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How the unscripted hand flex in 'Pride and Prejudice' became an iconic romantic moment

This subtle, two-second scene has had women swooning for 20 years.

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Mr. Darcy's hand flex packs a huge romantic wallop.

When we think of romantic moments in film, some classic scenes come to mind. Billy Crystal yelling his love at Meg Ryan on New Year's Eve in When Harry Met Sally. The much-spoofed "I'm flying" scene in Titanic.The cheesy-but-effective "You had me at hello" line in Jerry Maguire. We watch romantic movies for precisely these interactions that allow us to live vicariously through the characters and feel the chemical rush of falling in love.

Romantic scenes generally include a declaration of love, a passionate embrace or kiss, or some other overt expression of affection and desire. But one romantic scene that involves none of those things has become an iconic fan favorite despite it just being a brief close-up shot of a hand.

The "hand flex" from Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudicesays more in two seconds than many entire scenes do, which is what makes it so powerful. Some people even call it the sexiest non-sex scene in cinema.

In the scene, Mr. Darcy (played by Matthew MacFadyen) briefly takes Elizabeth Bennett's (played by Keira Knightley) hand to help her into a carriage. At this point in the story, the two characters have been prickly toward one another after getting off on the wrong foot, though their attraction is becoming palpable. For the quickest of moments, their hands touch and their eyes meet, and there's an unspoken flash of recognition. Then, as Darcy walks away from the carriage, he flexes his hand—literally for two seconds—and despite it being the slightest gesture that no one would even notice in real life, it speaks volumes about what he's feeling.

Chemistry. Electricity. Longing. Tension. It's all right there in his outstretched fingertips.

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Director Joe Wright shared with PEOPLE how the scene came about.

"It wasn't in the script, but that was an important moment in the book," Wright said. "This sudden realization, as they were parting, of what they meant to each other or the kind of disturbance they caused in each other."

Wright said the hand stretch was an improvised move by MacFadyen's, though MacFadyen has said that Wright was the one who initially noticed him doing it.

""Our bodies are so much smarter than our minds often," Wright told PEOPLE. "Although their conscious minds are fighting against each other, their bodies are two magnets drawn to each other. As they touch, even that little hand lifting helping her, which is pure etiquette of the period, somehow creates this kind of electronic shock wave through them both, and he has to shake it away."

pride and prejudice, mr. darcy, elizabeth bennett, film, love scenePride And Prejudice GIF by Working TitleGiphy

Those electrical pulses of sheer chemistry are visceral when they happen in real life, and in that simple stretching of his fingers we can all feel it. Ironically, however, Wright had been disappointed with that day's filming, feeling like he hadn't captured what he hoped to in the scene.

"It had been a gloomy day when we shot it," Wright told PEOPLE. "I felt like I hadn't conveyed what I wanted to, and it's odd and gratifying to find that we told our story, and people have responded. Because on the day, I thought, 'Oh no, we didn't get it. It was rubbish. It didn't work.' Now, people are still posting it. It's odd and really nice."

hands, scene, pride and prejudice, hand scene, mr. darcy, film Pride & PrejudiceGiphy

Imagine thinking that scene hadn't worked. So many people really do doubt themselves more than they should, eh? As people's commentary makes clear, the scene is perfection.

"This is my favourite minute of acting from all the films I've seen over my 57 years."

"That's it. This is more intimate than other scenes from romance movies."

"I'm watching this movie for the first time (shocker i know), and this scene is so intensely romantic it's crazy—more intimate than full body contact. I think it's because of how they filmed it, all close-up shots."

"Like an electric current ran from her to him and the only way he could express what teaching her means is that hand-flex. That’s how you tell a whole story with one gesture. Swoooonniing."

"Tell me you want me without saying a word. This IS most women's dreams."

"I always come back to this scene IT SHOOOK ME."

"This scene has its own separate fan base."

Fans can see the hand flex on the big screen for the film's 20th anniversary as it will be re-released in select theaters on April 20, 2025. It's worth a trip to the movie theater, as the 2005 Pride & Prejudice has a gorgeous aesthetic that is enhanced on a larger screen. Joe Wright really did know what he was doing with this film from start to finish, hand flex and all.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

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Robert De Niro gives a hilariously candid response when asked about his 'friendship' with Oasis

Tell us what you really think.

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Robert DeNiro and Noel Gallagher from Oasis

Oasis's Noel Gallagher might have a bone to pick. No, not with his brother Liam, though probably that too. This time, it could possibly be with legendary actor Robert De Niro.

Let's back it up. About nine years ago, Noel posted an Instagram photo where he's sitting at a table with Robert seemingly deep in conversation with the caption: “So we’ve been down to the South of France for a few days, and at a 17-hour lunch at our friend's house THIS... THIS... Actually happened!!!”

The "friend"—it turns out—was Bono, of course, the front man for the band U2. As reported by Alex Flood for an article on NME, Noel not only posted the photo but kept telling the story to anyone who would listen. One such person was Alex Goldstein on the UK radio show TalkSport, who had Noel on as a guest.

robert de niro, actor, famous, celebrities, gif robert deniro GIFGiphy


He says to Noel, "Robert De Niro, you've tweeted a picture." Noel quickly points out he didn't "tweet" it, he "grammed" it. Once that's all settled, Goldstein asks how the "17-hour lunch" came about.

