Happy 29th Birthday Carey Mulligan. You've come a long way baby!

It's hard to believe it's only been ten years since Carey Mulligan made her screen debut in Pride and Prejudice. No, not the 1995 BBC series with dishy Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. The 2005 feature film directed by Joe Wright starring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet. Fresh out of drama school, the 19 year old Carey played Kitty Bennet and while the birthday girl didn't even make it into the NY Times review back then, she's certainly received her share of ink since then, including plenty of love for this year's Far from the Madding Crowd.

Since it is Carey's birthday, for today's Throwback Thursday movie, let's take a trip back to that 2005 iteration of Pride & Prejudice, her very first movie role. How happy she looks in the image above just to be part of the ensemble  In addition to Keira Knightley the cast included Rosamund Pike as the eldest sister Jane, along with Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn as her parents. Jena Malone was a standout as young Lydia. Mr. Darcy was played by Matthew Mcfadyen who Wright liked enough to cast in his 2012 version of Anna Karenina as Oblonsky. Keira Knightley was of course Anna. But back to P&P. The film received a slew of nominations and awards including Best Actress nominations for Keira Knightley from both the Academy and the Golden Globes. 

Also nominated for the gorgeous period costumes, the acclaimed British designer, Jacqueline Durran (Vera Drake, Tinker Tailor, Soldier Spy, Atonement). While she didn't win for Pride and Prejudice, Durran went on to work with Joe Wright on Anna Karenina for which she won both the Oscar and the Bafta as well as the highest honors from the Costume Design Guild. A true artist, Durran was nominated this year for Mr. Turner. More notables, the score by the gifted Dario Marianelli and the script by Deborah Moggach, author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and the upcoming Tulip Fever. Pride and Prejudice is available to stream on  Amazon Instant. Scroll down for the trailer. Happy Birthday Carey! I know 29 isn't easy, but it's a damn sight easier than 62.
That's right Carey—You say it's your birthday? It's my birthday too, yeah!