lady bird, the future, and what’s happening now

Most years, I try to see a majority of Oscar-nominated films. Why? Because 1) I like going to the theater, 2) I took a course on film history in college and it ignited a lifelong interest in the medium, and 3) sometimes they break and mend my heart the way that a good book does. So, here are some thoughts from the night I saw Lady Bird, and some from a week later.

Last Friday

I just saw Greta Gerwig’s Academy Award-nominated film Lady Bird, and the whole way home my senses were heightened, my feelings were feeling, if you will, and I couldn’t quite decide how to address it all. I texted the wise friend from grad school who urged me to see the film a couple of months ago. But still, words were brimming up and spilling up outside of thought and oh yeah, I totally talked to myself on the bus. Oops. Well, I have this beautiful blog that has been sitting, unloved and un-updated for months! The perfect place to park for a bit, unburden, and unwind. I hope you’ll indulge me.

Gerwig captured so beautifully many of the contradictions of being a teenager – especially an American teenager in a world post-9/11 and on the cusp of embracing the internet with open arms. I cringed and laughed and nodded along at so many moments. The music was just right. The being a lower middle class kid at a private school atmosphere was just right. The thrift shopping! Any time Lady Bird fought or interacted with her mother.

The whole thing was poignant as heck, but maybe the best/worst bit was one this: when Lady Bird asked her mother, “What if this is the best version of myself?” and her mother looked back silently, meaningfully, as if to say, “Are you serious?!”

Tonight

The best films and books (stories in general, really) take you out of yourself, and make you look at and experience the world in a deeper way. I may have squirmed and cringed and laughed and wished myself away from the theater during awkward moments in the Lady Bird screening, but I came out ready to *experience* everything. I watched the world around me with unnerving intensity for a couple of days, trying to drink it in and capture some of the magic that Gerwig infused her film with. I felt in the moment, and I kept on feeling, and I kept thinking of new ways to engage, to be a better person. In that way, the film was incredibly inspiring.

And yet, after sitting with the film for a week, and telling people about it, and how I felt about it, I would no longer call it only “inspiring.” My favorite descriptor now is “authentic.” I told various friends that it felt like a thinly veiled biography of my own teen experience – down to the stubborn, know-it-all, lying-to-your-“friends”-to-make-them-like-you-and-hide-your-ignorance truth of those years. It reminded me of the vague hopes and dreams of teenaged Cecelia.

What did I want in 2002? I wanted to be independent, to get away from family and Seattle, to have true privacy (I used to drive to the public library some weeknights in high school just to have space to think), and to have friends who got me. Sixteen years later, and I have different (more specific!) goals and dreams. I often feel as though I’m not meeting them, and that I am letting people down. Taking a moment like the one provided by Lady Bird, though, I realize that I have done it. I’ve met those 2002 goals and dreams. Eighteen year old me would be so proud. And while present-me knows I can’t take that as any measure of success, that I have plenty of growing and learning to do, it was a happy, reassuring thought.

So, here we are. I plan to keep asking how I can be a better version of myself, and to continue working on the answer. God bless Gerwig and the whole crew behind Lady Bird. They created art, and it was authentic, inspiring, and good. If you haven’t seen it yet, GO!

supernatural noir

I’ve been acclimating to the darker side of fantasy. I still don’t want to give myself nightmares, so I tend to take that type of thing in small bites. Luckily for me, Dark Horse just released an anthology of short stories – edited by the one and only Ellen Datlow – called Supernatural Noir, and the entries are brief enough to fit my specifications. The combination of traditional film noir elements with the supernatural also made for interesting (and sometimes disturbing) reading.

A hit man who kills with coincidence... A detective caught in a war between two worlds... A man whose terrible appetites hide an even darker secret...

Dark Horse once again teams up with Hugo and Bram Stoker award-winning editor Ellen Datlow (Lovecraft Unbound) to bring you this masterful marriage of the darkness without and the darkness within. Supernatural Noir is an anthology of original tales of the dark fantastic from twenty modern masters of suspense, including Brian Evenson, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Nick Mamatas, Gregory Frost, and Jeffrey Ford.