Noel humble-brags that his friend "casually mentioned" that De Niro was joining him and his then-wife Sara. Genuinely excited, Noel then confesses, "The only thing that could top that is probably going on a bender with Jack Nicholson." Noel then claims that the dinner started at 1:00 p.m. and went until 6:00 a.m. the following morning. "I don't remember dinner being served."

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When asked if De Niro knew who he was, Noel admits, "I gotta say, he didn't have a clue, no." And even better, he—according to Noel—said, "Write down the name of that band again that you were in."

Cut to this week. De Niro is making the press-junket rounds for his new film The Alto Kings, directed by Barry Levinson. NME Magazine writer and interviewer, Alex Flood, sat down with him and candidly says, "Robert, I know that you've met Noel Gallagher because he posted this picture of you at a dinner on his Instagram in the South of France once." Seemingly taken aback, both Robert and his co-star Debra Messing look a tad worried. The picture is then handed to Robert, who studies it like a script.

"He's gone on the radio to talk about it, and I just wanted to know if you remembered that and any memories of what happened."

The 81-year-old actor does not remember. "But," he says, "I know where it is. And I heard about it through a mutual friend who knows him. He said they were getting back together and it's a big, big deal."

Flood goes on to relay what Noel had said about the whole day/night. "He said he bent your ear for about two hours. He said you didn't know who Oasis were, but when you were leaving, you asked him—'what was the name of that band?' And I just wondered, did you go away and listen to them?"

Oasis, band, gif, musicians, music, British 90S GIF by OasisGiphy

De Niro and Messing explode in laughter. "No!" He then adds, "But I did have a mutual friend who told me we almost had dinner with him, supposedly, last night. It didn't happen, but anyway..."

Hopefully, that means Noel still stans De Niro, despite possibly not having reciprocity. However, his feelings about his brother Liam? We might have to wait until after their upcoming reunion tour to find out.

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Heath Ledger's father shares the late actor's diary used while playing the Joker

The diary is filled with notes, sketches, and references that helped Ledger develop his most iconic role.

Howie/Wikipedia, Wozard/Wikipedia

A photo of Heath Ledger (left) alongside the Joker (right)

We very rarely get to see into an artist’s process. It often feels like great works—be it in music, paintings, or performances—sort of appear out of nowhere. Perfect and fully formed. But in reality, these works are the result of a thousand small decisions, days of preparation, and more often than not, an abundance of failed experiments.

So when we do get to peel back the curtain to see what might have inspired these works that take on a life of their own, that in itself has profound power, since it reminds us that creating something is just as much about commitment as it is about talent.

That is partially why people continue to have such a visceral reaction to seeing excerpts from the late, great Heath Ledger’s diary while preparing for his iconic role of The Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight.

In the video, Ledger’s father, Kim Ledger explains how his son “locked himself in a hotel room for weeks,” preparing for filming. The pages of the journal reveals how the actor was inspired by old school Batman comic book clippings, images of jesters and clowns, and interestingly enough, the character Alex in A Clockwork Orange.

heath ledger, heath ledger diary, heath ledger joker, the joker, batman, the dark knightA page that beings with "It's simple. Kill the Batman." preview.redd.it

There’s even an image of a hyena, which seems like a clear reference for his Joker’s signature cackle.

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There is, of course, quite a bit of dark, disturbing things scribblings in there, like listing “blind babies” and “AIDS” under “things that make me laugh,” all of which leaves clue as to how Ledger was able to authentically drop into a chaotic and twisted mind.

A page from Heath Ledger's diary while in prep for The Dark Knightpreview.redd.it

The diary first appears in the 2012 documentary series Too Young to Die, which not only follows Ledger’s untimely death, along with other greats like Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Kurt Cobain. But clips of it have recently been resurfacing online, and with it a renewed appreciation for how devoted Ledger was to his craft.

“Remarkable lengths he went to to get his character performance just right and take it to the next level.

“His portrayal of the Joker was disturbing and brilliant. One of the best performances of all time. Truly legendary. The diary is unsettling, as is the role of the joker. The mind space he might have been in to play such a dark character is hard to think about. The award he received for his performance was well deserved. Such a talented actor, gone too soon.”

“He disappeared so well into the character. It’s a shame it took such a large toll on his mental health. Hope he knows he’s still loved and admired. RIP Heath.”

Ledger passed away on January 22, 2008, before The Dark Knight was released, due to an accidental overdose of prescription medications. It was a death that shocked fans (keep in mind he was practically the first Hollywood star to pass away publicly in the internet age) and there were many speculations that embodying Joker in such an intense way helped create his tragic ending. While that theory could seem possible, given some of the details in Ledger’s diary, his family has since rebuked any indications that his mental health was negatively impacted by it.

Plus, this kind of work is very normal for actors, especially when trying to find their way through some pretty dark psyches. For example, Rosamund Pike previously shared how she sliced open a pig at a butcher shop for her role in Gone Girl. If you’ve seen it, you know which scene we’re referring to.

