Sure, 2005’s Pride & Prejudice has been sitting right there at home to watch with my Netflix subscription (until it leaves at the end of the month anyway), but I had a feeling going out of my way to see the movie’s 20th anniversary re-release in theaters would be a unique experience I wouldn’t forget, and I was absolutely right. But, I wasn’t expecting Donald Sutherland’s performance as Mr. Bennet to be the thing about it that I walked away wanting to talk about the most.
I can’t believe Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice is two decades old because the movie doesn’t feel like it has aged a day, except for seeing its incredible cast in their younger years, of course. My recent in-theater viewing experience cemented for me how timeless and exquisite it is, making it absolutely one of the great movies based on classic literature in my book. While I went into it ready to be dazzled by Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy’s romance (including that iconic hand flex), the way the filmmakers intended, instead, I want to take some time to appreciate the late Donald Sutherland’s part in the movie.
Donald Sutherland’s Performance As Mr. Bennet Really Floors Me
While I remembered Donald Sutherland being in the movie, this was the first time I had seen the movie since the actor’s passing in the summer of 2024 at the age of 88, so maybe my attention was more keenly focused on Mr. Bennet, but honestly I don’t think that would have made a difference, because wow, is he the underrated highlight of this movie.
Mr. Bennet is Elizabeth’s father, and Sutherland takes a supporting role in most of the story, as most of the focus goes to Knightley’s performance as the young, headstrong woman navigating being courted by numerous men alongside her four sisters while living in 18th-century England. While his role is small, Sutherland makes a huge impression because he’s the character who ended up getting me to tear up by the movie’s conclusion.
I Love His Reaction When Elizabeth Rejects Mr. Collins
Remember the scene where Elizabeth is proposed to by an eccentric clergyman named Mr. Collins (played by Tom Hollander)? Well, earlier in the movie, before that happens, when Mr. Collins first comes to town, Elizabeth and her father exchange understanding looks about their distaste for the clergyman. I felt that moment wonderfully illustrates how the father/daughter are emotionally connected, and it rewards the audience later when he asks for her hand.
She refuses him, even though she was passing on a comfortable living for herself and her family, and, as an audience, we understand that he’s on her side. While her mother gets instantly enraged by Elizabeth’s actions, her father shows undying support for her by revealing he’ll never talk to her again if she goes back on her decision and listens to his wife/her mother.
How Mr. Bennet handles the Mr. Collins' situation made me feel like I was witnessing a real relationship because you can see how his fathering supports Elizabeth’s strong-willed personality she has in turn and tendency to go with what she feels is right. Certainly, many women of her time would just blindly agree with any proposal out of fear, but what makes Elizabeth special is her inability to go along with something just to fit in.
Mr. Bennet truly cares for her happiness more than anything, and isn’t having any of the societal politics her mother might care about. It kind of reminds me of the dynamic I share with my own dad on many occasions when my mom has gotten caught up in the details and emotions instead. Sometimes dads just have your back because they simply get you like no one else does!
The Scene That Made Me Cry Was When He Realizes Elizabeth Has Found Her Husband
This brings me to the scene that really got me during my Pride and Prejudice rewatch. It’s the moment right after Mr. Darcy meets with him to ask for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage, and he meets with his daughter. Even though her new suitor is unbelievably rich as is, he’s confused because he didn’t suspect this marriage after she showed clear distaste for Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth then explains how she misjudged Mr. Darcy, and it took her some time to see his true colors.
It’s suggested then that she goes on to explain to him how Mr. Darcy went out of his way to make things right between Jane and Mr. Bingley after originally steering him away from her sister, along with finding her youngest sister, Lydia, who ran away with Wickham, and secretly paid for their wedding. The scene ends with Mr. Bennet in tears because he realizes his daughter has found a good man and is truly in love. It leads him to say this:
I could not have parted with you, my Lizzy, to anyone less worthy.
And that’s the moment I couldn’t help but tear up. I hadn’t focused on it before in prior viewings, but Pride & Prejudice is as much about a family’s connection to marriage as it is about falling in love itself, and that's so simple, but so special to me. In a single scene, Donald Sutherland is able to communicate a lifetime of deep love for his daughter, whom he knows he’ll have to part with and give away to a man. The realization on his face that his daughter is going to be OK and happy as he continues to get older is the sweetest scene in the whole movie, in my opinion.
Pride & Prejudice’s Romance Is Actually Better Because It Includes The Father’s Perspective With Such Vulnerability
So many love stories deal with the dynamic of a young woman falling in love despite their parents’ wishes or consent, but I actually found this story to be more romantic because she has these moments with her father. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with those stories, especially when the female character is listening to her own heart rather than going for what’s expected of her, but there’s something really wonderful about this story having the father being on the side of the daughter and checking in with her before getting incredibly moved by the result of her finding her person. At the end of the day, most of us look up to our parents and want them to be happy, and I love that the movie spent time on Elizabeth getting that with her father rather than her sisters or anyone else.
I promise you, without those scenes, Pride & Prejudice just wouldn’t work as well as it does. It’s definitely time to count this among the best Donald Sutherland movies. Anyway, you can still catch the movie in select theaters and stream it at home. I wonder if the Pride & Prejudice series, which is among upcoming book adaptations, will spend time on this plotline, too, or go in another direction.
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