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2005 · film · dir. Joe Wright

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice (2005) stars Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen in a romantic, painterly retelling shot on real English locations. Nominated for four Academy Awards, it remains the definitive big-screen version for a generation of viewers and returned to theaters for its 20th anniversary in 2025.

Cast & Characters

ActorCharacter
Keira KnightleyElizabeth Bennet
Matthew MacfadyenMr. Darcy
Rosamund PikeJane Bennet
Donald SutherlandMr. Bennet
Brenda BlethynMrs. Bennet
Judi DenchLady Catherine de Bourgh
Carey MulliganKitty Bennet

Joe Wright’s debut feature reimagined Austen for the big screen: mud on the hems, livestock in the yard, and a Bennet household that actually feels like it contains seven people. Janeites still argue about the hand-flex.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I watch Pride & Prejudice (2005)?

In the US it streams on Netflix and is available to rent or buy on Prime Video and Apple TV. Availability changes monthly — we verify links at the date shown on this page.

How faithful is the 2005 film to the book?

It compresses the novel's year into what feels like a season, cuts Wickham to a cameo, and romanticizes the class texture — but preserves the two-proposal structure and much original dialogue. The US ending adds a scene that exists in no draft of Austen's.