CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 7/01/05

Austen Abroad

by jason davis

Paul Mayeda Berges & Gurinder Chadha (latter also directed)
Inspired by the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

A globalized, multi-cultural adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Bride & Prejudice finds American hotelier Will Darcy (Martin Henderson) visiting India with a college chum (Naveen Andrews). There he finds himself entranced with the fiercely independent daughter (Aishwarya Rai) of an aristocratic family desperate for an infusion of the nouveau riche. Hewing close to the plot of its literary antecedent, the film does an excellent job of transposing the characters and events to a modern international setting while maintaining, via the social structures of the respective cultures, a clear parallel to the rigid class system of Austen's England. If the film has a weakness, it's the intrusive musical numbers that seem forced and do little to underscore the emotions of the characters beyond the events and dialogue surrounding the songs. While traditional Indian dance and song are well integrated, the show tunes disrupt the narrative to ill effect. A thoughtful commentary considers the adaptation in detail, while deleted scenes illustrate the process of honing a story.

Bride & Prejudice
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Rated PG-13; 111 min.
$29.99

Buy it now for only $20.99 (save 30%)

At the age of 21, Jason Davis was hit in the face with a car. He has since devoted his life to writing. His words have appeared on TBS, MSN.com, and CS Weekly, where he serves as DVD Coordinator. He lives in Burbank.

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