Pop Culture
So far, 10 movies and TV adaptations of Pride and Prejudice have been released.
One of the first adaptations was a MGM film released in 1940. The film grossed less than a million dollars. The movie was received very well by the critics. It was not true to the time period, featuring more flamboyant costumes than worn at the time. The movie compresses the actions of over a year into a much shorter time period. Several key characters and both of Elizabeth's journeys are eliminated. This changes the film from the book because the journeys played key roles in establishing romance between Darcy and Elizabeth.
Over the next 55 years, BBC released 6 TV mini-series of Pride and Prejudice. The most notable was the last one, released in 1995 and broadcast over the course of 6 weeks. It won several awards, including a BAFTA for Best Actress, a Broadcasting Press Guild for Best Actor, and an Emmy for Best Costume Design. It is celebrated for its faithfulness to the book.
This is the highest grossing Pride and Prejudice film, starring Kiera Knightly as Elizabeth. It earned four Academy Award nominations. The film stays true to the much of the novel, although it eliminates a narrator. Despite its success, it still hangs in the shadow of the 1995 mini-series.
The most recent adaptation, called A Modern Pride an Prejudice, was released in 2011. The movie places Pride and Prejudice, in a modern setting. As a result, it was a flop. This is the least successful adaptation.
The following video is a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. It is a 100-episdoe YouTube series called the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. It attempts to find the humor in Jane Austen. They also have a new project title Welcome to Sandition, that is currently being produced.