Good opinion once lost, is lost forever.

I just finished watching the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightly. And my opinion of it, while never anything but slightly negative, is now most definitely not a good one.

Whilst trying not to be prejudiced, I cannot help but compare it to the book. As far as I am concerned, there are certain things you must do in order to remain true to Miss Austen and her beloved manuscript.

Women with sleeveless gowns, while not completely unheard of, was not the norm.

Men coming into unmarried women's rooms, while unchaperoned, and at night...the horror.

Hair being let down and unbound, by a grown woman in public....

All the family ALWAYS listening at the doors....

Collins learned how to dance??

Georgiana appearing excited and hyper, instead of reserved and shy....

A bust of Darcy instead of a painting...

Mr. Bingley coming to see Jane in her room while she was sick...

Collins appearing somewhat sweet with that darn flower....

Lady Catherine arriving in the middle of the night....

And the Gardiner's did not seem all that gentile to me....

Collins announcing his "meeting" with Elizabeth in front of everyone....

Darcy's first proposal to Elizabeth out of doors...I suppose I can allow for some "artistic license" if only they had not screwed up the actual proposal.

And did I miss a big part of the movie, or was Wickham abundantly absent? Last I read, George Wickham was a very important and key part of the plot.

Perhaps Deborah Moggach and Emma Thompson were writing a screenplay based on what they thought Jane Austen SHOULD have written. Make Charlotte a bit more openly hostile with Elizabeth about her engagement to Collins. Most people with large families are rude and therefore will be eavesdropping busybodies by nature, even ones portrayed by Miss Austen as kind and sweet (i.e. Jane Bennet). Didn't Miss Austen know that the outdoors, rain, and early morning dew make for excellent shots of "will you be my...?"

I understand that they tried to turn a novel into a 2 hour movie, and it was necessary to skip some parts or merge some together. But just outright screwing them up is a completely different story. Do I really think Mr. Darcy would have approached Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner whom he had not been introduced to, and invited them to dinner, without Elizabeth present? No...I do not. His manners, while frosty and reserved, were impeccable. Look how upset he became with Mr. Collins when Collins had the audacity to introduce himself to Darcy.

I have to say I was fine with skipping a wedding scene, and just making up their own ending. Fine. That's perfectly all right. Just don't mess with the original. And stick to what would have occurred due to propriety, etiquette, and form in the Regency period.