It would be very difficult to give a fair notion of how I felt about each of these stories and still keep the entire review to a reasonable length. I’m not up to the challenge, honestly. So I’ll give you a sense of the anthology with a couple of mini-reviews, and tell you that others, like Melanie Tem’s contribution, had me writing things like, “Disturbing as heck. I might have nightmares.” Good intro, right?

“The Dingus” by Gregory Frost

A gritty story featuring a former boxer who takes his chances and investigates a death in the seedy world of petty (and not so petty) criminals. All of this is interrupted by the unnatural, and the result is a well-told piece, if not an ultimately satisfying one.

“The Getaway” by Paul Tremblay

Tremblay weaves a tale of a disaffected getaway man in a robbery gone wrong. How exactly it goes wrong is the stuff of horror, and rather than being a deliciously dark story, it comes off as uneasy and angry.

“Mortal Bait” by Richard Bowes

This is true noir fiction – plus fairies! Set in the 1950s, with the typical washed-up personal investigator, it’s detective work inside a con, steeped in atmosphere and cold, harsh reality. Good crime writing and interesting alternate ‘history,’ along with a well fleshed-out protagonist made it a joy to read.

“Ditch Witch” by Lucius Shepard

This entry was all sorts of depressing/interesting/vengeful. A story about two VERY lost souls who drive into scary-movie suspense and out the other side (or DO they?). Not for the faint of heart.

“The Romance” by Elizabeth Bear

Delicious. Absolutely wonderful, this tale. Just the right touches of light and dark and mystery and macabre.

“The Absent Eye” by Brian Evanson

Weird little story that fit in well with the supernatural theme, and also with noir. There was definitely a barren feel to the protagonist that lent it a certain air.

“In Paris, In the Mouth of Kronos” by John Langan

Very interesting yarn that conflated abuses in Iraq in the present day with some very ancient traditions and mythology for a classic tale of double cross. A mystery inside of several threads of the same weft, and dark and dangerous for sure.

Ellen Datlow is an award-winning editor for a reason – she brings together disparate personalities and voices, and consistently brings forth their best. This collection explored the dark corners of crime, the art of the noir genre, and the instability, creativity and horror present in the supernatural. While I appreciated it, I cannot say I unreservedly enjoyed it – but I think a true horror fan would.

Recommended for: adults (no one else need apply), fans of dark fantasy and horror, short story aficionados, and anyone who has watched a Humphrey Bogart marathon on the classic movie channel but wished that something TRULY terrible would just happen, already.

Fine Print: I read an e-galley of Supernatural Noir courtesy of NetGalley and Dark Horse.

it’s kind of a funny story giveaway winner

As is the way of the world, I’m forever late in posting giveaway winners. And this was a shiny contest with brand new Google Forms, too. It may have helped with efficiency overall, but it didn’t make me any more prompt. *sigh* That’s a problem for another day. Please join me in congratulating the winner of a paperback of Ned Vizzini's It’s Kind of a Funny Story and a CD of the film soundtrack…

Eva SB of Eva's Black Spot!

If you’ll remember, I asked entrants respond to this prompt: “What is one thing that helps you ‘cope’ when life gets stressful? If your life doesn’t get stressful (lucky you!), mention something that is calming or relaxing.” Eva SB answered with, “Nowadays it is my husband. If life is just getting [to be] too much I phone him.” I think that’s a lovely answer. I hope you’ve shared it with him!

Many thanks for all of your responses – I had a great evening cooking and looking them over. You’re a creative lot! And if you didn’t win this time around, be on the lookout for another contest very soon.

it’s kind of a funny story (+ giveaway)

I was at a job interview the other day in Alexandria, and the interviewer asked where I was from (Seattle, in case you’re wondering), and if I could live anywhere, which city I’d live in. I answered Washington, DC. I don’t think the interviewer knew what to do with that answer, especially on an over-warm day following the hottest summer on record.

