Georgiana Darcy
We’re beginning the discussion of more well-known characters of the Pride and Prejudice movies now, beginning with Mr. Darcy’s younger sister Georgiana. Though she is an important part of the story, not all movie versions have her make an appearance, but she is at least mentioned in every adaptation. Georgiana is essential to the story, because it is by learning about her that George Wickham’s truly despicable nature is established. On the grounds that he tries to take advantage of Georgiana when she is only 15, we see a much more deviant individual in the person of Wickham. Without this, he would just be someone who lied about what really happened between Darcy and himself. Certainly, slander is a terrible thing, but some might be tempted to minimize - if not sympathize - with him on losing a valuable living when he was young and foolish, so the story is incomplete without learning about Georgiana.
Jane Austen describes Miss Darcy as being shy and nervously worried about entering into her position of being the lady of the house, and thereby, hostess for gatherings and whatever other such things take place. That is the height of what a lady could reach for in that century; no wonder the prospect is a bit intimidating for someone as bashful as she is described to be. It might even be worth mentioning here that shyness is probably at the root of her elder brother’s clumsiness in the social arena as well.
But now to the problem of choosing my favorite Georgiana from the movies we’ve been discussing... I say problem, because most versions give her very little to say and do when she does appear! For instance, the Bollywood adaptation Bride and Prejudice, which has Alexis Bledel playing the part, has Georgie do and say more than most of the others. She even informs Lalita (Lizzy) about Darcy’s part in saving Balraj (Bingley) from a most imprudent marriage, which in the book is done by Colonel Fitzwilliam, who is completely cut out of this film. Though Alexis is a capable actor, she really blows it here, for she seems fake and looks as if she is only reading her lines. So even though we see a little more of this character here, the acting is so poor I cannot imagine she is anyone’s favorite Georgiana.
Personally, Tamzin Merchant in the 2005 P&P is my favorite, even though her scenes on screen are of short duration. What I like about this young lady’s portrayal is that it shows Darcy and his sister as being close, which is what you would hope would be the case with the last two surviving members of a family, and has the added advantage of giving us a little more insight into both their characters. Also, I love the way she expresses genuine excitement at meeting Elizabeth, the girl her older brother had told her so much about, and whom she hoped might someday be her sister.
In our book, Mr Darcy falls in love, you will read more of the relationship between Darcy and his sister. Sales continue steadily but we have as yet received a review, which we've noticed is the same case with other books; not sure why everyone is so shy about leaving book reviews... but we are looking forward to hearing people's thoughts on our book.
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