When it was announced that Joe Wright’s 2005 film Pride and Prejudice would be re-released in theaters for the 20th anniversary, I mentally bought myself a ticket. Then, one month later, I bought a real ticket with real adult money. I couldn’t wait to see the sweeping visuals on a screen bigger than my house and hear the gorgeous soundtrack in IMAX six-channel surround sound. And the hand flex, of course. I’m only human.
But did my first and only theatrical experience with this film live up to the hype? (The answer is obviously yes, but if you keep scrolling, there will be at least one picture of Mr. Darcy.)
Incandescently Happy
I got there thirty minutes early. Yes, I agree that is an absolutely insane thing to do. But I had decided that morning that I would write this article, so it was necessary to show up early enough to find the Pride and Prejudice 20th anniversary poster and take at least forty-five pictures in front of it before landing on the one you see here. If Instagram has taught us anything, it’s that life doesn’t actually happen unless you take a photo of it.
The film began with a special introduction video from director Joe Wright. With wonder in his eyes, he humbly discussed the movie’s enduring impact over the past twenty years. Personally, I find it so endearing when famous people seem blissfully unaware of their impact on society. Someone might need to sit down with Mr. Joe Wright and explain to him that he adapted one of the best Jane Austen novels of all time into a movie with Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. No one should be surprised that we’re all sitting in this theater twenty years later.
You Have Bewitched Me, Body and Soul
It really was different on the big screen. Usually, terms like “immersive experience” are only used for action films. But trust me when I say that I felt like I was standing in the ballroom watching Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley sneak glances at each other. I heard background conversations I never even knew existed in the movie. For two hours, I lived in Longbourn and danced in Netherfield and heard Kitty’s giggles constantly in the background. It was magical.
The opening weekend for the 20th anniversary re-release raked in a whopping $2.7 million, nearly matching its original opening weekend numbers. The love for this film has taken on a life of its own. Pride and Prejudice is the most famous novel Jane Austen ever wrote, and this movie is one of the most iconic Austen adaptations of all time. (Coupled with the 1995 Pride and Prejudice mini-series, which, funny enough, is currently having its 30th anniversary.)
Why do we love this movie so much? Is it because Mr. Darcy wears a long coat and open shirt and walks through a field as the sun rises and the music swells? Well, that’s certainly part of it, but that’s not the full story. When it comes down to it, I think it’s because we love true love — or, at least, I do.
My heart was beating in time with the story as it went on. I had seen the movie so many times before, but somehow the magic of the theatrical experience transformed it into something new. Would they end up together? Would he strive to be better, just because he wanted to see her happy? Yes, yes, it would all happen. And reader, when he held his face and kissed his Mrs. Darcy, I cried. Reader, I cried.
Consider this my version of the famous Nicole Kidman AMC Theatres commercial. Going to the movies is worth it in the same way that finishing a book is. For a few hours out of our day, we can enter another world and immerse ourselves in beauty. What a lovely thing.
Click here for a deep dive into the original novel.
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