That A&E version of Pride and Prejudice was astonishingly faithful to the text of the novel. Those things still irk me. In the 6 hours it took to watch that thing you could read the novel in a little more time. I don't care how good it is you aren'g going to improve on Jane Austen.
For someone like me who is primarily a visual learner, the movies are a very great aid in comprehending the text, especially if the story is of another culture / country. I cannot tell you how many times I've watched A&E's P&P; I've read the book repeatedly, and to me, each enhances the enjoyment of the other. I read each of Austen's six novels once a year or more. They are too rich, too deep, too layered, too much fun for me not to go back to them. I especially like reading them in the evening because the lightness of her wit and the beauty and complexity of her linguistics have an ability to put off the strains of the day for me.
Did you know that a new P&P is in post-production now? It has one of my favorite British actresses as Jane: Rosamund Pike. I am really looking forward to it.