Content Warning: Spoilers ahead
Argue as much as you want, but nothing will ever convince me that the best adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is anything but the 2005 movie. Here are, what I think to be, the best scenes in the movie in no particular order.
- The conversation at the first ball
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Up until this point, we’ve started to see Elizabeth’s badass, feminist attitude, but this is the first time we can be like “Oh shiiiiiiiiiitttt Lizzie.” She straight-up destroyed Darcy with that savage smirk, and then she just curtsies and walks away. “Dancing, even if one’s partner is barely tolerable” is one of the most incredible lines I’ve ever heard.
- Elizabeth and Darcy dance at Bingley’s ball
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Picture it. Elizabeth is reluctantly dancing with Darcy. Darcy is starting to expose his true simp nature. Then, everything around them disappears and it’s just them, the dance, and those major heart eyes. Be still our hearts.
- Elizabeth meets Georgiana
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Seeing Darcy interact with his little sister is cute enough, but Darcy interacting with Lizzie around his sister? Unmatched. I’m convinced that by the time they left Pemberley, even Lizzie’s aunt and uncle shipped it.
- Elizabeth destroys Lady Catherine
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It’s the culmination of Lizzie’s badassery. She’s never been one to put up with anyone’s shit on the best of days. Now Lady Catherine wants to yell at her and tell her she’s not allowed to marry Darcy right after she’s finally realized how desperately in love with him she is? Things are going to get explosive. Elizabeth isn’t taking any survivors. She lets Lady Catherine say her piece, and then the way she kicks her out? Immaculate, cannot be topped.
- Darcy’s first proposal
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I know it failed, I know. But this is still one of my favorite scenes in the movie. Let’s start with the location: the garden, the rain, the running. Top tier. Then, there’s Darcy, out of breath with simp eyes. He does this god awful job of proposing, Lizzie yells at him about Wickham and breaking up Bingley and Jane, Darcy yells back at her because he’s sad now, Lizzie delivers a devastating blow, and then they stop. Now that they’ve gotten out all of the stuff that was lingering between them, all that’s left to do is kiss. They don’t, but they totally thought about it.
- Darcy helps Bingley propose to Jane
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Darcy tries really hard to pretend that he’s this mean, scary guy, but scenes like this expose how soft he actually is. Bingley is high key freaking out about what is supposed to happen when he goes back into the house to propose to Jane. Darcy is quietly patient as he practices all of Bingley’s different scenarios with him. I know that this scene has absolutely nothing to do with Darcy and Lizzie, but it’s so cute and sweet that it will always be one of my favorite scenes in the movie.
- Darcy’s second proposal
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So Darcy botched the first proposal. Well, he more than makes up for it in his second try. The fog and early morning, his coat and his intentional gait, and the way he stumbles over the words ‘I love you’? I will never get over this scene — it’s impossible to overhype it.
Pride and Prejudice (2005) is one of my favorite movies of all time. I’ve restarted the movie immediately after finishing it many times. If you haven’t seen it, it leaves Netflix on December 31st, so go watch it now!