Which Pride & Prejudice adaptation is the best?
And here’s to Kris Kristofferson’s safe reincarnation
We've been on a Kris Kristofferson kick this week, and so "The Highwayman1" has been stuck in my head interchangeably with "Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down." Can’t really complain about that.
"The Highwayman," sung by supergroup The Highwaymen – that’s Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson – is written by songwriting genius Jimmy Webb, who seems to have a bit of a thing for songs mentioning places – including Phoenix, Witchita, McArthur Park and Galveston.
Speaking of which, “The Highwayman” gives Kristofferson my favourite line in the song: "I sailed a schooner round the Horn of Mexico," which just trips off the tongue (and sticks in my brain), and is likely to be less polarising than Webb’s lyric about someone leaving a cake out in the rain and never having the recipe again.2
"The Highwayman" tells the story of a man who repeatedly perishes on the job and then reincarnates into an equally perilous, equally low-status role. The most glamorous job being the actual highwayman3, and the least probably a man pouring concrete for the Hoover Dam4. Usually people reincarnate as the Queen of Sheba, or whatever, so this makes a refreshing change.
In many ways, the song feels like the sequel to "Wichita Lineman," since the lineman spends all his time up climbing telegraph poles, which also isn’t glamorous and also doesn’t sound safe.
Anyway, R.I.P. Kris Kristofferson. I hope you come back as something excellent and with a better health and safety record at work than the highwayman.
Janeites Assemble!
On Sunday, I went to a venerable old Tudor mansion called Hancox to listen to a reading of a work in progress – an adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by local playwright Joanna Norland.
Joanna’s ambition with her script was to keep as many of Austen's own words in the story as possible and I have to say, sitting around a fireplace with a group of Janeites, listening to some of Austen's greatest lines was quite intoxicating – helped by the smell of the amazing ginger cake from the lovely spread. What a way to spend a Sunday!
After the reading, there was a lively debate about different interpretations of the story. and I ruffled some feathers by suggesting Colonel Fitzwilliam would probably be a more fun husband for Lizzie (if money hadn’t been so high on his agenda). I stand by this.
I also chatted to the woman next to me about the various adaptations, with my neighbour voting for Bride and Prejudice as her favourite, which I haven’t seen and now need to watch immediately. (She didn't enjoy Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as much as I did, however.)
The OG adaptation
Unlike a lot of people my age, I was raised on the 1980s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Fay Weldon thanks to an older sister who had it on VHS. I watched it repeatedly throughout my childhood and it held a such special place in my heart that it made me less eager to embrace newer versions, including the 1995 Andrew Davies adaptation when it came along.
The 1980s version focuses more on the Bennet girls' precarious situation, which is what you’d expect from feminist Weldon, and Mr Collins is far more brazen about his hunger for the Bennet property. Some may find David Rintoul’s Darcy far too starched, but while I did learn to love the ’95 version, Elizabeth Garvie is still Eliza Bennet for me. And I confess, I personally found Alison Steadman's Mrs. Bennet way too shrill and hysterical. Mr Bennet would have had to be insane to marry her. I prefer Priscilla Morgan’s more ambitious and conniving matriarch, who seems more likely to have charmed a younger Mr B.
P&P 1980 can be watched in small chunks on YouTube – though I should warn, it comes with a definite whiff of 80s set wobble.
If you do watch it, I'd love to know your thoughts.
PS. Tonight I’m off to see Lucy Worsley speaking about Jane Austen at the De La Warr Pavillion, so it’s been a very Jane-heavy month (and who could complain about that?!)
Where the hell are these books you’re writing, then?
It’s a fair question, and the answer is: they’re coming along! I have read through the latest draft of Crime Book 1 and I just need to go back and do the corrections. After that, I have the corrections from my editor to do on the Comedy Sci-Fi and then I will hopefully be ready to send it to those of you who kindly offered to read it. Crime Book 2 edits will then be after that.
If you’re interested in reading either or both of the books that are nearly ready and haven’t already contacted me, you can hit reply on this email, or DM me via Substack. Thanks to everyone who has got in touch so far!
Have a lovely weekend! Let’s hope you don’t have one of Kris’s Sunday morning come downs.
I dictated this section and the transcription tool made it “The High Woman” the whole way through, which is a song I would like to hear.
Apparently, MacArthur Park features in Beetlejuice 2. Has anyone seen this film? I was so excited about it, but reviews put me off going. Should I go?
Johnny Cash’s starship pilot might dispute that.
Although the “single drop of rain” might be the bummest deal of the lot.
Best P&P adaptation?
First, Bride and Prejudice is great, but pretty much every Gurinder Chadha film is. (See also Viceroy's House and the fabulous Blinded by the Light.)
I don't remember the 1980 version but in my own recent Austen post I did describe the 1995 show as 'definitive'. Perhaps I'd refine that a bit: Colin Firth is the definitive Darcy, and Jennifer Ehle is a great Lizzy. But I totally get your point about Alison Steadman; of course Mrs Bennet is an overblown character but the point then is to play the part straight.
Brenda Blethyn and Donald Sutherland do a fine job as the parents in the 2005 film, and for me Keira Knightley is good as Lizzy. And it has Judi Dench, which is a big plus for any movie. But Matthew MacFadyen isn't a great Darcy. The film looks fabulous, though.
I have been singing this song all week, my uncle was a massive Cash & Kristofferson fan and I bought him the album for Christmas, a few years after it came out, he hated it (OK he hated Jennings), so I kept it for myself…. And loved it., so much that I once saw a tribute band to The Highwayman at a pub, unfortunately THE Kristofferson was missing, in his place was someone who did Roy Orbison, plus the Jennings was more like an Elvis impersonator — they did this song 3 times in a 25-minute set — the audience did not care, I did not either - a good song is always a good song.