious tone where they're taking the time, like the century that it's set in much more seriously. That's fair. Lindsay, was there anybody in your adaptation that you felt didn't live up to the book or was so off from the book that it confused you at all?
00:17:16
Speaker
I'm not going to say he was off from the book. I'm going to say this was my interpretation and I'm guessing I just wasn't reading it right. I thought Mr. Bingley in the movie was a little more eccentric than I expected.
00:17:35
Speaker
he He came across as a little more goofy than I thought he was in the book. And that could have been me reading it. I could have just misread the tone. I don't know. But that's not what I was expecting.
00:17:47
Speaker
He kind of has like that energy in the BBC series as well. What about yours, Crystal? How is Bingley in that Honestly, like the Mr. Bingley and Jane storyline in my movie was there, but also downplayed a lot. it This, you know, my adaptation hardcore focused on Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.
00:18:13
Speaker
So, yeah i'll you know, Mr. Bingley, i i i don't want to say that I got a very good read at all on his character because he really wasn't there that much. um But who was there and who was significantly changed was was Mr. Collins, who in my adaptation was not in the clergy, was a librarian, because at the time the studio didn't want to get into anything overly religious because he's such a, not necessarily a goofy, but a
00:18:46
Speaker
don't know, he kind of rubs you wrong and they didn't want any sort of religious conversation about how no man in the clergy would ever act like that. So they turned him into a librarian instead. Yeah, he kind of has almost like a pretentious type energy to him. Yeah, pretentious. That's what it is. Yeah. And definitely socially awkward. yeah.
00:19:10
Speaker
I, you know, who I really want to talk about, though, because as many times as I read this book and as many different adaptations as I've seen, I feel like Miss
Character Portrayals in Adaptations
00:19:21
Speaker
Bingley, Mr. Bingley's sister, who is there through the majority of the book to either discourage...
00:19:28
Speaker
Mr. Bingley from, follow you know, from meeting up with Jane or to discourage Elizabeth from talking to Mr. Darcy. She is super, super catty in the book.
00:19:42
Speaker
I feel like we get a little bit of catty in a lot of adaptations. But when I tell you in the 1940s adaptation, she was a straight bitch. like And they even costumed her like like the evil villain character. Like constantly like severe hair and looking down her nose and standing tall and proud. And her her outfits were severely cut compared to everyone out Like it was very... She was just mean. she she She didn't hardly ever smile unless she had to. And then when she did have to, you could tell... it like
00:20:17
Speaker
okay, like, okay, Miss Bingley, we get it. We don't, we don't like the Bennets. Move on. You know what's funny? For Miss b Bingley, for the BBC one, it's Anna chance Chancellor, who's also in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
00:20:36
Speaker
And recognize her immediately. And she is, she has like that, you know, that attitude, like, like, looking down on every everyone kind of thing and she does have that but it's funny how you say like they definitely push on the costumes on this entire adaptation where she is over the like very dressed over the top like she's got feathers like she's the only one with these giant feathers in her like headdress or whatever and like on a hat or something and like everyone else like you could tell like the bennetts they have like a more like almost like warm tones or like um more like comfortable looking and not so they're more humble yeah more humble looking and like she is always dressed to the nines of something like something is on her head something is coming out of her chest like i don't know like something crazy is going on
00:21:35
Speaker
Lindsay you have ah what is her name she plays ah Beth in that one show that one cow everybody loves yeah what is that cowboy show Yellowstone there you go oh yeah I've never seen Yellowstone yeah she plays Kelly Riley I think her name is okay okay Yeah. there's Yeah. There's Kelly Riley. She was Caroline Bingley.
00:22:02
Speaker
At first I thought you were going to say Tallulah Riley. I was like, that's Mary Bennett. Wrong Riley. Yeah. Wrong Riley. No, Miss Bingley, I think is really like one of those pivotal characters because she does push the story along a little bit.
00:22:19
Speaker
um And I think that in the book, it's pretty well done, but you know, we We have Jane sitting here asking you know so giving everyone the benefit of the doubt, you know whereas Elizabeth right away is like, no, I don't like her And that is the Jane and Elizabeth are very much opposites of each other in that way.
00:22:42
Speaker
But what do we think of the three sisters in our adaptations, the the little sisters, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia? We have such incredible dynamics, you know, within them, Lydia being the wild one, Kitty constantly following after Lydia and doing basically whatever Lydia does. And then Mary, who's kind of the like quiet, I'm going to read and play the piano. And i don't want necessarily the wild spotlight of my sisters.
