Pride and Prejudice has been adapted for the screen numerous times throughout the years, with each interpretation of Jane Austen’s novel attempting to bring something new to the literary classic. In addition to Pride and Prejudice, many of Austen’s novels have gained popularity among modern audiences due to the success of their screen adaptations, including Sense and Sensibility and Clueless.

Adaptations of Austen’s work vary in their effort to remain as close to the author’s original writing as possible. Many screenwriters find ways to adapt Austen’s stories for a modern setting, which allows a wider range of audiences to connect with these stories due to their contemporary narratives and more relatable characters.

Throughout Austen’s writing, there’s a constant examination of women’s roles in society, marriage, and the aspect of economic security —each enduring as relevant topics over the hundreds of years since the original publication of Austen’s work. Pride and Prejudice is one of Austen’s most famous novels, and in 2022, it was given a queer update.

Fire Island Is A Modern Pride & Prejudice Retelling With A Queer Twist

Inspired by the plot and themes of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Fire Island sees a group of gay men heading to the тιтular island for a week-long vacation where romance becomes complicated by various social divides. Joel Kim Booster leads the film as Noah, alongside Bowen Yang’s Howie, depicting revamped versions of the Bennet sisters Elizabeth and Jane, respectively.

Directed by Andrew Ahn, Fire Island breathes new life into the familiar Austen narrative without the expectation that audiences are thoroughly familiar with it. Fire Island swaps out Pride and Prejudice‘s English setting for a location known for its LGBTQ+ population, while highlighting the universal themes that can be found in Austen’s work.

Unlike most Pride and Prejudice adaptations, Fire Island‘s parallels to Austen’s story aren’t as obvious. Fire Island cleverly uses the framework of Pride and Prejudice to support a particular conflict so closely understood by Booster, who also wrote the film’s screenplay.

Inspired by Austen’s exploration of class division, Booster examines how the LGBTQ+ community, particularly in the absence of heteroSєxual norms, wound up creating classes of their own based on race, wealth, and body image. Fire Island honors Pride and Prejudice just enough for Austen aficionados to notice the parallels while remaining refreshing and one of a kind.

Reviews For Fire Island Were Incredibly Strong

Fire Island has earned an overwhelmingly positive response from critics and audiences alike and has received a GLAAD Media Award and a Gotham Award. Sitting with a 94% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, Fire Island‘s greatest appeal is its ability to bring something new to the literary classic that’s been modernized countless times before.

Critics have praised Booster and his screenplay for celebrating the LGBTQ+ community while simultaneously addressing the social expectations placed upon one another within it. Such a balance produces both joyous and heartbreaking moments that easily allow audiences to become invested in Fire Island‘s characters. Additionally, it’s crucial that audiences understand the significance of Noah’s friend group and their connection to Fire Island.

Regarding this, several critics have applauded the supporting talent joining Booster and Yang. The ensemble made up of actors like Conrad Ricamora, Matt Rogers, James Scully, Margaret Cho, and more helps anchor the film’s comedic tone and quickly familiarizes audiences with the years-long relationships in the film, both the friendship between the men and their connection to Fire Island.

Where Fire Island Ranks Among Pride & Prejudice Adaptations

With so many adaptations of Pride and Prejudice being released over the years, each varying in their faithfulness to Austen’s writing, the answer as to which is the best looks different for everyone. Still, it’s hard to argue against Fire Island‘s high ranking among other Pride and Prejudice adaptations, if not for its entertainment value, then for its originality.

The two Pride and Prejudice adaptations that have consistently remained the most popular among audiences and critics are Joe Wright’s 2005 film and the BBC series from 1995. Wright’s film differs from Austen’s novel more than the BBC series does, but each adaptation is significantly closer to the original story than Fire Island is. For some, this closeness is most important.

Still, Fire Island‘s innovation and ideal distance from Austen’s novel have their benefits, allowing it to rank highly among other adaptations, such as the aforementioned Wright film and Bridget Jones’s Diary, another film loosely based on Austen’s story.

While Fire Island opens with the same line as Pride and Prejudice, and references several key events, it stands out as something entirely unique. Fire Island is an exciting departure from the formula of Austen adaptations and rom-coms within LGBTQ+ cinema.

Though it may not be as popular as other Pride and Prejudice adaptations, Fire Island has a lot going for it. The film’s humor, character writing, and heartfelt narrative come together seamlessly, creating an equally honest and amusing queer romantic comedy that will be just as worthy of returning to in the years to come.