Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Good start, but then it gets ruined

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Pride and Prejudice (TV Mini-Series 1980) is a BBC production directed by Cyril Coke. It stars Elizabeth Garvie as Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Sabina Franklyn as Miss Jane Bennet, David Rintoul as Mr. Darcy, and Osmund Bullock as Mr. Bingley. Important supporting cast members are Moray Watson as Mr. Bennet, Priscilla Morgan as Mrs. Bennet, Irene Richard as Charlotte Lucas, who is married to the insufferable Mr. Collins (Malcolm Rennie). Peter Settelen portrays Mr. Wickham, a rogue in a gentleman's clothing, and Judy Parfitt plays the hateful Lady Catherine de Bourgh.Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a superb novel, that has been admired for over 200 years. Transferring it to the screen has been a challenge, because there are so many characters, who are key to the plot, and whom are related to each other in complex ways. The BBC mini-series is 265 minutes long. Even at that length, some characters are introduced briefly and then disappear from view. The 1995 BBC mini-series is 327 minutes long. It will be interesting to see whether the extra hour will allow more character development. Possibly the extra hour will just be used to show off the wonderful BBC production capabilities.If you're familiar with the novel, I think you'll be pleased by the actors and the interpretation of the characters as decided by director Coke. The only character with whom I found a problem was Mr. Bennet. Yes--he's a curmudgeon, but we see him as a rather harsh curmudgeon. I don't think Jane Austen thought of him in that way.If you're not familiar with the novel, you might find it helpful to read the novel, or at least read a synopsis of the novel, so you can keep the characters straight.We saw this movie on the small screen (in a VHS version!) and it worked well enough. Of course, it was made for TV, so it should work on a small screen. Still, if you ever have the opportunity to see it in a theater, I'd take that opportunity. It's a good, solid depiction of a great novel. This BBC Pride and Prejudice is definitely worth seeing.

This is definitely the quintessential version of P & P! The actors were all perfectly cast and I agree with previous reviewers that Elizabeth Garvie captured the spirit of Lizzie to a 'T' (as did David Rintoul with Darcy). Yes, it's production values are a bit primitive (1979 after all!), but you forget the settings because the script and performances are all so absorbing. True to Jane Austen and completely enjoyable. Quick quibble with some other reviewers, who are obviously Austen fans, but not very 'up' on British history ... P & P took place in Georgian England (George III - late 1700s to early 1800s), not Victorian England (1837-1901). Ms Austen was long dead by the time Victoria ascended the throne!

"Pride & Prejudice" is easily the favourite of all of Jane Austen's six published novels. Many literary critics have tried to analyse why her books are still so popular in this day & age around 200 years after they were written. Probably the best reasons are that the themes of her novels, (love & marriage), are relevant at any time period & that she was just so darned good as a writer. Taken purely as a love story It is probably without equal which explains why it has been adapted for film & television so often. This 1980 version stars Elizabeth Garvie as Elizabeth Bennett who plays the sensible & spirited young lady really well but, for me David Rintoul as Fitzwilliam Darcy is even better. To my mind, he plays the proud, haughty & extremely handsome Darcy precisely as written & envisioned by Jane Austen. He is aloof, stiff & unemotional which makes it easy to see why Elizabeth dislikes him so much at first. Quite a number of reviewers of this adaptation of Pride & Prejudice have criticised Rintoul's performance. They claim he plays Darcy with too little emotion & in comparison with Colin Firth's 1995 performance is dull, uninteresting & unromantic. It is true that he isn't as outwardly romantic as played by Colin Firth but I disagree with that criticism. Rintoul nails him precisely as written by Jane Austen & what a shame we cannot get her opinion!. Another standout acting performance is given by Judy Parfitt as Darcy's aunt Lady Catherine De Bourgh. Ms Parfitt has a natural regal bearing combined with a beautifully intoned speaking voice & can just nail an upper-crust woman effortlessly. She also plays her with such a commanding air that you almost cannot help disliking her. That, too, is also true to the spirit of the book as written by Jane Austen. Malcolm Rennie is also excellent as the pompous, somewhat comical vicar Mr. Collins. The scene in which he proposes marriage to Elizabeth & is rejected by her is particularly well played by both of them. Both Priscilla Morgan & Moray Watson are also extremely good as Elizabeth Bennett's mother and father, respectively. Sabina Franklyn also does well playing Elizabeth's very pretty older sister Jane who will fall in love & marry Darcy's best friend Mr. Bingley (Osmund Bullock). Tessa Peake-Jones plays her bookish younger sister Mary who later got a more fames television role as Delboy's love interest Raquel in Only Fools & Horses. Natalie Ogle plays the youngest of the five Bennett sisters Lydia who is fatuous & will enter into a hasty, sham marriage with the handsome, (but deceitful & untrustworthy), Mr. Wickham (Peter Settelen). None of the sisters attend the marriage ceremony & when they return from their honeymoon Lydia is eager to tell her sisters all about it. Elizabeth does not want to know & delivers one of the books most memorable put-down lines. "I do not think there can be too little said on the subject!". There isn't a weak performance by anyone in the entire cast. The 1995 TV production with Colin Firth & Jennifer Ehle was pretty good, but this 1980 BBC production dramatised by Fay Weldon is closer to the book & definitely superior in my opinion.

The 1980 version of "Pride and Prejudice" is by FAR the best, it is truer to the spirit of the novel. Elizabeth Garvie is perfect as Eliza Bennett and David Rintoul plays Mr. Darcy as portrayed in the book. All the cast is excellent: Sabina Franklyn as Jane, Moray Watson as Mr. Bennett and Desmond Adams as Colonel Fitzwilliam are good. This adaptation is superior to the A & E version which is too "Hollywood" and over the top . I have seen the 1995 version and found it very entertaining. Colin Firth is very sexy and earthy. I found Jennifer Elhe to be a very good Elizabeth Bennett, but almost looked too old for the part.