00:23:14
Speaker
Do you feel like, like in my adaptation, they were there again, but there was so much focus on Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy that we don't get as much of a well-developed character for for anyone other than a little bit of Lydia. um And then Mary, we see, she's the only sister in my adaptation that wears glasses.
00:23:33
Speaker
Like they really tried hard to make her look homely compared to the other sisters. um But other than that, we don't get to see too much of them. What about in your adaptations? Yeah. Yeah, mine, i think that they played their part really well. I think Mary and mine is wearing glasses as well.
00:23:52
Speaker
I'm pretty sure she is, unless I just made that up. But she, Mary, she looks so much, the way that they were doing her outfits, And making her look, she looked so much older than the rest of them. i think she's supposed to be in the middle, I think. Lydia is the youngest. No, she looked way older. Oh. like she actually looked strangely older.
00:24:20
Speaker
Like, I kept talking about it and i was like, why are they making her look like this? And she just, like, she was, like, cracking me up the whole time. i really like Mary. And Kitty and Lydia over the top. Lydia is super over the top. And I like that the show, because we have like a six episode series. So we can actually pull out this Lydia Wickham story a lot more. And that's represented way more in this mini series. So we actually get to see more of Lydia's personality. And also like Kitty and Lydia is like super close relationship.
00:25:00
Speaker
Lindsay, what about the sisters in yours? They were super background, you know, not really there. Obviously, Lydia is at... I just keep wanting to call the actress Joanna Mason. I know that's not her name. it's just did just see her as Joanna Mason. Right. yeah right There was a scene when, I think it's Mary, she's playing the piano, and Mr. Bennett approaches her and is like, okay, you've you've had your turn. Let someone else...
00:25:30
Speaker
So that's have the spotlight. That scene was in my adaptation too, which I was kind of shocked to see because I felt like if you're going to leave anything out, that's probably going to be the one, but it was there. And I really like that because it kind of shows Mary as I still want people to talk to me and people to get to know me. I'm just not sure how to go about all these other steps of conversation and socialness. So this, I'm going to put myself out there this way. I like the way they did it in my adaptation because it wasn't front and center. It was very background as Elizabeth is passing through the room. Yes. But it's it's just loud enough that you hear Mr. Bennett. and I thought it was perfect. It was beautiful.
00:26:14
Speaker
Also, Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennett in your adaptation. Come on. Perfect. That cast is packed. That entire cast is insane. I'm so jealous. That's such an amazing cast. like Don't get me wrong. My 1940s movie had a packed cast for 1940.
00:26:31
Speaker
When you were sending pictures... I was cracking up. You guys keep talking about these costumes and, and the outfits and legit.
00:26:42
Speaker
I like at one, I was, you know, I can watch pride and prejudice. Not everything that we watch is family friendly on this podcast. And so sometimes I have to wait until my young one goes to bed to watch things. Um,
00:26:53
Speaker
But I didn't with this one. I turned it It's Pride and Prejudice. It's family friendly, right? And I turned it on and he looks up and he goes, it's that little Bo Peep from my song. Because they're wearing these giant fluffy ruffled hats and fluffy ruffled. Like they're only missing the little shepherd hook. That's the only thing missing. It's hilarious.
00:27:14
Speaker
Oh my gosh, that's amazing. These costumes were out of control. But again, this is all set on, it was based on a stage play. So You know, it's it's all on sets. Also, costumes were larger because they needed to make more of an impact on screen. um And it's in black and white. So yeah they needed to have a little bit more oomph to a lot of these costumes. But boy, was that a shock to the system. so Yeah.
00:27:43
Speaker
Yeah. I lost where i am in my list. Also, okay. So Mr. Collins. I really want to talk about Mr. Collins. Okay. Because Mr. Collins is mine. He, like, I think of him, like, I think I just picture him in Lindsay's adaptation as, like, he is, he is, like, pretentious and he is kind of, like,
00:28:09
Speaker
this like strange person, this strange character. And it's kind of like also in Pride and Prejudice as well, but he's kind of also a little funny in Pride and Prejudice as in like, he's the guy that we kind of make fun of because he says things that you're not supposed to say. You know what I mean? And it's kind of like that too. And in the BBC adaptation, i just did not like him at all. Like he wasn't hitting like the comedy part.
00:28:39
Speaker
Aw. Like he wasn't being like kind of goofy and I like wanted him to be a little goofy. We got him so goofy in the 1940s version. He kept just looking at any part of society that he thought was like high society, good society, and he would be like, the condescension.