One of the saddest things to come of Ledger’s passing is that he wouldn’t get to witness the incredible appreciation that would come for his hard work. Not only did it earn him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but it would become a role that people continue to be inspired by, even now. When an artist truly pours themselves into their art, as he clearly did, it changes the world.

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I convinced my Gen Z kids to watch 'Dead Poets Society' and their angry reactions surprised me

Gen X and Gen Z apparently view "inspiring" very differently.

Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers/YouTube

Robin Williams played inspiring English teacher John Keating in "Dead Poets Society."

As a Gen X parent of Gen Z teens and young adults, I'm used to cringing at things from 80s and 90s movies that haven't aged well. However, a beloved movie from my youth that I didn't expect to be problematic, "Dead Poets Society," sparked some unexpected negative responses in my kids, shining a spotlight on generational differences I didn't even know existed.

I probably watched "Dead Poets Society" a dozen or more times as a teen and young adult, always finding it aesthetically beautiful, tragically sad, and profoundly inspiring. That film was one of the reasons I decided to become an English teacher, inspired as I was by Robin Williams' portrayal of the passionately unconventional English teacher, John Keating.

The way Mr. Keating shared his love of beauty and poetry with a class of high school boys at a stuffy prep school, encouraging them to "seize the day" and "suck all the marrow out of life," hit me right in my idealistic youthful heart. And when those boys stood up on their desks for him at the end of the film, defying the headmaster who held their futures in his hands? What a moving moment of triumph and support.

My Gen Z kids, however, saw the ending differently. They loved the feel of the film, which I expected with its warm, cozy, comforting vibe (at least up until the last 20 minutes or so). They loved Mr. Keating, because how can you not? But when the movie ended, I was taken aback hearing "That was terrible!" and "Why would you traumatize me like that?" before they admitted, "But it was so gooood!"

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The traumatize part I get—that film gets very heavy all of a sudden. But in discussing it further, I uncovered three main generational differences that impacted their "Dead Poets Society" viewing experience and what they took away from it.

1) Gen Z sees inspiring change through a systemic lens, not an individual one

The first thing my 20-year-old said when the credits rolled was, "What? That's terrible! Nothing changed! He got fired and the school is still run by a bunch of stodgy old white men forcing everyone to conform!" My immediate response was, "Yeah, but he changed those boys' individual lives, didn't he? He helped broaden their minds and see the world differently."

I realized that Gen X youth valued individuals going against the old, outdated system and doing their own thing, whereas Gen Z values the dismantling of the system itself. For Gen X, Mr. Keating and the boys taking a stand was inspiring, but the fact that it didn't actually change anything outside of their own individual experiences stuck like a needle in my Gen Z kids' craw.

2) Gen Z isn't accustomed to being blindsided by tragic storylines with no warning

To be fair, I did tell them there was "a sad part" before the movie started. But I'd forgotten how deeply devastating the last part of the movie was, so my daughter's "Why would you do that to me?!" was somewhat warranted. "I thought maybe a dog would die or something!" she said. No one really expected one of the main characters to die by suicide and the beloved teacher protagonist to be blamed for it, but I'd somehow minimized the tragedy of it all in my memory.

But also to be fair, Gen X never got any such warnings—we were just blindsided by tragic plot twists all the time. As kids, we cheered on Atreyu trying to save his horse from the swamp in "The Neverending Story" only to watch him drown. Adults showed us "Watership Down" thinking it would be a cute little animated film about bunnies. We were slapped in the face by the tragic child death in "My Girl," which was marketed as a sweet coming of age movie.

Gen Z was raised in the era of trigger warnings and trauma-informed practices, while Gen X kids watched a teacher die on live TV in our classrooms with zero follow-up on how we were processing it. Those differences became apparent real quick at the end of this movie.

3) Gen Z fixates on boundary-crossing behavior that Gen X overlooked

The other reaction I wasn't expecting was the utter disdain my girls showed for Knox Overstreet, the sweet-but-over-eager character who fell for the football player's cheerleader girlfriend. His boundary-crossing attempts to woo her were always cringe, but for Gen X, cringe behavior in the name of love was generally either overlooked, tolerated, or sometimes even celebrated. (Standing on a girl's lawn in the middle of the night holding a full-volume stereo over your head was peak romance for Gen X, remember.) For Gen Z, the only thing worse than cringe is predatory behavior, which Knox's obsessiveness and pushiness could be seen as. My young Gen X lens saw him and said, "That's a bit much, dude. Take it down a notch or three." My Gen Z daughters' lens said, "That guy's a creepo. She needs to run far the other way."

On one hand, I was proud of them for recognizing red flag behaviors. On the other hand, I saw how little room there is for nuance in their perceptions, which was…interesting.

My Gen Z kids' reactions aren't wrong; they're just different than mine were at their age. We're usually on the same page, so seeing them have a drastically different reaction to something I loved at their age was really something. Now I'm wondering what other favorite movies from my youth I should show them to see if they view those differently as well—hopefully without them feeling traumatized by the experience.

This article originally appeared in January

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