Before you start listing the relative merits of your own town/city/village/hidey-hole, you must understand that there are a lot of things I hate about this area. I hate the super hot weather, the humidity, the unrelieved black (suits!), and the crazy cold days that seem to come straight out of the blue. But I love living in DC. I like being here because I have loads of friends all around me. An urban family, if you will. I love that they will all come to dinner at the drop of a hat. I love the tourists (yes, really). I love being within walking distance of all the major monuments, and not owning a car. I love the fact that I have the chance to see free films and art all the time. It’s glorious.

Moral of the story: for me it’s not so much the surroundings, but the people I’m with. If the majority of my friends up and moved to Texas, or Greenland, or somewhere even more remote, I’d think pretty hard about moving too. If the Book Depository shipped to wherever-in-the-back-of-beyond, that is! But let’s return to the free films bit – I went to a screening of It’s Kind of a Funny Story the other day (thanks, Filter Magazine!), and I want to share that experience with you.

Adapted from Ned Vizzini's 2006 novel, It's Kind of a Funny Story tells the story of burnt-out teenager Craig (Keir Gilchrist), who checks himself into a mental health clinic citing exhaustion, and finds himself placed in the adult ward due to the fact that the youth ward has been shut down. Taken under the wing of fellow patient Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), the stressed-out 16-year-old attempts to endure his mandatory five days' stay without completely losing his mind.

What I wondered as I walked out of the theater: how many people feel exactly like Craig? Because his peripatetic, jumbled mind seemed to be an exact copy of mine during my years in grad school. A cycle of stress, freaking out, avoiding important things, more stress…it was a road into depression. I think that a lot of kids, young adults, and even adults are going to see this film and identify immediately.

BUT. There’s always a ‘but.’ While I was entertained by Bobby and identified with the protagonist, and liked the music (by Broken Social Scene), I also felt manipulated. Craig goes to a psych ward for five days. Five days…I know it’s enough time to change your life. Still, my cynical side won’t let me believe that it’s enough time to change everyone’s life. So I felt a little cheated. My built-in Eeyore mentality wanted more realism, and not a miraculous ‘everything comes together’ conclusion. But that’s just me.

In the end, It’s Kind of a Funny Story is hopeful and enjoyable, and it aspires to the label of cute indie-flick. It gets three quarters of the way there.

Recommended for: fans of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, people who wish deep down that One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest had a happy ending, the usual complement of smart teens, hipsters looking for a reason to smile (is that a paradox or what?), and those with discerning musical taste.

CUE: Giveaway! If you’d like to win a movie tie-in edition of Vizzini’s novel plus a copy of the film’s CD soundtrack, see the instructions below. One winner will receive both items.

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To enter:

Fill out the FORM. Commenting here will get you an extra entry, but that will only work if you fill out the original form. Giveaway is open internationally, and will end on October 17 at 11:59pm EST. I will notify the randomly selected winner via email.

Good luck!

my life is not an eighties movie. but sometimes it's pretty great.

I had an amazing night last night. My friend Greta and I went to a free screening of Easy A (thanks twitter!) in Chinatown, and then after the movie we got crepes and ate Nutella, banana and strawberry goodness while we walked back to the Metro. Seriously? YUM. Of course, the night wouldn’t have been nearly as fun if Easy A hadn’t been really great entertainment. Simply put? It rocked. And so, while I don’t usually give films the ‘review’ treatment, I’m going to be a fangirl and tell you how much I liked it. Brace yourselves.

After a little white lie about losing her virginity gets out, a clean cut high school girl sees her life paralleling Hester Prynne's in The Scarlet Letter, which she is currently studying in school - until she decides to use the rumor mill to advance her social and financial standing.