00:28:55
Speaker
The condescension. de Bourgh and Rosings at the condescension over and over. It was it was always at like the weirdest time. So it had me cracking up. Oh my gosh. He was so good. Lindsay, what did you think of Mr. Collins?
00:29:12
Speaker
So he's, it's Tom Hollander in the 2005 movie and I'm watching it and I was like, why does he look so familiar? I literally just watched him play Alfred Hitchcock in the monster, the Ed Gein story. I was like, oh yeah, that's where I just saw you. Creepy. Yeah.
00:29:33
Speaker
Yeah. My favorite part, though, he walks up to Mr. Darcy at the ball to get his attention. Oh, my gosh. And the height difference, him just trying to get his attention. Mr. Darcy. And he just, like, swings around, almost takes him out.
00:29:50
Speaker
That's good. That's one of my favorite scenes because everybody's like, don't, don't do it. Don't do it. And he does it anyways. So friggin funny. And it's also like in the book, I, something I really like about, uh, at least I don't know about the adaptation you did, Crystal, but I do know of Lindsay and I's a lot of like exact lines. Yes.
00:30:11
Speaker
And like scenes like to the T. Yep. And I think that's something that's like really cool about just like a Jane Austen adaptation in general. The fact that they're trying to do specific iconic scenes exact. Yes. Is really cool. I love that. a lot of that too. But before we talk too much about scenes, I want to talk about two more characters that are my absolute
Iconic Performances and Scenes
00:30:37
Speaker
favorite. And I know that we're going lot to say about Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.
00:30:43
Speaker
So my Miss Elizabeth, again, Greer Garson, she is absolutely freaking gorgeous. But in my adaptation, she is a lot more, um and don't want to say talented or or well-rounded. You know, they talk about in the book and in a lot of the adaptation of you know, there's that one scene where she's talking to Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley and Mr. Bingley about what it takes to be an accomplished woman.
00:31:15
Speaker
That scene is in my movie, but also the Miss Elizabeth in my movie is accomplished. Like, she's very skilled at a lot of random talents.
00:31:26
Speaker
And so it's it's kind of like, wait a minute. Why? how How are you the humble miss Miss Bennett who, you know, doesn't do a ton of stuff but loves to read when you're over here playing the piano beautifully and everybody loves it?
00:31:44
Speaker
there's an archery scene and she's like and yeah hello i tell you there's it's weird like so it's like she's super accomplished uh-huh i thought that that was really weird but i will say laurence olivier is mr darcy like oh i was in love i was in love i i might might have a new favorite mr darcy yeah oh i know know what about you guys you go first lindsey well everybody knows mine obviously Keira Knightley wonderful I know she almost wasn't cast because the director thought she was too pretty but I think I think she's perfect I think she did really really well and then obviously our beloved Matthew as Mr. Darcy yeah yeah fantastic so good so freaking good
00:32:39
Speaker
Carrie, what about yours? Jennifer Ely as Elizabeth. Amazing. Colin Firth as Darcy. Great.
00:32:52
Speaker
I think that compared to the book, he obviously, i think this is kind of like in all adaptations, probably playing a much larger role in the story. They definitely pushed the Darcy, Elizabeth thing way more in the adaptation than they do in the book. um But that's why we love it so much. The tension, great. Between these two They were actually dating.
00:33:16
Speaker
oh While they were filming, by the way. oh my. So that was interesting. But, okay, so I want to talk a little bit. So Jennifer Ely did a great job. Love her. Honestly, like, the chemistry between them was great. I need to talk about Colin Firth as Darcy for a second. Okay?
00:33:36
Speaker
Okay, okay. He... The way that this man... Okay, first of all, he didn't want to do this. Like, he actually did not want to do this at all. He had no desire to do this. And he was convinced to do this character, which is so funny because he continues to do this in Bridget Jones' diary. But he did not think that he would be good at it. He thought that, like, Pride and Prejudice was girly. Like, he didn't want to touch this story. And then someone convinced him. And this, like...
00:34:07
Speaker
Made him become the heartthrob that he was, was yeah this exact adaptation. And so I'm like ready for this story, right? Because I know Colin Firth is. You know, I love him. So I'm like ready to see where it all started. And I'm like low-key cracking up because... He is like so like in his feels about everything. Okay. So like he is so extra in this and the way that this man's, I don't know if you, how long ago you've watched this, if you have seen it or um if you haven't seen it, you need to go watch it because this man, all he does is stand in a corner and stares.
