Pride and Prejudice (10th Anniversary Collector's Set) (A&E, 1996)

Pride and Prejudice (10th Anniversary Collector's Set) (A&E, 1996)
by Simon Langton

Pride and Prejudice (10th Anniversary Collector's Set) (A&E, 1996)
List Price: $59.95
Our Price: $33.99
You Save: $25.96 (43%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $19.37 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases


(Click here)
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada

DVD Cover Information

Actor: Anna Chancellor, Colin Firth, Crispin Bonham-Carter, David Bamber, Jennifer Ehle
Director: Simon Langton
Brand: A&E
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Box set, Collector's Edition, Color, Limited Edition, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 300 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-09-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: A&E Home Video

Movie Reviews of Pride and Prejudice (10th Anniversary Collector's Set) (A&E, 1996)

Movie Review: Excellent - much better than the Keira Knightley movie
Summary: 5 Stars

If you want to watch Pride and Prejudice, then this is by far the best version. Jane Austen wrote a great novel, with fantastic prose and this production does it justice.

It was a BBC series, and because it ran for a full hour (no commercials on the BBC!) for six weeks, you'll need to put aside 6 hours or split it up to watch it, but is really worth your time. It is very close to the original book. Albeit Mr D'Arcy did not swim across the pond in the book, but after seeing Colin Firth come out of the water, you'll consider this a worthwhile deviation of the original....swoon!!

The acting is excellent, and everything about it from the costumes to the locations are fantastic. It is sumptuous. I'd agree that when compared side by side, the VHS version bathes it in a lovely glow as the color is much warmer.

I prefer Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle as D'Arcy and Lizzy; the chemistry is excellent and perfect for the Regency era. The looks they share across the piano are so charged. Keira Knightley was too modern in her portrayal and the way her mouth quirks all over the place during intense moments drives me crazy. I found the scene in the rain where D'Arcy proposes to Knightley with all the dark eye make-up totally ridiculous ad they tried to make it more modern which didn't work. The BBC version follows the book almost verbatim and it is so satisfying to watch all that passion lying just under the surface.

I'd absolutely recommend this version. If it is too expensive here, look on ebay, but personally I feel it is worth every penny.

Don't forget to re-read the book though.

Summary of Pride and Prejudice (10th Anniversary Collector's Set) (A&E, 1996)

From Jane Austen's classic novel about the morals and mores of the class system in Georgian England.The intelligent and spirited Elizabeth Bennet is one of five daughters -- which during that era meant trouble: because women cannot inherit upon her father's death her family's home will become the property of their nearest male relative. Only marriage preferably to someone wealthy can ensure her security. But the proud young lady instantly takes offense when Mr. Darcy a promising newcomer in town doesn't seem quite admiring enough and she spurns his advances.Slowly and painfully Elizabeth realizes her error but not before it seems she has lost Mr. Darcy forever.System Requirements:Running Time 300 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 733961753684 Manufacturer No: AAE-75368
Jane Austen's classic novel of 1813, Pride and Prejudice, still wins the hearts of countless schoolgirls with its romantic story of Elizabeth Bennet and her Mr. Darcy. Now, the 1996 BBC miniseries is winning over adults, with its faithful adaptation, gorgeous scenery, and superb acting. The essence of the story is the antagonism between Mr. Darcy, a wealthy single man who believes Elizabeth to be beneath him, and Elizabeth, who upon being insulted at a dance by the aloof Darcy refuses to associate with him in any manner. Austen evokes incredible tension with the wit and flirtation of the two characters, and director Simon Langton (who also directed Upstairs Downstairs) successfully translates the repartee and conflict in this six-hour miniseries. Dialogue, for the most part, is painstakingly replicated, except when fleshing out and smoothing for modern sensibilities was necessary. Darcy, for instance, is drawn out, giving his personality significantly more depth. The acting sweeps you away to Regency England: Jennifer Ehle (of Wilde) is convincing as the obstinate Elizabeth, who, despite her mother's attempts to marry her off, spurs the attentions of Darcy. And Colin Firth (of The English Patient) will have women everywhere longing for a Mr. Darcy of their own.

For those who enjoy excellent Austen adaptations such as Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion--this miniseries will round out the ultimate Austen library. For those new to these romantic period pieces, this version of Pride and Prejudice will have you hooked and longing for more. One caveat, however: plan to watch it in an entire day, because very few have the self-control to not watch all six hours in a single sitting. --Jenny Brown

On the DVD
There's a lot to love (and a lot lacking) on the 10th anniversary limited edition. It comes in a tall, embossed green case that's out of place on a DVD shelf but blends right into a library of volumes. The three discs fit snugly in a sleeve, accompanied by a 120-page deluxe companion book. The main attraction, a retrospective documentary, features interviews with key cast members with the sad exceptions of Jennifer Ehle (who played Elizabeth) and Colin Firth (Mr. Darcy), which is bound to disappoint fans. Nonetheless, there are some amusing anecdotes from Mr. and Mrs. Bennet (played by Benjamin Withrow and Alison Steadman), Mary Bennet (Lucy Briers), Mr. Collins (David Bamber), Mr. Bingley (Crispin Bonham-Carter) and Mr. Wickham (Adrian Lukis), who all look drastically different--and younger--without their period costumes and hairstyles. One producer recalls that casting Colin Firth in the role with which his name is now synonymous was not an easy feat: he auditioned having gained weight and dyed his hair blond for another role, looking like "an unmade bed." Even Firth's own brother doubted his ability to pull off the dashing Darcy: "Isn't he supposed to be sexy?"

