The critical response to Pride and Prejudice was overwhelmingly positive. Gerard Gilbert of The Independent recommended the opening episode of the serial one day before the British premiere, saying the television adaptation is "probably as good as it (can get for a literary classic). The casting in particular deserves a tilt at a BAFTA, Firth not being in the slightest bit soft and fluffy -- and Jennifer Ehle showing the right brand of spirited intelligence as Elizabeth. '' He considered Benjamin Whitrow a "real scene - stealer with his Mr. Bennet '', but was undecided about Alison Steadman 's portrayal of Mrs. Bennet. Reviewing the first episode for the same newspaper on the day after transmission, Jim White praised Andrew Davies for "injecting into the proceedings a pace and energy which at last provides a visual setting to do justice to the wit of the book. With everyone slinging themselves about at high speed (the dances, in a first for the genre, actually involve a bit of sweat), it looks like people are doing something you would never have suspected they did in Austen 's time: having fun. ''
who played mr bennet in pride and prejudice 1995
Benjamin Whitrow