Okay the Mr. Darcy hand flex in theaters is amazing
You can tell a girl’s mental state by how often she watches Pride & Prejudice. Don’t question me, I am right about this one.
The Joe Wright adaptation of Jane Austen’s most beloved novel was released in 2005 and for the last twenty years has been a comfort to fans everywhere. We watched as Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) and Lizzie (Keira Knightley) fell in love with each other. I remember seeing the film as a young 13 year old and falling in love with Austen’s story. Now, like many others, the film just feels like a warm blanket every time I watch it.
The re-release gave me (and many others) the unique possibility to relive the beauty that is Pride & Prejudice in theaters. I witnessed a girl taking pictures like she was at a concert (don’t do that), I heard gasps and cries at part of the film that we all can probably quote in our sleep. But it still was a beautiful collective experience to revisit a movie we know.
It is a newish trend I’ve noticed. On the anniversary of some of our favorite “classics,” they’re released in theaters again. For many of us, it is the first time we’re seeing these movies on the big screen. But with Pride & Prejudice, it is different for me. It was a collective experience of all reacting to moments we know and appreciate together.
Nothing like falling in love (with Pride & Prejudice) again
I was slightly disappointed my theater didn’t react more vocally to Mr. Darcy’s iconic hand flex but it did make me think about the subtle moment and why we love it so much. It became such a “thing” because we all realized, through multiple rewatches, what it represents. Darcy is falling in love in his own way and we’re seeing the physical manifestation of it.
Seeing it again, live in theaters, reminded me that this love story is one that is Lizzie’s journey. Darcy, against his better judgment, tends to love Lizzie quicker than she loves him. I think that the hand flex is just the beginning of him fighting what was inevitable. Sure, you can view it as his “disgust” for the Bennet family but I think it is, instead, the start of his undying affection for her.
Another thing I realized this time around is that the push and pull of their love for each other is almost undeniable. In the iconic “most ardently” scene, they are quite literally pushing and pulling each other and it felt like the two were struggling to not kiss one another. Seeing that play out on the big screen was breathtaking to watch.
So if you’re thinking that going to see a movie in theaters you know well is pointless, think again! Seeing Pride & Prejudice again in theaters after 20 years was amazing and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. So, let our beloved film bewitch you body and soul and see the re-release of Pride & Prejudice while you can.
(featured image: Focus Features)
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