The special features also include a walking tour of the shooting locations with Lukis and Briers and an A&E Biography episode on Jane Austen that focuses largely on the onslaught of mid-1990s film adaptations of her novels. If it's your first time purchasing Pride & Prejudice, this collector's edition is a nice one to own. But if you already own the movie, you're not missing out on anything here. --Ellen A. Kim

Beyond Pride and Prejudice

So you'd like to... Watch a Jane Austen Novel

So you'd like to... Watch a Charles Dickens Novel

Visit the A&E Home Video DVD Store

Stills from Pride and Prejudice (click for larger image)







Drama DVD Video

DVD Video
Movies most talked about in HUNKS IN COSTUME
Armageddon ImageArmageddon
WILLIS,BRUCE; Release date: 1999-01-05; DVD
Best price: $4.43
Price in other shops: $14.99
X-Men (Widescreen Edition) ImageX-Men (Widescreen Edition)
Release date: 2000-11-21; DVD
Best price: $4.25
Price in other shops: $19.98
Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition (Superman - The Movie/ Superman II/ Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut/ Superman III/ Superman IV - The Quest for Peace/ Superman Returns) ImageSuperman Ultimate Collector's Edition (Superman - The Movie/ Superman II/ Superman II - The Richard Donner Cut/ Superman III/ Superman IV - The Quest for Peace/ Superman Returns)
Release date: 2007-05-29; DVD
Best price: $50.50
Price in other shops: $99.98
Batman Forever ImageBatman Forever
KILMER/JONES/CARREY/O'DONNELL/; Release date: 1997-05-21; DVD
Best price: $8.29
Price in other shops: $19.98
Batman & Robin ImageBatman & Robin
CLOONEY/O'DONNELL/SCHWARZENEGG; Release date: 1997-10-22; DVD
Best price: $29.49
Batman (Two-Disc Special Edition) ImageBatman (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Release date: 2005-10-18; DVD
Best price: $37.98
Batman Begins (Widescreen Edition) ImageBatman Begins (Widescreen Edition)
BALE,CHRISTIAN; Release date: 2005-10-18; DVD
Best price: $5.98
Price in other shops: $14.98
Spider-Man - The High Definition Trilogy (Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 / Spider-Man 3) [Blu-ray] ImageSpider-Man - The High Definition Trilogy (Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 / Spider-Man 3) [Blu-ray]
Columbia Pictures; Release date: 2007-10-30; DVD
Best price: $48.00
Price in other shops: $92.95
The Adventures of Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark/ Temple of Doom/ Last Crusade) - Widescreen Edition ImageThe Adventures of Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark/ Temple of Doom/ Last Crusade) - Widescreen Edition
FORD,HARRISON; Release date: 2003-10-21; DVD
Best price: $39.99
Price in other shops: $49.99
Becoming Jane ImageBecoming Jane
Buena Vista Home Video; Release date: 2008-02-12; DVD
Best price: $7.00
Price in other shops: $29.99
Similar DVD Movies
Mansfield Park (1999) ImageMansfield Park (1999)
Release date: 2000-07-11; DVD
Best price: $5.67
Price in other shops: $14.99
Pride and Prejudice (BBC, 1980) ImagePride and Prejudice (BBC, 1980)
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2004-08-24; DVD
Best price: $8.98
Price in other shops: $14.98
Persuasion ImagePersuasion
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-01-15; DVD
Best price: $13.51
Price in other shops: $19.98
Sense & Sensibility (with Miss Austen Regrets) (BBC TV 2008) ImageSense & Sensibility (with Miss Austen Regrets) (BBC TV 2008)
Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-04-08; DVD
Best price: $21.98
Price in other shops: $34.98
Masterpiece Theatre: Mansfield Park ImageMasterpiece Theatre: Mansfield Park
WGBH BOSTON VIDEO; Release date: 2008-01-29; DVD
Best price: $13.93
Price in other shops: $24.95
Masterpiece Theatre: Northanger Abbey ImageMasterpiece Theatre: Northanger Abbey
WGBH BOSTON VIDEO; Release date: 2008-01-22; DVD
Best price: $14.80
Price in other shops: $24.95
Emma (1996) ImageEmma (1996)
Release date: 1999-01-05; DVD
Best price: $5.74
Price in other shops: $14.99
Persuasion ImagePersuasion
Sony; Release date: 2000-02-01; DVD
Best price: $7.72
Price in other shops: $14.94
Emma (A&E, 1997) ImageEmma (A&E, 1997)
AUSTIN,JANE; Release date: 1999-10-26; DVD
Best price: $8.84
Price in other shops: $19.95
Sense & Sensibility (Special Edition) ImageSense & Sensibility (Special Edition)
Sony; Release date: 1999-08-24; DVD
Best price: $6.59
Price in other shops: $14.94
Compare prices and read customer reviews for more than one million DVD titles.
Oscar 2005 Winners