Valentine's Day is upon us, and whether you're happily in love or hopelessly still searching, we could all benefit from a few good old fashioned romantic films and tv shows. What better way to get in your Valentine's mood than watching "Pride and Prejudice?" Forget "Romeo and Juliet," I think Elizabeth and Darcy are most romantic couple in literature. (Maybe because, spoiler alert, neither of them die!) To save you from watching a dud adaptation, I'm going to rank them all here. Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!
9. "Lost in Austen"
Honestly, I couldn't make it through this whole show. That said, it's an interesting take on the story. It follows Jane Austen superfan, Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper), who finds a doorway into the world of "Pride and Prejudice" in her bathroom. Of course, she dives right in and accidently leaves poor Elizabeth Bennet (Gemma Arterton) in modern day London. Needless to say, Amanda ruined everything and my fragile heart just couldn't take it.
8. "Austenland"
"Austenland" is another spin on the classic story. Keri Russell plays Jane, a single woman who is obsessed with BBC Darcy. As with any slightly unhealthy obsession, it negatively affects her love life. She spends all her money on a trip to Austenland, a theme park for those who love Jane Austen's works. Naturally, Jane finds her own Mr. Darcy. Not my favorite, but then again I'm just partial to the actual "Pride and Prejudice" narrative and not people playing around inside it.
7. "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries"
I didn't care for "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" simply because it was a YouTube show. I found the writing clever in some places, but the acting was so sub-par, and the pacing was too quick. I couldn't get into the story. Kudos for trying.
6. "Pride and Prejudice" (2003)
To put it lightly, this movie was so horrifically early 2000s that I literally turned it off before the beginning credit montage was through. It features Liz Bennet driving around in her quirky Volkswagen Beetle to the most cringe-worthy early 2000s song. Eventually, I pressed on and finished the movie, and I really wasn't impressed. I thought the characters were cartoonish and flat and the situations they found themselves in didn't make much sense. A swing and a miss, folks.
5. "Bride and Prejudice"
If you like upbeat, Bollywood dance numbers this is the "Pride and Prejudice" adaptation for you. I am partial to musical numbers, so I wasn't the least bit upset with this movie. I found this movie to be quirky and cute! They also adapted it so that the issue with Lalita's (Aishwarya Rei Bachchan) and Darcy's (Martin Henderson) relationship was more to do with cultural differences than socioeconomic status, as was the case in the original. Plus, Aishwarya Rei Bachchan is so gorgeous. How could you not want to watch her sing, dance, and fall in love?
4. "Bridget Jones's Diary"
I'll be honest, I didn't realize this was based on "Pride and Prejudice" when I first watched it. It's hard to imagine clumsy, irreverent Bridget (Reneé Zellweger) in the same literary category as Elizabeth Bennet. Nonetheless, I watched it again through the "Pride and Prejudice" gaze and found a few slight similarities in the story line. I will always love this movie. I really think its one of the funniest romantic comedies out there, and it stars BBC Darcy, Colin Firth! It's also a great single girls' film for Valentine's Day.
3. "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies"
I was honestly a little blown away by this movie. I was skeptical at first, but after doing some reading I found that "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" is actually a book. Anyway, the movie was surprisingly well-adapted. Much of the dialogue came straight from "Pride and Prejudice," but they changed what would've been a quiet, sexually repressed conversation into an action-packed (slightly risqué) fight scene. One issue I did have with this film was that it kind of over-sexed everything, but if you've got a thing for zombies or girls who kick ass, this is the "Pride and Prejudice" adaptation for you. Plus, it stars "Game of Thrones" villain, Lena Headey, as Lady Catherine de Bourg.
2. BBC presents "Pride and Prejudice"
1. "Pride and Prejudice" (2005)
This movie is by far my favorite "Pride and Prejudice" adaptation. It may have a lot to do with the fact that it's full of actors and actresses I recognize: Keira Knightley, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone, Judy Dench, and Rosamund Pike. Still, this film is visually stunning and the soundtrack is beautiful. There are a lot of scenic shots of the countryside and close-ups of hands almost touching. Honestly, I think it captures all the stuffy propriety of what makes "Pride and Prejudice" the love story that it is, but it makes the romance more overt than in any other adaptation. Also, I find Mr. Darcy's sideburns uncommonly attractive. Swoon.