A clever, funny, fast-paced comedy that will reach beyond its 'target' teen audience, Easy A was an A+ in my book. Emma Stone plays Olive, the girl with the ‘A’ on her chest. I know and love Emma from Zombieland, where she pulled off scared-awesome-harda$$ very well. In this flick she’s part of a great family, but off the radar as far as boys and high school popularity go. And then things get interesting…

Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson, who play the parents of Emma Stone's character, were sparkling, witty, the parents-you-always-wanted-until-they-do-something-ridiculously-embarrassing (oh wait, those ARE my parents!), and my absolute favorite part of the film. Best scene? Tucci goes to Stone's room to check on her, and tells here that's there's no judgment (referring to her supposed gay boyfriend), that he went through a gay phase too. That everyone does. That line had the whole audience dying.

As we were walking out of the theater, Greta mentioned that the film was kind of like Mean Girls. I agree to a certain extent. It’s funny, tightly written, and there are some highly talented actors attached to the project. It also takes the form of a confession, and the protagonist goes from obscurity to popularity via the high school rumor mill. But while both films share those connections, I felt more satisfied at the end of Easy A. I think it’s because the film has a narrower vision. It’s essentially the story of one girl, not a group of girls. The focus isn’t as wide and the resolution is believable because it all plays out on a smaller stage.

Since this is a real review, I have to mention what I didn’t like about the film (answer: not much). BUT…I’ll admit that I hated the portrayal of the ‘bad guys.’ Amanda Bynes, you were SO over the top. I couldn’t take the Christians seriously as judgmental, close-minded crazies (thank goodness on that point!) because it went beyond belief. I mean, I know that there are fanatics in any group of people, but this version seemed as if [insert name of talk show host here] were inhabiting the body of a teenage girl. Movies about teens aren’t known for their subtlety, but that was one point where this story could have dialed it down a notch. Again – it didn’t take away from my essential enjoyment of the film.

So, what does this add up to? Cute, funny, not completely clichéd story + terrific performances + an amazing musical score = the best night I've had in a while. Oh, and Penn Badgley's abs in blue paint didn't hurt either.

Recommended for: teens, their parents (yikes!), anyone who felt a bit like an outsider in high school, and anyone who didn’t too. This is all around good fun for (almost) all ages. You know, PG-13 and up sort of ages. Go see it! You’ll laugh at LEAST three times. I promise.

dissuasion

The Everything Austen II Challenge officially started on July 1, and this is my first contribution. You might say I’m a bit behind. It’s not that there aren’t a lot of great books and films to choose from, because there are plenty. But I think anyone who has been book blogging for a while will agree: our to-be-read (TBR) piles are enormous, and even the thought of tackling them for a challenge can be daunting.

Luckily this challenge allows for films. Or maybe not so luckily?

Jane Austen's last novel provides the plot for this earlier Granada miniseries. Set in pre-Victorian England, this movie tells the story of Anne Elliot, who now having lost her "bloom" is re-united with the dashing Captain Frederick Wentworth, whose advances she had refused seven years earlier.

Now that he has gained both connections and fortune in the Napoleonic Wars, she regrets that her neighbor, the meddling Lady Russell, persuaded her to refuse his proposal of marriage. She watches him woo the young Louisa Musgrove, suffering terribly while he appears to have forgotten entirely his earlier attraction to her. Manners and mores often thwart her strong desire to tell her true feelings, but his emotions are masked too by fear and the lasting pain of her rejection.

I’m a time-tested fan of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I read it for the first time as a freshman in college, and I’ve been an evangelist for it ever since. And though I’ve found small faults with the previous Persuasion film adaptations, I liked both of them well enough to buy them for my home DVD collection. All that to say, I had high hopes for this mini-series, even though it was made in 1971. Over ten years before my birth. So…how can I say this?

Persuasion, the 1971 BBC mini-series version, is an absolute failure. There, that wasn’t so bad, was it? I ripped off the band-aid, we all know how I feel…except that this is supposed to be a review. *le sigh* One thing I can say about myself: I whine like a champ. So, what was it that turned me off about this DVD experience?

