Pride and Prejudice

This topic contains:

• overall comments and recommendations
• details about Pride and Prejudice's classification and consumer advice lines
• a review of Pride and Prejudice completed by Young Media Australia (YMA) on 23 October 2005.

Overall comments and recommendations

Anyone who is familiar with the 1995 television series of Pride and Prejudice may be somewhat disappointed by this film, as quite a number of elements were lacking, due to the short amount of time available for the building of suspense, dramatic scenes and the formation of relationships. There were, however, a number of comic scenes and some very convincing performances. This film will most likely appeal to a mature female audience, to Jane Austen and / or to Keira Knightley fans.

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) and the associated consumer advice lines.

YMA review

This review of the movie Pride and Prejudice contains the following information:

• a synopsis of the story
• use of violence
• material that may scare children
• product placement
• sexual references
• nudity and sexual activity
• use of substances
• coarse language
• the movie's message

A synopsis of the story

Set in Georgian England, Pride and Prejudice tells the tale of the Bennet family. Mr Bennet (Donald Sutherland) and Mrs. Bennet (Brenda Blethyn) have five daughters: the sweet and beautiful Jane (Rosamund Pike); the sensible and stubborn Elizabeth (Keira Knightley); the bookish and pious Mary (Talulah Riley); the youthful and silly Kitty (Carey Mulligan); and Lydia (Jena Malone), the youngest and wildest of all. Mr and Mrs Bennet are desperately seeking husbands for all of their daughters.

Life is fairly monotonous until the arrival of Mr. Bingley (Simon Woods) and his arrogant friend Mr. Darcy (Matthew MacFadyen). Both gentlemen are wealthy, distinguished and eligible and turn the Bennet household upside down as Mrs. Bennet schemes to marry her daughters off. There are scandals and gossip, friendships tested and truths discovered.

Use of violence

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is only one instance of violence in the film, when a team of horses is whipped to encourage them to go faster.

Material that may scare children

Under eight

Children under eight are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations, the death of a parent or child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

There are no overtly frightening scenes; however, parents may wish to note that:

• some children may be upset to see horses being whipped.
  
• some of the dramatic scenes with tense music and angry yelling may be disturbing to some young viewers.

Over the age of eight

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

There is nothing in this film that would frighten children over the age of eight.

Sexual references

Mr. Collins (Tom Hollander), a distant cousin, mistakenly uses the word ‘intercourse’ during once of his sermons, for which he apologises profusely.

Nudity and sexual activity

There is no explicit nudity or sexual activity, however some is implied as follows:

• Sexual activity is implied when Lydia and Mr. Wickham run off together, though it is never openly stated.
  
• A fair bit of cleavage is shown throughout the film due to the low-cut, Georgian-style dresses which were fashionable at the time.
  
• Artwork of bare breasts, buttocks and genitalia is shown adorning the ceiling of Mr. Darcy’s home.
  
• Elizabeth is seen gazing at nude, marble statues.

Use of substances

Wine is consumed in various scenes throughout the film: at balls, in pubs and during some meals.

Coarse language

Mr. Bingley once refers to himself as an ‘unmitigated and incomprehensive ass’.

The movie's message

The movie’s main message is that people are not always what they appear to be and that first impressions can be misleading. Parents could take the opportunity to remind children not to jump to conclusions and judge others without first understanding why they are the way they are.