This is our final feature on the endings of the major TV adaptations and Pride and Prejudice movies, with transcripts of the final scenes.
Click here for the BBC 1980 version.
Click here for the BBC 1995 dramatization.
Click here for the 2005 movie.
The 1940 movie departs from the novel to such a degree, particularly during the final ten minutes, that there’s not much sense in comparing it with the other versions, but for this very reason there’s still plenty to discuss.
We join the movie just as Lady Catherine de Bourgh has visited Elizabeth, acting bizarrely as Mr Darcy’s ‘ambassador,’ to learn for herself if Elizabeth’s love for him is uninfluenced by his tremendous fortune. Lady Catherine has decided that Lizzy is right for him after all, and Darcy is enthused and emboldened by the news. Outside Longbourn, Lady Catherine leaves in her carriage, instructing Mr Darcy to enter the house.
INT. LONGBOURN – DAY
Darcy enters Longbourn and is met by Mrs Bennet.
DARCY:
How do you do, Mrs Bennet?
MRS BENNET:
Well, this is an honor! First Lady Catherine and now you.
DARCY:
I was travelling with my aunt and I thought I would give myself the pleasure…
ELIZABETH (OFF SCREEN):
Jane!
Elizabeth enters the hall.
ELIZABETH:
Mama, I can’t find Jane anywhere. (Noticing Mr Darcy) Oh!
Mr Darcy bows and walks to her.
DARCY:
How do you do, Miss Elizabeth?
ELIZABETH:
How do you do?
MRS BENNET:
(Interrupting) Jane is somewhere in the garden, I believe.
DARCY:
Oh, Miss Jane. I have a message for her from the Bingleys. (Gesturing to go outside) Should we… should we… see if we could… find her…
ELIZABETH:
Why yes, let’s do that.
DARCY:
(To Mrs Bennet) Would you excuse us?
MRS BENNET:
Very gladly, Mr Darcy.
LONGBOURN GARDEN. INT – DAY
Elizabeth is walking ahead of Mr Darcy. He calls to her.
DARCY:
Miss Bennet. I have a confession to make. I didn’t tell the exact truth, I’m afraid, about the message from the Bingleys.
ELIZABETH:
You mean they didn’t send one?
DARCY:
They didn’t send one for the good reason that Charles Bingley had every intention of bringing it himself.
ELIZABETH:
Himself?
DARCY:
Yes, he came back to Netherfield last night. I was rather expecting to see him here this afternoon.
Darcy looks around and spots Jane in the garden. She is seated as Mr Bingley walks to her. Mr Bingley kisses Jane’s hands. Elizabeth and Darcy watch.
ELIZABETH:
Oh, Mr Darcy, this is your doing.
DARCY:
Shall I tell you who is really responsible for your sister’s happiness? Caroline Bingley?
They walk to a bench.
ELIZABETH:
Miss Bingley?
They sit together.
DARCY:
She sent her brother back by dwelling on all the reasons she should stay away. I only approved a decision that he’d already taken on his own account.
ELIZABETH:
Mr Darcy, there’s something else… I hardly know how to put it into words. What you did for Lydia…
DARCY:
I, but I assure you I did nothing Miss Bennet.
ELIZABETH:
Lady Catherine was not of that opinion.
DARCY:
What? But I never gave her leave to tell you that.
ELIZABETH:
Gave her leave? Do you have to say that Lady Catherine…
DARCY:
I… wanted to know if I would be welcome. She came as my ambassador.
ELIZABETH:
Your ambassador? I never imagined that that was the language of diplomacy.
DARCY:
(Laughs) You know she likes you in spite of the language.
ELIZABETH:
Me?
DARCY:
She really does.
ELIZABETH:
I wish I’d known it. I wouldn’t have been so rude.
DARCY:
But that was what she liked. People flatter her so much, she enjoys an occasional change.
ELIZABETH:
I’m afraid I gave her a good change this afternoon!
DARCY:
She went away delighted. You only confirmed the good opinion she formed of you at Rosings.
ELIZABETH:
I don’t know what to say or think, except that you must allow me to thank you for what you did for Lydia, and if the thanks were known to the rest of my family I should not merely have my own gratitude to express.
DARCY:
If you must thank me, let it be for yourself alone. Whatever I did, I thought only of you.
ELIZABETH:
Oh, Mr Darcy, when I think of how I misjudged you, the horrible things I said, I am so ashamed.
DARCY:
Oh no, it is I who should be ashamed -of my arrogance, my stupid pride, of all except one thing: I am not ashamed of having loved you. Elizabeth, dare I ask you again. Elizabeth, dear beautiful Lizzy…
They kiss.
Mrs Bennet is peering out of the window. Mr Bennet is in the background.
MRS BENNET:
Lord, bless my soul! Mr Bennet, Mr Bennet!
Mr Bennet comes to the window.
MR BENNET:
Miracles will never cease, Mrs Bennet.
MRS BENNET:
Mr Darcy! Who would have believed it? Oh, my sweetest, sweetest Lizzy. What pin money she will have, what jewels, what carriages. Jane’s is nothing to hers, absolutely nothing. Oh, and such a charming man. I do hope he’ll overlooked my having disliked him so much. Oh, dear, dear Mr Darcy, a house in town, ten thousand pounds a year. Of course, poor Jane will only have five. Oh, I wonder if there’s any dish he’s particularly fond of. I’ll go and…
As Mr and Mrs Bennet reach the door, they hear music. Mary is singing.
INT. LONGBOURN DRAWING ROOM – DAY.
Mary is singing and playing the piano, accompanied by a gentleman on the flute. Next to them are Kitty and another gentleman, who stroll through the doors together into the garden.
The eyes of Mary and the flutist meet.
MRS BENNET:
Mr Bennet! Mr Bennet!
MR BENNET:
Well, perhaps it’s lucky we didn’t drown any of them at birth, my dear.
MRS BENNET:
Mr Bennet, you must find out what money they have. Colonel Foster can tell you all about Mr Denny, and Sir William knows all about Mr Witherington. You must go at once, Mr Bennet, this very afternoon. Ah! Three of them married, and the other two just tottering on the brink.
Mrs Bennet closes the door.
So, there we have it. It doesn’t look so much on the page, so don’t forget you can watch the whole movie on our site for free. The highlights for me are (in no particular order):
- 1. Lizzy and Darcy’s kiss on the bench. Despite his sweet, genteel manner and soft voice, Olivier’s kiss almost takes poor Greer Garson’s head off! It’s a proper man’s kiss from the 1940s, when men were men and men… erm… couldn’t really kiss properly.
- 2. The wonderful wartime humor, for example Lizzy’s joke about the language of diplomacy, delivered as if for a live music hall audience.
- 3. The moment in which Darcy ‘notices’ Jane and Mr Bingley. They are in plain view, only a few meters away when he spots them.
What do you think about this ending? It’s surely the least faithful of the major adaptations (unless you want to count Lost in Austen!) but definitely also one of the most fun. It’s a shame that some of the nicest phrases and lines from the novel haven’t been included, or have been altered for the worse, and that some charming scenes are missing, but it’s still a great movie in itself.
Please let me know your thoughts!