First of all, the hair. I have an irrational prejudice against hair poufs. I KNOW. Weird. Well, the hair is high in this adaptation, and it made my eyeballs hurt. Number two: the actors, but especially Anne. I haven’t seen someone’s face this frozen since…the last time I watched a Nicole Kidman movie. I thought they didn’t have Botox back then?! The one decent (and incredibly pompous, as he’s supposed to be) portrayal? Sir Walter Elliot.

Three – (and yes, I know I’m starting a new paragraph in the middle of ONE topic. The text needed it, trust me.) it took almost an hour for Captain Wentworth to show up on screen. I know that the whole thing runs around four hours, but that’s taking things pretty far… And four, with which I will end my rant: the whole thing reminds me VERY strongly of a soap opera. There are good classic movies and dismal classic movies. There were stellar made-for-television programs back then. This isn’t one of them. The level of production, the failure of the actors, the length of the script – it could have been tightened, shined to a high gloss, and been so much BETTER, you know? It hurts my soul (but only a little bit – don’t worry).

In sum, I’d recommend this only to the die-hardest of all BBC Austen series die-hards. I’m fairly sure no one else will be able to sit through it. Again, *sigh*. If you want a different take (5 stars!) on this one, look no farther than Velvet's review. Different strokes, eh?

I watched this film for the Everything Austen II Challenge, which is hosted by the awesome Stephanie of Stephanie's Written Word.

the lion, the witch and the wardrobe

Alyce at At Home with Books is doing a weekly feature where she highlights one of her favorite reads from the past and encourages others to do so as well.

I asked my brother Joey to help me think of a favorite book with Christmas, or at least winter in it. In honor of the holiday, you understand. We came up with C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It hardly needs an introduction, what with the massive popularity of The Chronicles of Narnia book and film series. But in case you think they’re only kids’ stories or have been living under a rock, check out this synopsis.

They open a door and enter a world. Narnia... a land frozen in eternal winter... a country waiting to be set free. Four adventurers step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia - a land enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a change... and a great sacrifice.

My mom first read this book to me at age eight. Well, she read it to all of us kids, but I was the one begging hardest for just ‘one more chapter!’ And then a couple years later, I read through the whole series by myself, and relived the magic and mystery and wonderful storytelling of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It’s a classic tale of magic just beyond the ordinary, redemption of the world and heroic deeds in the face of danger, all flavored by sibling dynamics and the unbelievable made somehow real and immediate.

In college I purchased the entire paperback set for myself, and then lent it out to friends and roommates when they took the C.S. Lewis literature class. I was rewarded richly my senior year when our school was picked as one of the premiere spots for the film. We all trudged down to the one-screen theater in town to see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe two days before the rest of the nation. And when we came out of the theater, snow was falling softly, muffling all sounds, and the college’s streetlights looked EXACTLY like the lamppost in Narnia. It was perfect, peaceful, and just the tiniest bit eerie. That counts up there with one of the most magical moments in my adult life.

I really do love this book, and this series. They are rocks of my childhood, and I haven’t tired of them this far in my adulthood. I hope the magic of Narnia and Aslan will stay alive in my heart forever!

everything austen giveaway

The Everything Austen Challenge hosted by Stephanie's Written Word wraps up on New Year’s Eve, and though I still have three items to finish, it’s been fun and a great motivation to READ or WATCH, and doitnow! I’ve deviated from my original list like crazy and found more Austen adaptations and spin-offs than I ever imagine existed.

To keep the Austen love going I’m holding a GIVEAWAY. Yes, in all CAPS. So if you like, think you might like, or know someone who’d like gifts and books of the Austen-inspired variety, look no further.

The prizes:

Persuasion (1995) DVD

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

Austenland by Shannon Hale

According to Jane ARC by Marilyn Brant

Captain Wentworth’s Diary by Amanda Grange

Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field by Melissa Nathan

PLUS something pretty and frivolous and special from Etsy – but it’s a surprise for now.

