The production is well shot with beautiful location work and the adaptation, while it does tinker with some of the dialogue, benefits from the extended length of a miniseries over a movie. The BBC does this sort of adaptation so well with great locations, good writing and directing and a supporting cast that do a great job all the way down the cast list to Darcy's housekeeper. I particularly thought the Regency costumes in this production were marvellous, keep an eye out for the differences in dress between the rural Bennet girls and Mr Bingley's sisters.

I won't waste space going over how marvellous Jane Austen's story is, how witty and sharp her look at the life of the rural gentry.

The one problem you will have with this production is that once you sit down to watch it is impossible to stop and most of a day disappears as you are trapped in Jane Austen's world.

That Wickham is a scallywag! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Jane Austin tends to fare well when translated to the screen. There must be a nice respect for the author, that people tend to be both careful and faithful. Costume dramas are always nice to look at, but preserving the essential Austin dialog gives it that extra bite.

"Pride and Prejudice - The Special Edition (1996)" is a lovely, funny, romantic presentation of a classic English novel. In terms of eye candy, the estates are grand, both inside and out, and the costumes are appropriately beautiful. The BBC definitely delivers when it comes to presenting England's splendors. The actors are all perfectly cast, and each delivers and outstanding performance. Collin Firth is excellent as the brooding Mr. Darcy. Alison Steadman and Benjamin Whitrow are a constant source of amusement and wit as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Julia Sawalha as Lydia plays the exact opposite of her Absolutely Fabulous character Saffron. Jennifer Ehle is really the perfect Elizabeth Bennet. There is a lot to be said for "a pair of fine eyes."

The DVD presentation is really superior for these types of shows. With such fantastic scenery, a widescreen presentation is necessary. The Special Edition fixes many errors present in previous offerings. Just try to put in the first disk, and not watch all six hours straight through!

Very addictive to watch... (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This adaptation of Jane Austen's classic is absolutely addictive. I bought this special edition DVD less than a month ago and have watched it at least 3 times and various different scenes more than a few times. The attention to detail with the settings, costumes and language that stays very true to Austen's novel is magnificent and part of the enormous charm of this mini-series. The actors are all wonderfully cast. Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth as Elizabeth and Darcy have an undeniable chemistry between them that it would be very difficult to imagine anyone else in their roles. The characters literally come to life on the screen, and it would be difficult to re-read the novel without imagining all the wonderful actors who portrayed them in the film.

The DVD had a special "Making of..." feature that is very good, but not as interesting as the book version. I found it odd that the two main stars, Ehle and Firth, were not interviewed at all but Alison Steadman (Mrs. Bennett) and David Bamber (Mr. Collins) were instead. It was interesting to hear the production team and the producer, Sue Birtwistle, the director, Simon Langton and the writer, Andrew Davies, tell their own personal feelings about both the Austen novel and their film adaptation of it. This DVD is very much a valuable collectible for any Austen fan or any period film buff.

Period Movie - Lovely to watch (Rating: 4.00)
Review : As an avid lover of period movies, I received this particular one last Christmas. I've been able to watch it multiple times. I love Colin Firth's portrayal of a proud and prejudice man who finally learns there are more important things. It's funny and romantic and the dialogue, as with any period piece, will keep you on your toes . . . maybe that's why I can re-watch so many times. It is a timeless movie!

Colin Firth...need I say more? Great Movie Colin Firth aside (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This movie is so amazing I've watched it so many times and I never get tired of it. I thought this was by far the best film adaptation of the novel. Colin Firth portrayed Mr. Darcy exactly as I pictured him in my mind. I loved all the characters and felt like the actors/actresses lived up the their characters in the novel. While the picture quality may not be that great (read several comments about it) it didnt bother me one bit. The locations they filmed were simply beautiful, the story and characters entralling, and the costumes and scenes eye catching....I didnt even notice the quality.

A marvelous adaptation of one of the great novels. (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This A&E/BBC miniseries is a true masterpiece, bringing Jane Austen's most popular novel to life in a near perfect production. It has everything: authentic Regency Period atmosphere, costumes, settings, a beautiful musical score, excellent performances by a well-chosen cast. Andrew Davis's script does full justice to Austen's original. Colin Firth is excellent as Mr. Darcy, but Jennifer Ehle just takes my breath away with her magnificent performance, which catches every nuance of Elizabeth Bennet's character exactly right in every scene. It is a pleasure to watch all 4 1/2 hours straight through again and again. As a longtime devoted admirer of Jane Austen's works, I am very critical of any movies based upon her novels, but this has to be one of the very best adaptations of any major literary work.