Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta
Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta
Runtime- 1hr 27min
Air date- June 1st, 2019
Director- Rhonda Baraka
Writers- Tracy McMillan
Filming locations- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Where to watch- stream free on Tubi
Starring Tiffany Hines as Elizabeth Bennet and Juan Antonio as Will Darcy
A Brief Summary
Lizzie Bennet and her four sisters are pressured by her mother to find husbands, preferably rich. In this modern adaption of Pride & Prejudice, you see Jane Austen’s story transformed and converted to Atlanta, Georgia, USA with an all-black cast.
“First Impressions”
My first watch though I thought overall this was a sweet yet tame modern adaptation. There were obvious changes from the original Regency England society to the modern-day U.S. Which is something I did expect. However, some of the changes did not hold the energy and drama that Jane Austen intended, translating Regency England to the modern U.S. seemed weak.
Because of these changes as well as right after starting to reflect on other adaptations. I started to question where the line was drawn from a book adaptation, loose adaptation, and anything else in between and beyond. For this movie, even though it is a twist from the original book, it holds the core theme and major plot points from the book (even though some of them are changed, you can still recognize them) that I would feel putting this under a loose adaptation would be way off and an injustice.
Characters
There were other characters added to this movie that weren’t from Jane Austen’s novel, but here are the highlights and compare and contrasts of the characters from novel to film:
Elizabeth
Lizzie Bennet is content with herself and the life she leads. As an activist for the community of Atlanta, Lizzie is more likely to see the men she encounters as an enemy rather than a potential love match.
I like how Elizabeth is written here and the actress, Tiffany Hines, plays the character as well. An independent woman, passing judgment based on the individual’s character that she sees, passionate, supportive, and caring. Exactly how I would imagine a modern Elizabeth Bennet.
Mr. Darcy
Played by Juan Antonio, not much of a fan personally. Very mellow character, consistently charismatic, AND a politician, so the charisma would be expected for that position, but not really for a Mr. Darcy character. He always tries to explain or tell Lizzie he had no idea this happened. So you could tell that he is a person in power but has little to no control over the people in and around his life and circle.
Jane
Played by Raney Branch, Jane Bennet is a widowed single mom of one boy, sweet and a heart of gold, just as one would expect.
Mr. Bingley
Pro golfer Charles Bingley, is new in town, good-mannered, and played by Brad James. The only qualm about him is the assumption that everyone makes of him in the movie that he is a player and in the end, even he claims that he did not date seriously until he met Jane. Mr. Bingley here could have been a bit better.
Caroline
Keshia Knight Pulliam played Caroline, Charles’ sister. Snooty and snotty, but not many appearances in the movie. I was a bit confused at one point where I thought they made her to be Will Darcy’s sister and not Charles Bingley’s sister.
Mr. Bennet
Reverend Bennet, played by Reginald VelJohnson, is a jovial, lovable husband and father. Nothing close to the Mr. Bennet we all know from Jane Austen’s novel. Honestly, I have no problem with this, he is a good character and the actor played him well.
Mrs. Bennet
Played by Jackee Harry and is what you expect Mrs. Bennet to be. Very invested in getting all five daughters married, especially to rich husbands.
There is a mention about twice of a book that Mrs. Bennet wrote about getting a husband. I think it was put in with the intent of the irony of writing this book but nothing to show for, having five single daughters. It felt like when the book was mentioned, it felt forced and out of place. I read reviews and synopsis of this movie before I watched it and I noticed the book was mentioned quite often in them, but not so much in the actual film. I thought it might be like “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” where parts of the book are then interpreted in the film. Except “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” is an actual book, and the book they refer to isn’t real and barely mentioned yet overhyped.
Wickham
I was surprised at this character. I kept waiting and waiting for this guy to turn on everyone, but it did not happen. This George Wickham was an adopted brother of Will Darcy and had some failures in his life, mostly with business, but they were nothing scandalizing. Just normal human mistakes. Played by Phillip Mulling Jr. this character was just a sweet guy who is young and likes to party. Nothing close to what one would expect of George Wickham. It was interesting, and I did not hate it. I do feel like making this choice calmed and dialed down the drama and despair that could have been and matched the energy of Jane Austen’s novel.
Lydia
Lydia was just a young woman doing her own thing, loving to party. I wouldn’t consider her loud, annoying, or embarrassing like many other Lydia Bennets have been portrayed. I did find it silly when George Wickham offered her marriage she declined (which I am ok with). The silly part was that she told him that he needed to “earn” her “affection” (to put it lightly) even though they were both already fooling around before the predicament. Like girl, you already gave him the goods, he didn’t do anything worth withholding them now. Played by Reginae Carter.
Mr. Collins
Reverend Stevie Collins is a dorky dude and suck-up to affluent people. The character decently constructed, he was perceived by most characters as a likable dude, except the Bennet sisters. Then that one weird moment when Stevie was fluffing up Reverend Bennet, and Mr. Bennet soaking it up until Stevie drops on him that he decided himself that he was going to take over the church for Reverend Bennet. Rev. Stevie Collin played by Carl Anthony Payne II
Charlotte
Only really worth mentioning is that she did fall in love with Stevie Collins, and when she explained it to Lizzie I thought it was so sweet. No way I would have ever thought of that in any other adaptation thus far. Charlotte played by Kellee Stewart
Mary and Kitty
Mary and Kitty were mentioned in the beginning and I saw them maybe in one to two other scenes. It seemed like they were mentioned and then forgotten, which I have seen happen in other adaptations, which I think is a bummer. Mary and Kitty are played by Brittney Level and Alexia Bailey.
Final Thoughts
Like I said before, I think this is a really sweet movie. In terms of the drama, I felt it was lukewarm. I wish they found modern issues that held the same or similar energy as what Jane Austen wrote. I would watch it again and I do think it is worth watching. A movie to watch if you are too overwhelmed and need to relax without having too much drama from the movie to overbear you.