I’ll pick two winners. The first will choose three items, and the second person gets the other three. The ‘something pretty’ will go to the first winner. Okay? Cool.

……..

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post answering the question, “What is your favorite Austen spin-off or adaptation?”

Please include your email address or another method of contact. Giveaway is open internationally (Merry Christmas!). Comments will close on December 8 at 11:59pm PST, and I will notify the randomly selected winner via email.

Good luck!

the weather? oh, it's fine.

It’s November in the Seattle area. I’m in a place and a climate I haven’t had intimate contact with for seven years. It’s been interesting getting reacquainted. May I present:

A List of THINGS About My Life Now (and Surroundings)

- The ten-day weather forecast calls for rain. And some wind. But mostly just rain. This is not a surprise, or a rant. Just…resignation.

- I’ve discovered that you can cover a multitude of interpreting mistakes with a big smile. And apologies. But if your voice dies mid-appointment, you’re screwed.

- Moving back to the land of Starbucks has been amazing. Also, wallet-lightening.

- I got my sister to acknowledge that not all anime is terrible. On the strength of one film – Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Hayao Miyazaki, you rock my knee-high socks off.

- Oh yes. I wear knee-high socks at all times now. Even and especially in bed. It is necessary, or else the cold air sprites might steal my precious body heat. And those things swarm like you wouldn’t believe. The sprites, not the socks.

- Long commute + no radio = lots of weird thoughts. I found myself musing about the exact quality of light created by streetlamps, brake lights and rainwater spraying up from the roadway. Told you it was weird.

- With said commute, job, NaNoWriMo, blog, random party I’m hosting on Friday (yes, THIS Friday) and something vaguely reminiscent of a social life, I have almost no time for reading.

- Being sick creates reading opportunities. I got a cold over the weekend. I only get sick when I move someplace chilly. I swear! (I also read 9 books!)

- While chilly, rainy weather is perfect for curling up in a chair and reading, it is impractical to read all day, EVERY DAY, which is how often it is rainy and chilly in Seattle in November. Oh wait…did I mention that already?

- I had amazing Thai food last Thursday. Also, a proper 6-ounce cappuccino at 15^th Avenue Coffee and Tea while listening to Cherie Priest read a chapter out of Boneshaker. Can we say culinary delight?

- My three least-favorite toppings on salad: sunflower seeds, mushrooms, bleu cheese.

- There’s cherry pie on the counter. I must go…

my dad gets lost in austen

I’m a film-lover. Ideally (in other words, if I had the money) I’d see at least one film a week in the theaters, and a couple more at home. My DAD is a film FREAK, though. It has manifested hard-core since his retirement, and it’s kind of scary, kind of awesome. He has the three-DVDs-at-a-time Netflix plan, but somehow parlays that into 7 or 8 movies a week. Plus whatever he gets at the library. I’ve seen him spend 12 hours straight watching films. And he likes all types of films – action, romance, classic, historical, rated G, rated R…

So it’s not that odd to hear him laughing uproariously from downstairs. Or upstairs. Or wherever.

But the other day…I walked in, and he was watching Lost in Austen.

Alone.

This is one of the Austen-inspired, Regency Era, usually girls night in type of miniseries I’ve heard so much about during the Everything Austen Challenge. I couldn’t get over it. He paused the film. Him: “Do you want to watch it with me?” Me: “No.” Him: “Okay, but it’s really GOOD! Hilarious!” Me: …"Okay, Dad"… (disbelief). The obvious response, once I’d gathered my wits back into my feeble brain? I made him promise to write a ‘two paragraph review.’ I started by saying three paragraphs, but he bargained me down to two. The man used to write for a living, but he’s gotten stingy with the words…

*smile *

So here you have it: Cecelia Bedelia’s Dad reviews Lost in Austen.