00:34:50
Speaker
He just stares people down And he that's the way he gets you to fall in love with him. And it would probably work on me. Okay? But he literally just stares them down. I told i was like talking to the people i was watching with. i was like, you just put some horror music behind this?
00:35:06
Speaker
Scary music behind this? And you could turn this into a horror movie. He is staring them down. And he's staring down Elizabeth to the point that it's getting a little scary. I'm like, blink!
00:35:18
Speaker
Blink, please! Somebody blink! I'm scared! Mm-hmm. I'm getting frightened. Like you need to blink. And there's like, he was trying, I think he was trying to do like a lot of face acting or something where like, you're trying to show like your emotions on your face where it would gradually throughout the series get more, like you would see his feelings. Like at first he's like, I'm not showing any emotion, but like, he's just like staring you down. But then eventually like throughout the series, you would like his face would start to soften as he's still staring you down.
00:35:56
Speaker
ah but all right wrap it up i'm scared i'm scared now might have to go watch this yeah you need to i'm telling you someone needs to edit just with some scary music in the background and it's like your next horror film okay so i want to talk about some of these staring scenes and well i want to talk about a lot of scenes um So the majority, i think, of adaptations lean into a lot of the key scenes. um
00:36:28
Speaker
But I want to start with anything that might have been added to your adaptation that wasn't in the book, because got a couple of... and otala field where archery c I mean, honestly, I want to start with you guys. You got anything added to yours that wasn't that wasn't in the book?
00:36:44
Speaker
Well, when it first starts, you know, when we first start, we're immediately with like with the Bennetts. But actually in the adaptation, we kind of start a little interesting where we're actually introduced to the Bingley and Darcy first. Oh, so like right off the bat,
00:37:04
Speaker
Bingley and Darcy are like riding in a field and they see another field in the distance. And Bingley's like, I think I'm going to, you know, like rent this place. And Darcy's like, okay. And um he's like, well, everyone's manners in the area are savage or something like that. And like, kind of like setting this scene up and all those things. And I'm like, okay, that's interesting.
00:37:30
Speaker
It was a little different, but i was like, we're not supposed to, we're here about them, like moving in later. And he's like, we're kind of introduced, like Darcy's being like an ass and Bingley's like the nice guy being like so excited that he's here kind of thing.
00:37:45
Speaker
He's a golden retriever. yeah That's what it is. Bingley's a golden retriever. Yeah. That's exactly what it is. But like he, we're trying to, we're supposed to see immediately that like Darcy's like got an attitude and Bingley's like, I'm just happy to be here.
00:38:00
Speaker
Lindsay, anything in yours that wasn't in the book? I think yours is fairly faithful, isn't it? Yeah, I mean, this isn't necessarily something that wasn't in the book, but at the beginning of the movie, Elizabeth is shown reading a book.
00:38:16
Speaker
It's titled First Impressions, and this was Jane Austen's original title of Pride and Prejudice before she altered it. And then the text is visible on the page if you pause the movie, and it's the last chapter of Pride and Prejudice with the names changed.
00:38:32
Speaker
Oh, I didn't know that. That's cool. I thought that was interesting. Much like Carrie's, my adaptation opens a little differently. Mine opens with Jane and Elizabeth and their mother at the store looking at some different fabrics because they're going have some new gowns made.
00:38:54
Speaker
And someone comes in saying, did you hear that Netherfield was let? And so they begin discussing like to who and which what do you find out? And they keep sending the guy from the shop out to find out more information and come back and bring it to them.
00:39:09
Speaker
And then the Lucases come in, Mrs. Lucas and Charlotte Lucas. And Mrs. Bennett is like trying not to let Mrs. Charlotte know too much because she knows if they get home first, then they'll have Her husband will get to call on Mr. Bingley first.
00:39:25
Speaker
And so then they all kind of leave the shop as quickly as possible and they get in their carriages and there's like a carriage race. home Wow. They're racing each other to get home first to send their husbands over to meet Mr. Bingley first so that they can get the first invitation over to Netherfield. It's like an action story. It's wild. And then after like kind of halfway through after like the the dance and they everybody meets everybody else or whatever, instead of having a ball at Netherfield, there's a garden party.
00:39:56
Speaker
And there's all kinds of activities. You know, they have like a tetherball set up and they have a little badminton thing happening. And there's some, I don't know, goats or something out in the yard. It's very like cutesy, you know, garden party happening.
