Adapting Jane Austen with Andrew Davies

www.chapman.edu...
Andrew Davies, writer of "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility" for television, shares inside stories about about adapting Jane Austen during a visit to Chapman University in Orange, CA. While he was in Southern California, Mr. Davies addressed the Jane Austen Society of North America's Southwest Meeting. This talk is part of the JASNA event. Mr. Davies is a writer of "Mr. Selfridge" and "House of Cards" for television.

[@andythain3923]

Thank you so much for posting. 58 year old male who Discovered Jane Austen during lockdown last year due to watching 1995 adaptation. The very best adaptation without a doubt.

[@chapmanu]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@HeidiJ77]

I always liked the scene where Elizabeth comes to Georgiana’s assistance like that and the chemistry between her and Darcy. Much more profound than the lake scene in my honest opinion.

[@EmoBearRights]

Although I do love the lake scene even if it is acronistic.

[@StephShrubb]

I agree! His eyes twinkle!

[@tarnopol]

This is terrific! I'm stunned that as of 11 Feb 2019, after five or so years, this has only 3700 views. This is popular stuff, you'd think! Anyway, thanks for putting it up, Chapman U.

[@constancewalsh3646]

How many gems on youtube are found by serendipity? by me, many! This is great!

[@preggioperson]

The best lecture l have heard for a very, very long time.

[@jrpipik]

Austen, of course, shows more understanding of the intensely private nature of Darcy's character when she has him write the letter as she does, revealing the more personal and painful elements last. You have to appreciate how perceptive Davies to pick up on the Abel and Caine nature of the Darcy-Wickham relationship, and Darcy's great pain and disappointment over it, which leaves him hurt and guarded. But he misses the fact that Darcy is also quite shy, having been raised with "good principles" but few of the manners he needed to operate gracefully in society -- his fortune has always been enough to smooth over such difficulties with anyone (especially any fortune-hunting woman) till he meets Lizzie. With her, he has to develop ways to appropriately demonstrate the better parts of his character.

[@bookmouse2719]

Andrew Davies is hysterically funny! Such humor and genius.

[@ileanaaaaa]

Thank you for uploading this!

[@preggioperson]

I think Andrew D is a genius.

[@soniavadnjal7553]

Funny and brilliant!

[@teridaly1771]

Loved his adaptation of Northanger Abbey. Wonderful leads!

[@vl2809]

13:40 for his roast of the 2005 version 😂

[@claireparker-chauvet2986]

Remember Andrew Davies in arts ed.

[@preggioperson]

A most amusing account.

[@settercrazy]

I've always loved the BBC 1980 version of "Pride and Prejudice" with Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul better than the 1995 version. I know this is a matter of taste. This lecture is very entertaining but as a woman I am noticing that the film industry HAD to shift away some attention from a story with perspective of women BACK on the male protagonist (Darcy). We just CANNOT leave the focus on the women, which is sad and I hope we can stop doing that. To quote Jane Austen's character Anne in "Persuasion": “Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands." Let's keep telling Jane Austen's stories from the women's perspective like she intended.

[@settercrazy]

Scene from 1980s version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWqchX5pirqCfJI

[@knittingknut]

To me the 1980 version seems wooden , like a stage play that has been filmed. The dialogue is forced and stilted and the characters lack depth. The costumes and hair styles seem so 1980’s too. I love the 1995 version. It’s now 2021, (26 years later) and it doesn’t look dated at all.

[@yasmin3677]

i dont think that adaptation change the focus for darcy, but i think it gave him more focus and shows his reactions just like it shows elizabeth. But i think that because colin firth became this icon and this character became huge on his name and jennifer ehle didnt became this superstar that lead to some people thinking that the series changed the focus, when ehle is on screen waaaay more than he is

[@auntyjo1792]

I reread that speech of Anne's just this afternoon.