Lost in Austen is a must see for Pride and Prejudice lovers. The storyline begins with Amanda, an ardent Austen fan, and her boyfriend in modern England. The plot soon runs amuck when Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper) carrying her well-read paperback copy of Pride and Prejudice, first appears in the Bennett household as a “friend” of Elizabeth’s. Meanwhile Elizabeth is absent and adjusting to life in modern-day London. Would Jane Austen turn over in her grave? That’s one by-line in this hilarious, heart-warming, love story in which the unexpected happens with regularity.

In addition to all the regular characters, we’re introduced to the three brothers of the groveling Mr. Collins. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are fantastic in their customary roles, with a delightful twist near the end of the film. Does it all work out in the end? You’ll just have to watch this flick with its many delightful twists and turns and turn-backs that keep you guessing until the finale. You must read the book or watch the original Pride and Prejudice to fully enjoy this enhanced tale.

Thanks, Dad!

in the mood for a little gothic parody?

For my latest Everything Austen challenge item, I watched Northanger Abbey, a 2007 made-for-television film.

A chance invite to the country home of a family friend results in the blossoming romance between hyperimaginative, romance fanatic Catherine Morland (Felicity Jones) and Henry Tilney (JJ Feild), the young master of the estate. Directed by Jon Jones, this charming, made-for-TV adaptation of Jane Austen’s posthumously published gothic parody also stars Carey Mulligan, William Beck and Desmond Barrit.

It’s cute, funny, over-the-top cinematic goodness. Definitely recommended. I have to say I remember thinking that Austen’s Catherine was a bit of a twit, but this film made me reevaluate. Maybe she’s just very young? Anyway, it was silly and fun and the main characters were very well cast. I loved it, though I squirmed and groaned when those same characters ignored the obvious or got it wrong.

The only, ONLY thing that I didn’t like was the final embrace. You’ll see what I mean when you watch it. But again, she’s so young that it almost works! And J.J. Feild, the dude who plays Mr. Tilney? Can act from underneath that hat! Loved him/it/everything.

The movie was the perfect length (at an hour and a half), and I didn’t find myself remembering anything that should have been put in but wasn’t. Am I gushing? Maybe a bit… I’m just glad that this was the last Austen film adaptation on my list. I’m going out on a very positive note. Lost In Austen was on the original challenge post, but I think it’s high time I read some Austen spin-offs. Look for those in the next couple of months, and in the mean time, watch Northanger Abbey! Grade: A.

austen strikes again! mansfield park the target.

It’s pardonable if you don’t know what I’m doing with these random Austen-related film reviews. After all, I haven’t been particularly disciplined in finishing the Everything Austen challenge hosted over at Stephanie’s Written Word. BUT! I have progress to report. The 2007 Masterpiece theater television movie, Mansfield Park, based on the Jane Austen novel of the same name, is the sixth of my twelve challenge items, and it’s finished!

Sent to live in an estate with her wealthy aunt and uncle, fish-out-of-water Fanny Price (Billie Piper) struggles to find her place in the dizzying world of high society’s glitz, glamour and sexual politics.

Directed by Iain B. MacDonald, this made-for-television adaptation of the Jane Austen classic also stars Jemma Redgrave, Maggie O’Neill, Blake Ritson, Douglas Hodge, James D’arcy, Rory Kinnear and Catherine Steadman.

Thoughts: 1) Edmund is a gothic vampire (or perhaps all Regency-period clergymen were too-thin, pale and dark?). 2) Jemma Redgrave as Lady Bertram is absolutely fantastic. She’s vague and absent-mindedly silly enough to fit the part perfectly, but steals the show in a well-timed moment of clarity at the end. 3) I know it’s part of the original story, but the Crawfords really are the most interesting characters. Too bad they’re not the protagonists!

Things I liked: the inclusion of Fanny’s brother was a smart move. You get family connection without changing the scene. Billie Piper is a very spirited Fanny, and she definitely moves about a lot, which I think made the character more likeable. Motion = good. It also showcased her youth, which is a big (and sometimes overlooked) theme in the story.