00:40:11
Speaker
And Miss Bingley is, of course, standing on the terrace, looking out, talking about these country peasants, country folk can be. be entertained by such small things and being very, you know, judgmental. And of course, Mr. Darcy is like, yep, sure can, you know, these poor folk, they suck or whatever it is. And then he like finds and Miss Elizabeth out by the archery section of the garden party, which I've been to a handful of parties, you know, like outdoor picnic type things. I've never had like archery.
00:40:48
Speaker
that one but all right and he's he's like do you know how to shoot let me show you and she's like got it and she like hits the bullseye like four or five times and he's all like well i should like he tried to mansplain archery to her basically and I don't remember that in the book. No, that was not in the book. I'm over here like, what is happening?
00:41:10
Speaker
It's, so it's, it's different. It's different, but I'm okay with that. I feel like they took the Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. ah Oh, there you go. There you go. We'll get to that next week. Hold on. up Wait, I have, i have a crazy, I have a crazy thing I want to say.
00:41:30
Speaker
So I have an added scene, the very famous scene of my adaptation, which is the, i mean, it's not really a lake.
00:41:41
Speaker
It's like a pond, but people like to call it the lake scene, right? Colm Firth coming out of the lake, diving into the lake, his little wet shirt moment. Okay. This is a very iconic scene. Yeah, it is. Even I know that and I haven't seen it Yeah, this is when Darcy goes back to Pemberley having no idea Elizabeth is there. okay side note, how strange is it that like, when you go by like someone's like estate or whatever, they're like, you want to have a tour of this house, they may or may not be here. and like, you can go hang out here and like, look at all their crap.
00:42:18
Speaker
and Can you imagine if we like did that now? Like you want to go to this house right here? and just walk around without permission. i think when you have an estate, that's pretty normal. That's insane to me. I don't have an estate. Yeah, that would be that's crazy. um So going back to Pemberley and he takes a dip in the lake, right?
00:42:38
Speaker
And we have him walking like kind of wet and like runs it into elizabeth right and that whole scene he actually doesn't even jump into the lake like colin firth doesn't jump in a stunt man actually jumps into the lake because um they were afraid that he was gonna like catch a disease or something from this lake so he jumps in and then whenever the part sacrificial stunt man yeah sacrificial stunt man goes i'm not kidding he jumps into the lake and And so there's a part that it's like filming underwater. And that is him underwater. But it's like him inside of a tank somewhere.
00:43:16
Speaker
Swimming underwater. So everyone assumed that he, like in their memory, thought he walked out of the lake. Like they had a moment of him like jumping out of the lake. Where he had like a wet shirt attached to him and everything. There's even like a statue somewhere in London of like...
00:43:35
Speaker
Darcy coming out of the lake with a wet white shirt a lot of like different movies like you know Bridgerton season two Anthony is coming out of the water with a white white shirt to him kind of like doing trying to do the same thing that never happened in the show that is actually a Mandela effect everyone thought that happened and it never happened it never happened You're good. Oh, he never comes out of the lake. There's never a scene of him like coming out of the lake with a shirt like wet attached to him. It's him swimming underwater and immediately it cuts to him walking back to the estate and his shirt is like barely wet, runs into Elizabeth.
00:44:19
Speaker
That never happens. And people assume that happens. There's like a statue representing it and it never happened. I'm shook because I remember it. Yeah. No, it never happened. And you know what?
00:44:31
Speaker
They actually like Colin Ford talks about it and how everyone thinks that he did that and he never did it. And they actually they wanted him to be naked in the scene or like have no shirt on.
00:44:44
Speaker
And BBC was like, no, no, no, no. You can't be doing all that. No, that's too much. And people thought that that scene was cut out. But like in that BBC, like they thought that they cut it out and it used to be there because it was like too much. It just never existed. That's wild, crazy facts on based on a book podcast. Yeah. it's Like I, whenever my mom was talking me, she's like, I can't wait for you to see this scene. And i was like, what?
00:45:16
Speaker
What scene? It wasn't there. No, it go didn't exist. Yeah. Were there any scenes in either of your adaptations that you thought were just perfectly well done as you know like as compared to the book that just really hit you just right?
00:45:35
Speaker
Yes. Okay, Lindsay, go. Less exciting pond scene in my adaptation, but when Elizabeth is at the lake after she just rejected mr collins proposal and she's speaking with her parents a flock of geese fly off the pond uh and apparently this beautiful scene was completely unplanned and it happened because the director yelled action and scared the geese and they flew off oh i love that i love that that whole entire movie is stunning
00:46:15
Speaker
It really It like one of the most beautiful movies. I purposely didn't watch it for this show because I was afraid that if I watched it, I wouldn't remember movie to talk about. And I would just talk about Lindsay's adaptation the whole time. It's that good. I mean, I want to compare, really want to compare the first proposal then like the final proposal between Elizabeth and Darcy. Because my first proposal, know, when he comes in and he's like against my better judgment and like everything that I've ever thought, you know, against like, you know, what I should like because your personality sucks and your family sucks. I love you.
