Funny / Pride & Prejudice (2005)

• Mr Collins proposing to Lizzie. She knows what's coming and she tries to subtly beg her sisters to stay in the room. She even grabs onto Jane's hand to beg her to stay, but she leaves too - giggling the whole time.
  • When Lizzie refuses the proposal and runs off, her mother runs down the lane after her. Geese, normally not frightened of anything, run away in absolute terror at Mrs Bennet's approach.
• When Mrs Bennet calls on the ill Jane with her three younger daughters, Caroline Bingley's reaction is made priceless by Kelly Reilly's delivery.
  "Oh for heaven's sake; are we to receive every Bennet in the country?!"
  • Note that this is after the footman has announced "A Mrs Bennet, a Miss Bennet, a Miss Bennet and a Miss Bennet."
  • The above introduction is also hilarious because it blatantly disregards the convention of the time. Only the oldest daughter present (presumably Mary, since Jane and Lizzie are already there) would be called "Miss Bennet", and the others would be called "Miss (first name)". The Bingleys' footman is sure to know that, so we can only assume not even the footman thinks much of the Bennets.
  • And then the scene cut to Mrs. Bennet and her daughters all sitting down on the same sofa, all of whom are dressed in pastels - except for Mary, clad all in black.
• During the discussion about what qualifies a woman to be considered "accomplished," Darcy adds the requirement that she "improve her mind with extensive reading." Elizabeth very hastily closes the book she'd been reading before she was drawn into the conversation.
• When the militia are in town, Lydia hopes to get an officer's attention by dropping her handkerchief - clearly hoping one of them will pick it up for her. Instead they just walk on it. And her mother and Kitty collapse into hysterical laughter.
  • When the three of them are getting ready to leave, Mrs Bennet ends up getting spun around, causing her to rush the wrong way down the hall, before correcting herself.
• Miss Darcy gets one in that's also simply adorable. She asks whether Lizzie plays the piano and shows that she knows Darcy and Elizabeth are in love, already, and has decided to seize the chance to interfere!
  Lizzie: Only when forced.
  Georgiana: Well, brother, you must force her.
• During the ball at Netherfield:
  • Lizzie has to have Mr. Collins as a dance partner. She spends the whole dance talking to Jane about Wickham. And due to the nature of the dance, Jane can only give the news in parts. All this time Mr Collins is trying to talk to Lizzie, who is blatantly ignoring him to listen to what Jane has to say. Collins genuinely thinks this is her playing hard to get.
  • Earlier at the ball, Lizzie and Jane are talking with Charlotte when Collins approaches - and they all hurriedly curtsy to him.
  • Mr. Collins spots Darcy and goes over to introduce himself. Elizabeth tries to stop him, calling out that Darcy would "consider it an impertinence." Darcy doesn't even notice Mr. Collins at first, and when Mr. Collins finally gets Darcy's attention with a loud fake cough, Darcy's elbow nearly smacks Mr. Collins in the head as Darcy turns around. Mr. Collins' gamely approach and quick dodge of Darcy's elbow give the impression that Mr. Collins is used to working hard to be acknowledged.
• Mary gets a good line in when Lizzie is telling Charlotte about Mr Collins.
  "Even my piano stool belongs to Mr Collins."
• Lizzie gets a good barb in on Mrs Bennet when she's defending her plan to make Jane sick so she'll have to stay at Netherfield.
  Mrs Bennet: "People don't die of colds."
  Lizzie: "But she may well perish with the shame of having such a mother."
• Mr Bennet is king of all Deadpan Snarkers, and no member of his family is safe:
  • His wife:
    Mrs Bennet: Oh, Mr Bennet! How can you tease me so? Have you no compassion for my poor nerves?
    Mr Bennet: Oh you mistake me, my dear. I have the highest respect for them. They've been my constant companions these twenty years.
  • His youngest daughter is on the receiving end of a brilliant jab at the first ball:
    Lydia: Mama, you'll not believe this.
    Mr Bennet: You're going to take the veil.
  • But the crowner is his unsubtle opinion of Mr Collins's proposal to Elizabeth:
    Mr Bennet: Your mother insists on you marrying Mr. Collins...
    Mrs Bennet: Yes! Or I'll never see her again!
    Mr Bennet: Well, Lizzie, from this day henceforth it seems you must be a stranger to one of your parents... Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins... and I will never see you again if you do.
• Elizabeth: "I wouldn't dance with him for all of Derbyshire, let alone the miserable half!"
• After Elizabeth agrees to dance with Darcy, out of sheer awkwardness.
  Elizabeth: Did I just agree to dance with Mr. Darcy?
  Charlotte: I believe so.
  Elizabeth: That's a bit of an inconvenience, since I swore to loathe him for all eternity!
• This hilarious exchange between Jane and Elizabeth when they find out that their uncle had to bribe Mr Wickhem to marry Lydia.
  Jane: Do you think it a large sum?
  Elizabeth: Mr Wickhem is a fool to accept anything less than ten thousand a year—
  Jane: Ten thousand?! Heaven forbid!
  • What's even funnier is that Jane is an All-Loving Heroine who never has a mean word to say about anyone, so you know Lydia had to mess up royally to get Jane to say anything so unkind about anybody, let alone her own sister!
• When Bingley and Darcy are approaching the house, the Bennet ladies are all rushing around the sitting room clearing up clutter and trying to make themselves look presentable.
  Mrs. Bennet: Whatever you do, do not appear overbearing!
• Charles Bingley practicing his apology and proposal to Jane with Darcy. Complete with Darcy pretending to be Jane, and Bingley nervous about it. Matthew Macfadyen's voice really sells it.
  Bingley: (practicing bowing) Miss Bennet.
  Darcy: (in a deep baritone) Mr Bingley
  • Before this, Bingley's reunion with the Bennets consists of him awkwardly nodding along to Mrs. Bennet's words, all while having a terrified smile on his face, until he declares they ought to leave...two minutes after arriving in the first place. Even the painfully awkward Darcy has a look on his face that just screams, "We did not come all the way out here for this."
  • The reason for the practicing in the first place: apparently Bingley already had the whole thing mapped out from beginning to end, but instead of asking him to sit, Mrs. Bennet went on talking, completely throwing him off-track.
• While waiting with the Gardners for Lizzie to finish reading Jane's letter, Darcy keeps sitting down and standing up as Lizzie comes and goes out of the room, trying so hard to look respectable in front of his crush. The first time in particular, he sits for all of one second before getting an "Oh shit!" expression when he sees Lizzie approaching and scrambles back up to his feet. Hilarious and adorable.
• Whilst the Bennets dine after Lydia and Wickham's return, the newlywed wife is fawning and gushing like any lovestruck teenager would. Without saying a word, Lizzie swaps Lydia's wine for her own water.
  • There are two ways to interpret this: either Lizzie thinks Lydia is so out of her mind to be happy with Wickham to begin with and doesn't want her drinking alcohol to encourage it, or listening to her sister's gushing has driven Lizzie to drink.
  • Capped off by Lydia smugly stealing her wine back at the end of the scene.
• Mrs Bennet, bedridden after Lydia's elopement, sobbing over how Mr Bennet will have to fight Wickham and be killed. Even though she's justified in being upset, it still comes across as funny in her usual over-dramatic way.
  • Followed by her making a miraculous recovery as soon as she hears that Lydia is married.