Things I didn’t like: they used child actors in the first five minutes of the film to depict the characters as their younger selves, and it wasn’t superb. Not horrible, but just not the same quality. In fact, my brother got up and walked away during those scenes…I also wasn’t a huge fan of an older Fanny chasing the girl in the library scene. It seemed forced and a bit strange. There were a couple transitions that were rough as well, but those I can attribute to the nature of the film, i.e. it was made for television.

In all, the film-watching experience was enjoyable and pain-free. I don’t think I’ll purchase a copy for myself, but I won’t hesitate to recommend it to Austen addicts, either. Rating: B.

jane is very becoming

I’ve been putting off seeing Becoming Jane for two years now. I’m a wimp. If I know going in that a movie will have a less-than-happy ending, I try to avoid it. It’s not that I don’t appreciate serious/sad/hard films, it’s just that I’m a coward. I’d rather see affirmation of love and life or be entertained. I think that might be considered a weakness in my character. And a d@mn shame, because without the impetus of the Everything Austen challenge, I think I might never have seen Becoming Jane, which it turns out is a fantastic film.

A passionate romance with roguish barrister Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy) serves as the inspiration for the works of budding novelist Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) in director Julian Jarrold’s prismatic drama set in late 18th century England. After rejecting a proposal from a neighbor's rich but stolid nephew, Austen becomes increasingly drawn to impoverished young lawyer Lefroy -- even as relatives and circumstances conspire to separate the couple.

Thoughts: The cast was nothing less than stellar. Maggie Smith as a formidable lady of quality, Anne Hathaway as an independent Jane Austen, and James McAvoy as her dashing and impoverished beau – all stunning, and all wonderful. I’m impressed by those three anew in every place I see them. I know probably all of you have seen this, but in case I have a random reader who hasn’t gotten to it yet, I don’t want to give anything away. Watch if for yourself, and enjoy it as I did. The dialogue is witty, the costumes are gorgeous (with the exception of Jane's ball gown), the setting and characters scream authentic. It’s fun, it’s well-done, it’s beautiful.

A couple of favorite quotes to end with…

“Nothing destroys spirit like poverty.” - Mr. Austen

“I am never mistaken.” – Maggie Smith as Lady Gresham (indeed?!)

discovering emma

Based on Jane Austen’s classic novel, this Academy Award-winning adaptation from director Douglas McGrath takes a rich, funny look at the romantic meddling of Emma Woodhouse (Gwyneth Paltrow). Surrounded by suitors – including Mr. Knightley (Jeremy Northram) and Frank Churchill (Ewan McGregor) – Emma spends her time arranging friends’ romances, never noticing that her own true love is right beneath her nose.

I have to confess that I’ve never read Austen’s Emma. I’ve read all her other novels (multiple times) and enjoyed them immensely, but somehow I skipped that one and haven’t remedied the situation. I’d never seen the 1996 film adaptation either, so I decided to check out the movie (aka visual Cliffs Notes). Watched it with my mother (who doesn’t remember characters’ names) and my brother (who shook his head at a lot of the girlish banter). Though I enjoyed the film, I still do not feel a burning need to find and read the book it is based on.

Things I liked: The film’s scenery was seriously gorgeous. This includes both costuming and locations. Beautiful gardens and houses, and great Regency-era dresses(!). Ewan McGregor: he sings! Hot. And Mr. Knightley is such a great character – noble and wonderful and better than Emma deserves.

Things I didn’t like: Gwyneth Paltrow’s hair (well, most of the time – like when it was pulled so severely on the top of her head) and Jeremy Northram as Mr. Knightley. There was a lot of potential for an alluring leading man…and though Northram was adequate, I couldn’t help but like McGregor’s acting and looks more. Next time they remake it, I vote for more than one spiffy-looking dude. Grade: B.

I watched this film for the Everything Austen Challenge, which is hosted by Stephanie’s Written Word. Next on the list: Prada and Prejudice, by Mandy Hubbard. Look for a review next week (that is, if I survive the great cross-country migration).