00:47:03
Speaker
Yeah. I love like that whole scene. Like, honestly, mine was very close to the book. Mine was really faithful to the book. Yeah. um I know mine was beautiful. Yeah.
00:47:14
Speaker
In the pouring rain. Beautiful. Matthew McFadden. Wonderful. Her beloved Matthew. That, that scene in that movie. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah. So freaking good.
00:47:30
Speaker
it's ah In my adaptation, it is in the library it's or in the study or whatever at um the Collins house. But it's pretty faithful what he says and how she reacts. Yeah, that's that's how mine is too. Yeah.
00:47:46
Speaker
And then I really like Lindsay and yours when... He gets the letter. he gives her the letter. i was just thinking about i being everything.
00:47:57
Speaker
So good in the movie adaptation. in my adaptation, they kind of like don't really go over the contents of that letter. Like they kind of like touch on it. But then it kind of skips that. She's like, yeah, I read that letter.
00:48:13
Speaker
hmm. And in the book, she kind of doesn't believe it at first. Yeah. Like, she kind of goes through, like, trying to Of course he would say that. Of course he would say that. She has to, like, read it several times to try to believe it. Yeah.
00:48:28
Speaker
In my adaptation, it's pretty... i don't know. Like, she reads it. she She's just kind of instantly upset by it. But then we find out about Lydia and Wickham. And so the letter kind of takes a backseat to...
00:48:44
Speaker
how Like, basically, Mr. Darcy wins her back over by helping out Lydia. Like, there really isn't that longing or that that, you know, questioning herself or anything like that that we get in the book.
00:48:59
Speaker
She gets the letter. She's like, oh, crap. I was really rude to a guy who's not really as bad as I thought. and also he's helping my sister, like, pretty fast. Yeah. How much of Lydia and Wickham's story is in, Crystal, your adaptation?
00:49:12
Speaker
Just enough. But not enough. In my adaptation, they play more towards the Wickham being interested in Elizabeth more than they do in the 2005 adaptation.
00:49:27
Speaker
um They really play up that like Elizabeth was interested in Wickham like a lot more in in my adaptation. But then he kind of disappears for a little bit.
00:49:39
Speaker
And then suddenly he's with Lydia. um Kind of like the book. Yeah. on Lindsay, what about you? I do want to say the scene where Elizabeth receives the letter about Lydia and she's they're in the room with the aunt and the uncle and Mr. Darcy and she's just circling. I loved that scene. That's my favorite. That's my favorite.
00:50:05
Speaker
And I want to say that was Keira Knightley's idea to have Elizabeth act that way. that Yeah, that scene was amazing. It's so good. So good. And he's like getting up and then he sits down and then she comes back and he gets up.
00:50:22
Speaker
Oh, so good. in my adaptation, like he, you know, Darcy comes in and she's like freaking out. It like, honestly, it's very close to the book. Like my adaptation is very close because they got a lot more time.
00:50:34
Speaker
Right. You know, they get a lot more time. Oh, it drags out that Lydia and Wickham story. Like does a lot with that Lydia and Wickham story. um Honestly, I was like, there's a lot of Wickham in here. And I don't want to see this guy because I don't like this guy.
00:50:48
Speaker
He's a Right. He's a freak. And he's obsessed with this 15-year-old. I don't like him. Okay? I don't want anything to do with him. Hate him. Yeah. Don't like him. And he... It's too much of him. And whenever Darcy comes in and finds out about this, he plays this so well where he is like...
00:51:12
Speaker
finds out about this entire situation with Wickham and Lydia. and she is about to go to dinner with him and um his sister. And he's like, yeah, we're going have to cancel this because like because your reputation is your currency.
00:51:29
Speaker
Yeah. Which is crazy. Like, that's crazy. Like, your reputation is your currency. And one little minor detail. Especially a very poor family. Well, they're not a super poor family, but they don't have anything to inherit. And as soon as their father dies, they will all be homeless. Yeah.
00:51:44
Speaker
Yeah. And that is, that right off the bat means that they only have their reputation left to fall on. Yeah, exactly. So, like... If that.
