The cast of the popular period drama includes Rosamund Pike and Keira Knightley (Image: UNIVERSAL PICTURES)
Netflix subscribers have just a handful of days left to catch a “perfect” Jane Austen adaptation before it’s removed from the platform.
The hugely popular streaming service boasts an eclectic mix of films and TV shows well worth your time, spanning hard-hitting crime dramas and otherworldly fantasy to insightful documentaries, side-splitting comedies and much more besides.
However, for fans of period drama and slow-burning romance, one film stands head and shoulders above the rest – Pride and Prejudice. The 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s legendary 1813 classic novel features Keira Knightley in the role of beloved literary heroine Elizabeth Bennet, alongside Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy.
The film marked the feature directorial debut of Joe Wright, with the screenplay penned by Deborah Moggach.
At the time of her casting, Keira Knightley was riding high on the success of Pirates of the Caribbean, while Macfadyen was considerably less well-known. Nevertheless, the film proved a commercial triumph, taking $121.6 million at the worldwide box office against a $28 million budget.
Knightley even secured an Oscar nomination for her work on the film.
It continues to hold a special place in the hearts of movie lovers to this day – though you’ll need to act fast, as it’s set to be removed from Netflix on June 20.
Set in late 18th century England, the story follows the Bennet family – Mr and Mrs Bennet and their five daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia – and their pursuit of suitable, socially acceptable matches for their girls.
Knightley’s Elizabeth first meets Macfadyen’s Mr Darcy at a ball, where she develops an immediate aversion to him, thinking him to be arrogant and snobbish.
Throughout the film, they argue and engage in verbal jousting, with Elizabeth remaining thoroughly unimpressed by the man she believes Mr Darcy to be.
Yet Mr Darcy develops romantic feelings for her and, in one of the film’s most memorable lines, declares: “I love you. Most ardently. Please do me the honour of accepting my hand.”
Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice, 2005 (Image: United International Pictures)
The 2005 adaptation boasts an 87% rating on popular review-aggregation website, Rotten Tomatoes, with critics applauding the casting choices, directorial approach, and faithfulness to the themes and subtlety of the beloved novel upon which it was based, all against the backdrop of artistic changes like an earlier setting and a less “clean” interpretation of the Regency world.
One critic wrote: “Between the perfect casting, Wright’s excellent directing (I still can’t believe this was his first film), the memorable romantic moments, and the well-developed themes, it’s practically impossible not to fall in love with it.”
Another said: “Between Wright’s magnetically captivating vision and the impeccable performances, Pride and Prejudice 2005 shines as a leading benchmark of a breathtaking adaptation, earning a rightful stamp of approval from countless longtime fans.”
A third added: “In a modern framework, feminist works of the past can still have an impact on newer audiences.
“Pride and Prejudice allows the timeless tale to gain new life without sacrificing any of its narrative importance.”
Pride and Prejudice leaves Netflix on June 20.