The comic center of the novel surely is Mrs. Bennett. Mary Boland's depiction of the conniving, ambitious mother is genius! Her extreme emotional shifts are consistent with Austen's vision. What a pleasure to watch such a mature, sophisticated comic performance!
shareI much prefer the Mrs. Bennet in the 1980 mini series. She's the only Mrs. Bennet that I can understand why Mr. Bennet would have married her.
shareMary Boland is by far the best actress to ever play Mrs. Bennett. She keeps the character funny and likable despite her pushy, domineering personality. So many later actresses played the role as a shrew without any good virtues in the character. I think Mary is far closer to Jane Austen's writing and shows why Elizabeth still respects and loves her mother even when she can see her failings.
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BINGO! I could not have said it better with help.
What a pity that these kinds of characters and actors are
now shoved into the dustbin of history. We'll never see
the likes of these again.
Sad.
The role of Mrs. Bennet is one in which a good actress can really chew up the scenery, hence the strong opinions on this board. However, my vote goes to Alison Steadman. I feel the 1995 BBC mini-series is superior to any other version, given its faithfulness to the original story, the production quality and the mini-series format.
If you're interested in a site devoted to character actors, try http://www.dougmacaulay.com/kingspud/sel_by_actor_index_1.php. It is quite exhaustive (although it doesn't seem to include any of the Mrs. Bennets!) and includes a photo and brief bio.
Mary Boland as Mrs. Bennett cracked me up thru the whole movie- "Oh my poor nerves!!" lol
shareI have heard Alison Steadman described as being "Terry Jones in drag." I reach for the remote whenever I hear her voice.
I agree wholeheartedly with klorentz in that the Mrs. Bennet from P&P80 is my absolute favorite. She's stupid and annoying but without being quite as shrill as Mary Boland and Alison Steadman.
Ms. Steadman was way over the top in the 1995 film but I wonder if that's not what her director wanted and told her to do.
Haven't seen the 1980 yet but Mary Boland is going to be hard to beat in my eyes. She is always one of the highlights in any movie she is in. And I don't find her "shrill" in P&P, pompous definately but her Mrs. Bennett is far too social conscious to ever be crude.
Remembering JANE WYMAN (1917-2007), BETTY HUTTON (1921-2007), YVONNE DE CARLO (1922-2007)
The more I watch P&P05, the more I like Brenda Blethyn. You can see why a young man of brains and some fortune would have been taken with her, and she's really shows us the desperation the character feels for her unmarried daughters. Mr. Bennet is too selfish and bitter to pay attention, but Mrs. Bennet really does understand the dire consequences of them not marrying.
shareI like Blethyn the best. There is something about her portrayal of Mrs. Bennet that really captures the character. Despite her follies and her narrow-mindedness, she really loves her daughters and hopes to secure their futures. I really like Mr. Bennet too. He is egnimatic and eternally contemplative, but there's something about him that Austen and most film makers portray with obvious affection. Although he does nothing to help secure his daughters, I could not help but like him. The only thing is that there seemed to be too much affection between Sutherland and Blethyn.
shareMary Boland was great! She gave the rather unlikeable Mrs. Bennet a funny charm, and less of a harpy. She was also wonderful as The Countess in "The Women".
shareYou got that right. Mary Boland was one of the very best character actresses in film history and her performances are always enjoyable.
I finally saw the 2005 movie last month and was shocked how they tranquilized Mrs. Bennett. I know some actresses have played it without brakes but this one seems almost indifferent to her daughters plights!
I didn't see that at all. Brenda Blethyn may not have been quite as 'in your face' as other Mrs. Bennets, but I thought she was outstanding, given the material.
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My goodness... where do I begin
My favorite Mrs. Bennett up to this point had been Brenda Blethyn... P&P '80 and '95 had very shrill Mrs. Bennetts, P&P95 being the worst offender in my opinion. There is a Mrs. Bennett in the Lost in Austen that I feel really captured what Mrs. Bennet was about, that she was a little over the top, but shrewd along with her "shrewishness" and really understood (being a woman) what her girls would face not having a husband.
Having seen this version, I must put this Mrs. Bennett on my list... there is a degree of subtlety I feel that Mrs. Bennett should be dealt with, she is pushy and shrewd, but she has a heart, and I like to see that on screen.
I was born to sing, and I live to do just that!
Sure..if by "dustbin" you mean "coffin".
shareI like this Bennett a lot!
Subtitles misread: 'the Arch bitch of Canterbury'
Another good (and fun) portrayal is from Alex Kingston as Mrs. Bennet in Lost in Austen.
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