00:51:56
Speaker
So Lydia's over here ruining it for their whole yeah family. So that gets screwed and everyone is screwed. And like also people that you know can get screwed. Like that if yeah you hang around these people, you could get screwed, which is messed up.
Notable Lines and Endings in Adaptations
00:52:14
Speaker
There's one line I want to know about that was in my adaptation. I know it's in Lindsay's, but I wondered about yours is after um Mr. Collins proposes to Lindsay,
00:52:25
Speaker
and lindsey turned or lindsey to elizabeth lindsy um after mr collins proposes to elizabeth and she turns him down and then they you know mrs bennett runs to mr bennett and is all like make her do it and mr bennett says you know from this day forward you'll be estranged from one of your your parents because your mother will never speak to you if you don't marry him and i will never speak to you if you do hmm.
00:52:48
Speaker
That was that in your adaptation, Carrie? Absolutely. I love that. That's one of my favorite lines because I have a dad that's very much like, I'm going to make sure you follow your heart. My mother would never force me to do that. But my dad would very much just say something kind of sarcastic like that. And I love it. So I'm glad that was in yours, too. Yeah.
00:53:03
Speaker
There's a lot of like exact lines that are in there and they keep a lot of like iconic lines in there. and It's really good. My end is a little different. Everybody ends up together that was going to up together. But after um what's her face, Lady Catherine de Bourgh comes running to the Bennett's house and basically like yells at Elizabeth, like, are you going to marry my nephew or not? do it right you know, tell me for sure. Will you, are you know are you engaged to him or has there been a proposal? And can you promise me you'll never be whatever. And then she leaves in my movie.
00:53:38
Speaker
She, when she leaves, she, Mr. Darcy is in the carriage waiting for her. and and he says, what did she say? And lady Catherine is like, you know, she's the finest woman. i told her that I could take away your inheritance. And she still refused to say that she wouldn't marry you and said that that would be no deficit to your character.
00:54:03
Speaker
and she, you know, and and they like played it off. Like lady Catherine was like testing Elizabeth And then Mr. Darcy goes running in and basically tells her, I sent i sent my aunt in here to to to test the waters for me to see if if there was any hope left.
00:54:22
Speaker
And then proposes to Darcy. Oh, ew. Yeah. I'm like, if if a man said that to me, let his aunt come in here and treat me like that. But she's all like, oh you silly man. gosh. It's very weird. It's very weird. It's very nineteen forty s Yeah.
00:54:42
Speaker
mine ends were like She kind of confronts Darcy of being like, she's like, thank you for everything that you've done for like my family with Lydia and Wickham. Like I found out all about that. And then, you know, her sister Bingley get married and are getting engaged. And so then she says that she still wants to be, she wants to be with Darcy. So then they get engaged. And then we have a double wedding.
00:55:13
Speaker
Oh, at the end of mine. Lovely. With them. and that's how it kind of wraps up. I think it's interesting in the book. We have like this moment where, you know, it's kind of like wrapping up and they're kind of having like almost like this like little epilogue moment kind of thing. And I think at the end, I'm pretty sure like Lydia like writes to her like kind of like asking for something.
00:55:38
Speaker
help or like for money or something and elizabeth says that she although she doesn't ever like specifically send regular amounts she occasionally sends you know some pocket money or whatever yeah i'm like that's because he be getting you into some trouble okay you see what okay i want talk about lindsey's ending obviously beautiful ending mr and mrs darcy at pemberley Yeah. So beautiful. Don't you love whenever he's like walking towards her? Oh my gosh. I read that Matthew McFadden couldn't see very well. And as he's walking through the fog, the director had to have a red flag and like was waving it above the camera so he knew which direction to walk in. Oh my gosh. So funny. Oh gosh.
00:56:26
Speaker
That's how I'm so freaking blind without my glasses. like oh yeah. want see anything. I don't want to see somebody out there like airplane batons, you know? He also asked all of the female actresses in the movie if that scene, the length of it, was okay. Should it be shorter? Should it be longer? And they all agreed that it was the perfect length. So so perfect.
00:56:51
Speaker
Literally so freaking good. so why I know can't. and So what are our final verdicts, you guys? Now listen. You cannot pick the 2005 movie Carrie.
00:57:03
Speaker
And neither can i That's Lindsay's. So... book or your the adaptation you watched that's not someone else's adaptation what do you watched carrie what do you think uh i'm gonna have to go with the adaptation Oh, okay. Yeah. Even though like, you know, think... A five-star book? That must be like a five-star adaptation. Yeah, I thought it was... I mean, it is very, very close to the book. They do very well of trying to match it along with the book. I think the reason why I like the adaptation a little more is because we get more of Elizabeth and Darcy. You know, we don't get them as much. They're not like...
