OnTheTown: Jenny Jackson (15) and Claire Henry (14), both from Baldoyle, Dublin, queued just beyond the red carpet at the gala film premiere in Dublin of Pride & Prejudice.
They waited to see Keira Knightley, who plays the lead as Elizabeth Bennett. Unfortunately, the actor was away filming for Pirates of the Caribbean. Were they not interested in seeing the brooding Matthew MacFayden, who plays Mr Darcy? "Not really," they both said. Luckily, MacFayden, as he strolled by with his wife, actor Keeley Hawes, remained unaware of their cruel indifference.
A number of the other stars also attended the premiere in the Savoy Cinema, such as Jena Malone, the Californian actor who plays Lydia Bennett. "I liked that this was the first character I ever found through a giggle. That was cool," she said smiling at her boyfriend, music producer Sam Spiegel.
British actor Rosamund Pike, wearing a gold and raspberry coloured Prada dress, said filming Pride and Prejudice last year "was one of the best summers of my life". Pike, who plays Jane Bennett in the great Jane Austen story, said her most recent film, Doom, an action blockbuster, will also be opening soon.
This is the first feature film from Londoner Joe Wright. "I've never seen the other versions, so I didn't know what I was up against," he said, referring to previous adaptations of the classic. His favourite scene in the film is when Darcy proposes to Elizabeth. "It really summarises the whole of their relationship," said Wright, who is now preparing to direct an adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel, Atonement.
Afterwards young viewer Shannon Halpin (10) from Drimnagh, who won tickets to the premiere by singing Whitney Houston's All At Once on Q102 radio, gave her verdict along with Hannah Northridge (11) and her cousin, Grace Halpin (10). Nine out of 10, they said nodding.
Pride and Prejudice opens on Fri, Sept 16