Boom!

We're watching Simon Langton's miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice (1995). It's really much more enjoyable than most of the movies we see. I suspect that it would be better to film most novels as miniseries. Many short stories could be filmed as 2 hr. movies, but I believe that happens less because novels are better known. So when will we learn?

It's no surprise I also liked Nicholas Renton's Wives and Daughters (1999), another BBC miniseries, also authored by Andrew Davies.

Maybe Jerry Bruckheimer can come out with a two-hour version of Pride and Prejudice. Something like The Specialist (1994), or Daredevil (2003), with Sharon Stone/Jennifer Garner as Elizabeth Bennet, and Sylvester Stallone/Ben Affleck as Darcy, and eleventy-bleven 'splosions and a couple of car chases. Actually, the troops are stationed in the area in which the story takes place, and there is a bit of cart riding, so it's just a matter of spicing things up a little.

Update

We finished watching Pride and Prejudice. It showed me something, for once, that I don't remember coming across on the printed page, and that is Darcy's (Colin Firth) awkwardness. Incidentally, even though he has top billing, Elizabeth Bennet's (Jennifer Ehle) screen time is much longer. No doubt my enjoyment of his awkwardness is partly due to my wife, who finds social awkwardness hugely amusing; it may be a Chinese thing. I remember when we were watching Jim Jarmusch's Down by Law (1986) and she cracked up at the scene in the jail where Roberto Benigni's Roberto was trying to act tough. (Back then I didn't realize he was a comic). An older couple was leaving the 3/4 empty hall, but slowly the rest of the audience--including me--caught on to the humor.

We also watched Jacques Rivette's Va savoir (2001). My wife gave up on it, but I slogged through. I'm afraid I lean towards the IMDb amateur critics rather than the professionals at the Movie Review Query Engine. It's just far too long.