It’s the 20th anniversary of the 2005 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, which means it has officially been two decades of people swooning over Mr. Darcy’s “hand flex.”
The moment happens early in Elizabeth Bennet’s (Keira Knightley) and Mr. Darcy’s (Matthew Macfadyen) love story—long before any kisses or confessions. Elizabeth is preparing to leave Netherfield after spending weeks nursing her sister Jane (Rosamund Pike) back to health. As the carriage arrives to take her home, Mr. Darcy holds her hand to help her into it.
And then, as he walks away, he flexes his hand, as if shaking off the intensity of the moment.
It’s hard to overstate the cultural impact of this “hand flex.” To those unfamiliar with the film, or perhaps to most straight men, that might sound like a joke—but it’s not. Heck, its impact on 12-year-old me is impossible to overstate. (I spent the entire scene blushing.)
But why does this tiny hand gesture have so many people in its grip?
Well, this one TikTok comment sums up perfectly: It’s all about the “the yearning 🥵.”
Up until this point in the film, Elizabeth and Darcy’s interactions have been few and far between—and often tense—due in large part to Darcy’s early insult to Elizabeth’s appearance. There have been lingering gazes and awkward encounters, but this brief touch signals something deeper, revealing just how much Darcy truly desires Elizabeth.
The moment is so culturally resonant that it’s still the subject of countless TikToks and video essays, even garnering a tribute piece in the New York Times for the film’s 20th anniversary, which is officially on Apr. 20.
panting #prideandprejudice2005
“Panting,” one TikToker captions their reaction video to the scene.
The comment section is just as thirsty, with users posting a chorus of things like “I’m feral” and “THE HAND THE HAND THE HAND.”
did you know that ??? need me a mr darcy!! #prideandprejudice #prideandprejudice2005 #prideandprejudiceedit #elizabethbennet #mrdarcy #darcyhandflex #classic #classicbook #liturature #fy #fyp #foryou #viral #booktok #bookaesthetic
Mr darcys hand flex #prideandprejudice #mrdarcy #fyp #elizabethbennet
the hand thinghehshsj #prideandprejudice #janeausten #prideandprejudice2005 #prideandprejudiceedit #elizabethbennet #mrdarcy #keiraknightley #bridgerton #bridgertonedit
This moment might never have happened if it wasn’t for Macfadyen, the actor playing Darcy.
In an interview with People, Joe Wright, the film’s director, confirms that the “hand flex” was improvised.
“It wasn’t in the script, but that was an important moment in the book,” Wright explained. “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 goes on to describe how he wanted this moment to show that Darcy’s body instinctually recognizes his feelings for Elizabeth, even if his head hasn’t quite caught up to the fact.
“Our bodies are so much smarter than our minds often. Although their conscious minds are fighting against each other, their bodies are two magnets drawn to each other,” Wright said. “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.”
Focus Features, the production company behind Pride and Prejudice, is now selling merch of the hand flex in celebration of the anniversary. The hand gesture will be forever immortalized in pin form and on t-shirts.
My first enamel pin design dedicated to our true Roman Empire The Hand Flex™️ #prideandprejudice #enamelpins #ethicallymade #smallbusiness
♬ Marianelli: Dawn – From “Pride & Prejudice” Soundtrack – Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Pride & Prejudice will also return to theaters from Apr. 18-24, which means people can once again witness the full power of the hand flex on the big screen.
Here’s to 20 years of Pride & Prejudice—proof that all it takes to spark a cultural phenomenon is one small hand gesture and a whole lot of yearning 🥵.
The post The ‘Pride & Prejudice’ Hand Flex Scene Is Hotter Than Ever appeared first on The Daily Beast.
