Over the years the star studded movie industry has brought to life some of the most beloved characters of English literature. Among the many are those conjured by the imagination and delicate wit of Jane Austen. She is perhaps one of the most treasured authors of the early 19th century.

Pride and Prejudice is the delightful rendition of the world in which Austen lived. It is a story of true love, prevailing against the social customs of Georgian England. Its most recent movie adaptation has brought new life to Austen’s novel linking the time period to the twenty-first century audience.

The story introduces Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, a man and wife of meager fortune, and their five daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. The family has no sons to inherit their estate. The only means of keeping the family from poverty are the eager hopes of Mrs. Bennet to marry off her daughters to wealthy men. It is her single minded and comical pursuit. When a wealthy bachelor, Mr. Bingley, moves into the neighborhood, Mrs. Bennet is set on marrying one of her daughters to him.

Elizabeth, played by Keira Knightley, stands strongly against the idea to marry for fortune. She is determined never to marry unless she finds herself to be in love. The story struggles between the matters of the heart, and the difficult financial obligations the family would face if the daughters are not married into a better situation.

Elizabeth soon finds herself unknowingly in the path of love when Mr. Darcy, a man of wealth and pride, is introduced. He is the dear friend of Mr. Bingley. The first meeting between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy is filled with the disdain and dislike of the other, but it turns to admiration and mutual love. In his high social status, marrying beneath him would be a disgrace. They both begin a struggle against their situations in life, for the pursuit of love and happiness they hope to find in each other.

Set against a backdrop of the dramatic English countryside, the dynamic characters of Austen’s novel, come to life in a way that has never been achieved before. The movie is artful and tender, its characters displaying all of the humility and pride as Austen so vividly described them. Pride and Prejudice is one of the most enduring love stories. I encourage anyone who is a fan of English literature and true love to watch it.