00:57:49
Speaker
They are the focus, but not the main focus of the story of the book. Yeah. And the fact I feel like they are the main focus of the adaptation is why I love it so much. Okay.
00:58:02
Speaker
Lindsay, what about you? You know I'm going the movie. Duh. Obviously. and Okay. Okay. I'm going book. Okay. But I'm going to say it's worth watching the 1940s adaptation just for comedy alone. i mean, understand. It's two hours long. It's two hours. But it's it's it's worth watching. i don't know why. I keep picturing that. What was that musical that we covered?
00:58:31
Speaker
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I keep thinking that. Well, there is dancing in in my adaptation as well. But. You know, not, it's not, there's no, nobody's saying, well, no, Mary sings crap. I don't know. Maybe, maybe it is a musical, but I think this was our first black and white that we've done.
00:58:49
Speaker
And, and it was interesting because they talk about the colors of the dresses. They're like, who's the one in the blue dress? And I'm like, I don't know. Yeah. I don't know.
00:59:00
Speaker
Could fooled me. I was going to say it was the birds in black and white, but I think that we did watch it in color. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. in color yeah Well, that brings us to the question of the episode.
Character Test Results and Upcoming Episode Tease
00:59:12
Speaker
Each of the characters in this story is definitely a character.
00:59:18
Speaker
We all took tests to find out which character we are. So tell us what the test said you were. but then tell me who you think you most identify with. Let's start with Lindsay.
00:59:29
Speaker
Oh, geez. Oh, geez. So I think I got the character that I deserve, but not the character I wanted. Oh, that's fair. So I got Jane. Aww.
00:59:42
Speaker
We love Jane. There's nothing wrong with Jane. I just don't think I'm as nice as Jane. Fair. She's very nice. Overly nice. She's way too nice. So I think I'm like a cross between Jane and Elizabeth.
00:59:56
Speaker
Okay. Maybe a little a Mary. I don't know. Okay. Carrie, who'd you get? a i got Jane. Oh, okay. I got a chain. think I know why. Well, like, I'm not nice.
01:00:11
Speaker
I'm so not nice. I'm also very like everyone that knows me knows I'm also very negative. So I find that very interesting. I think she has a lot of toxic positivity in her. Yes, very much. And I'm the opposite of toxic positivity. So I think that's kind of crazy. i can vouch for that.
01:00:28
Speaker
yeah i think yeah Yeah, I think that it could be like the big sister energy. And also I have a lot of it is what it is energy. And I think that's kind of Jane. I'm very much, it is just, it is what it is.
01:00:44
Speaker
And I think that's Jane. But I 100% identify with Mary. Aww. Yeah. identify with mary ah I'm totally married. She's our bookworm. She's our stay at home and read girl. Yeah. i love it. I'm just like, you guys, like, can you like listen to me do my hobbies? Like, can you not watch me do this real quick, please?
01:01:05
Speaker
Right. Can you watch me play the piano 800 times or what? That's me. That's fair. I got Elizabeth, which I'm definitely shocked by.
01:01:18
Speaker
you go. Because there were definitely times in my life where I was a Lydia. And I'm okay with that. ah Having said that, I actually currently in my life most identify with Mr. and Mrs. Bennett to certain degree. Mostly Mr. Bennett, though. I want to sit in my library and read my books and occasionally look out at the fools in my family, which my family is amazing. they're not really fools, but i be entertained by social drama on social media or whatever. like
01:01:49
Speaker
But I want to read my book and I don't want you to involve me in any of your stuff. If you want to do it, go do it. I will watch and you can tell me about it later. I may or may not actually be listening. Yep.
01:02:00
Speaker
There you go. Yeah. Well, guys, yeah I think that wraps up this week's episode, but we are not done with Pride and Prejudice yet. Join us next week when we add zombies to the mix. That's right. Lindsay's going to guide us through Pride and Prejudice and zombies.
01:02:19
Speaker
I, for one, am very excited about it. Until then, join us on our socials for some great Jane Austen conversations. And if there is a book adaptation you'd like us to cover, Austen or otherwise, head over to the link in our bio to submit it. Next season, we will dedicate an entire month to listener submissions and we might pick yours.
01:02:40
Speaker
But for now. Please know that you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. And wish from this day forth for you to join us on the next chapter ah Based on a Book.
01:02:56
Speaker
Bye. Bye.