In early nineteenth century England, the Bennet family is excited to hear that Netherfield
Park, a large neighboring estate, has been leased to a wealthy single gentleman named
Mr. Bingley.
Mrs. Bennet is especially happy, for she thinks of little except marrying off her five daughters.
The Bennet girls – Jane, Elizabeth (Lizzie,) Mary, Catherine (Kitty,) and Lydia – attend
a party to welcome the good-natured Bingley.
He is immediately taken with Jane.
But Bingley's friend, the wealthy and handsome Mr. Darcy, seems to feel prejudiced towards
the relatively lower-class Bennets.
This greatly wounds Lizzie's pride in her warm and loving family.
Bingley's sister, the haughty Caroline, invites Jane to Netherfield Park for dinner.
Mrs. Bennet says it looks like rain so she insists Jane go by horseback, not carriage.
Her hosts will have to let her stay overnight rather than send her home in the rain.
Jane later sends a note home stating she is ill from the drenching rain and will be staying.
Mrs. Bennet is delighted, but Lizzie knows her sister must truly be ill and walks to
Netherfield to see her.
Caroline is disdainful of Lizzie, yet both Bingley and Darcy compliment Lizzie on her
wit and beauty and seem to enjoy her company.
Finally Mrs. Bennet arrives with Kitty and Lydia.
Lizzie is embarrassed when Mrs. Bennet fawns over Bingley and openly dislikes Darcy, while
the younger sisters giggle and demand that Bingley host a ball at Netherfield.
Since women are barred by law from inheriting money or property, Mr. Collins – Mr. Bennet's
cousin and nearest male relative – will inherit Longbourn after Mr. Bennet's demise.
He can then evict the Bennets if he chooses, which is Mrs. Bennet's greatest fear.
So, Collins decides to marry one of the Bennet girls.
That will keep Longbourn in their family and give him a wife.
But he is a rather ridiculous figure, a clergyman terribly proud of having the patronage (financial
support) of Lady Catherine de Bourgh because his church is on her estate.
Collins chooses Jane to marry.
Mrs. Bennet immediately tells him Jane is "practically engaged" to Bingley.
In the village of Meryton, the Bennet girls are delighted by handsome young soldiers – including
Mr. Wickham.
But when Wickham sees Darcy, the two men barely nod, which is quite rude and very curious.
Lizzie becomes fond of Wickham.
He has known Darcy since they were young and says their animosity was caused by Darcy's
family cutting him off from support for unstated reasons, forcing him to join the military.
Lizzie feels this is further evidence of Darcy's cold nature.
Jane says Bingley would not have Darcy as a friend if that were so.
At the Netherfield Park ball, Wickham never shows.
The attraction between Lizzie and Darcy is undeniable.
However, Darcy's opinion of the Bennets falls further when Collins makes an embarrassing
show of trying to meet Darcy since he is Lady Catherine's nephew.
Then, Lizzie's sister Mary attempts to sing except she has no talent.
Lastly, Mrs. Bennet gets tipsy and announces that her daughter will soon marry Bingley.
The next day, Collins proposes to Lizzie.
She refuses but he thinks her parents will persuade her.
Her mother insists she marry Collins, but her father insists that she not marry him.
Collins withdraws his proposal.
Lizzie learns that Wickham did not attend the ball out of dislike for Darcy.
Jane is crushed to learn that Bingley and Caroline have suddenly gone to London indefinitely
to visit Georgiana Darcy, Darcy's sister.
Lizzie sees this as a ploy to separate Bingley from the socially inferior Bennets.
Mr. Collins ends up marrying Lizzie's friend Charlotte Lucas.
She is kind but also plain and poor.
Lizzie is shocked, knowing Charlotte is only doing this for practical reasons.
Charlotte says not everyone has the option of marrying for love.
Mrs. Bennet's brother and his wife, the Gardiners, invite Jane to visit them in London.
Charlotte invites Lizzie to her cottage at Rosings Park, Lady Catherine's estate.
Charlotte and Collins are not close, but they are amiable and content.
Lady Catherine proves to be condescending and snobbish and looks down on Lizzie as a
social inferior, just as her nephew Darcy does.
Her daughter, Miss de Bourgh, is weak and sickly and irritable – yet Lady Catherine
expects Darcy to marry Miss de Bourgh.
Lizzie is quite able to hold her own with Lady Catherine in conversation.
Lizzie and Darcy also flirt and have sharp and clever exchanges.
Lizzie learns that Darcy did interfere with Jane and Bingley's courtship.
To her surprise, he gives Lizzie a declaration of love, but also says he loves her against
his better judgment due to her inferior station.
Lizzie is hurt and angry and says Darcy is the last man in the world she would ever marry.
Lizzie receives a letter from Darcy with a change of heart.
He says he was wrong to be prejudiced towards Jane and Bingley.
He despises Wickham as a gambler who tried to elope with Darcy's sister Georgiana when
she was just fifteen – intending to marry her for her fortune.
Lizzie realizes she has been prejudiced against Darcy and his wealth.
Their pride has hurt both of them.
Lydia begins talking endlessly about Wickham, who is leaving with his regiment.
Then the wife of the regiment's colonel invites Lydia to go to the seaside town of Brighton
with them, and she does.
Lizzie goes with the Gardiners on a summer holiday.
They stop at Pemberley, Darcy's estate, where the family tours the house to see its many
art treasures.
Lizzie is startled when Darcy appears and is very polite to her, even inviting her uncle
to go fishing.
Darcy introduces his sister Georgiana to the visitors.
Bingley arrives, too, eager to speak to Lizzie about Jane.
The Gardiners can see that Darcy is actually a kind gentleman but feel Wickham cannot be
trusted.
There is shocking news: Lydia has run off with Wickham.
If Wickham does not marry her – highly unlikely, since Lydia has no fortune – she will have
little hope of ever making a respectable marriage.
Neither will her sisters.
But Lydia and Wickham do marry.
When they visit Longbourn, Lydia gloats about being married when her sisters are not.
Then she lets it slip that Darcy was at her wedding.
It was Darcy who paid off Wickham's gambling debts and gave him a huge sum to marry Lydia.
That saved her reputation – and her family's.
Lizzie realizes that Darcy has actually done all this for her.
Bingley finally proposes to Jane and she accepts.
Lady Catherine demands to know whether Lizzie is engaged to Darcy, because he is supposed
to marry Miss de Bourgh.
Lizzie says she is not engaged but will not promise that she won't accept him, should
he propose.
Lizzy and Darcy declare their love for each other at last.
They marry and live happily at Pemberley.