You may know Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” but are you familiar with the Latter-day Saint version of it? Here’s the case for why you should consider rewatching it.
This comedic take on “Pride and Prejudice” features Utah college student Elizabeth Bennet (Kam Heskin). Bennet longs to become a writer and isn’t intent on dating. She then meets Will Darcy (Orlando Seale), a dashing and arrogant Englishman, with whom she clashes. This comedic love story then unfurls as the characters try to find love.
Director Andrew Black and colleagues developed the idea for the film while they were students at Brigham Young University, according to Meridian Magazine. Producer Jason Faller said that he stumbled upon Austen’s novel and was inspired by it.
The group that created the film — including Black, Faller, Kynan Griffin and others — felt that Provo, Utah, would be the perfect setting for a reimagining of “Pride and Prejudice.” So, work on the film ensued.
The film received mixed reviews, according to Rotten Tomatoes, with an overall score of 66% from critic reviews. Scott Foundas at Variety said, “The movie’s real discovery ... is the shimmery Heskin — in love with the camera and the audience, and marvelously attuned to the screwball stimuli all around her.” Another reviewer, Phil Villarreal for Arizona Daily Star, said that the film “marks the next step in the evolution of the burgeoning Mormon film genre.”
While I have fond memories of watching the film at my Young Single Adult Family Home Evening groups (think a group of adults between 18 and 30 years old gathering together for activities and a spiritual message), I think it’s time for a rewatch.
The audience for this film is broader than most Latter-day Saint films.
I have a special place in my heart for Latter-day Saints movies, even though I know they come across as campy to others and have inside jokes that a broad audience wouldn’t understand. While there’s some church terminology used in the film, it still appeals to a broad audience in that there aren’t significant inside jokes.
Instead, the film relies on using humor as a universal appeal. Those who spent some time in Provo will find it particularly funny, as it is clearly influenced by what goes on in Provo, but it’s still accessible to all.
Another reason to watch the film is that it does creatively reimagine Jane Austen’s book. If you’re an Austen fan and a “Clueless” fan, think of this as a low-budget yet well-produced equivalent film. It’s essentially “Clueless” made by Latter-day Saints.
It’s clean, wholesome and genuinely humorous.
If you’re looking for a movie to be nostalgic over or get to know, then maybe it’s time to rewatch “Pride & Prejudice: A Latter-day Saint Comedy.”