Some of the more modernized lines did not come from her pen. One of those was when Lizzie says to Charlotte, `But he’s ridiculous!´upon discovering their union. “That wasn’t my line,” she informed me in a surprisingly candid response. “I don’t think that worked, really. I also didn’t write the part in Mr. Collins’ sermon, when he says ‘intercourse.’ I believe that was Tom Hollander who did that. I don’t think he should have done it, but I forgive him, because he gave such a good performance.”
(Deborah Moggach, Screenwriter)
“Well, I wasn’t there when they shot most of the dance scene. But what was fascinating that I would write a scene of Mr. Collin’s ghastly conversation with Elizabeth, but when I watched the film it was chopped up with Jane desperately trying to get in stuff about Wickham. But it was heavenly because Mr. Collins couldn’t get a word out and it was very funny: it must be like that at those balls. But I didn’t write it like that, that was all in the way it was shot”.
(Deborah Moggach, Screenwriter)
“This is a gag that Matthew and Tom made up together. I don´t think I would´ve suggested it to Tom. I especially like the elbow there. That’s just physical comedy at its best. I love it”.
(Joe Wright, Director)
“We met a number of actors for Mr. Collins and each played it in a different way. One actor came in and played him as Tony Blair! Tom came in and you always want someone to surprise you, to not play it as you specifically imagined. He came in and played him as this weird little guy who couldn’t quite manage to communicate in the way that he wanted to, and couldn’t understand why not everyone respected him as much as he respected himself. They didn’t take him seriously and he’d tried all his life to be taken seriously, and I thought that was exciting and something I hadn’t seen. It surprised me, and I liked to be surprised”.
(Joe Wright, Director)
