Jane Austen-at the movies

This is a doozy of a post...mainly for the girls.

I just finished watching the BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice for the second time and realized as it was ending that Jane Austen has had a really good run of movies lately.

The six hour miniseries from 1995 definitely impressed many. Jennifer Ehle was such an exquisite interpretation of Elizabeth Bennett and Colin Firth certainly made a dashing Mr. Darcy. Our mothers and grandmothers had witnessed Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier in those roles many years before BBC attempted it's mammoth adaptation, and they were understandably leery. The 1940 film was stately and romantic. Olivier was gorgeous and Greer Garson is hard to beat in the looks department. But the great thing about the miniseries is that it never tried to compete w/ the classic film. It stayed extremely faithful to the book and in accomplishing that, succeeded in winning over its audience. Ehle is lovely but human. Her 'fine eyes' are always speaking, even when she is not. Firth is handsome but always a little awkward, an endearing trait. He stays austere but still manages to draw the viewing audience in, making them completely understand Elizabeth's quandry.

Pride and Prejudice is such a satisfying love story that it is difficult to screw up a film adaptation of it, as was evident in last year's shamelessly romantic version starring Keira Knightly. I went into it expecting to be underwhelmed but was every bit as enamoured of Knightly as I was of Ehle. She was a little more giddy and vivacious but still retained that wonderful intelligence I love, with an absolutely beautiful smile. The scene where she sees Pemberly for the first time is my favorite of both movies, I think. It was my favorite part of the book (oddly enough) and translated perfectly to film. I loved Matthew MacFayden as a darker, brooding, Mr Darcy...a little more to my physical taste as well. The romantic atmosphere was prevalent throughout the movie; lots of figures standing against sunsets, emerging from fog, enjoying the elements. Once again, Jane Austen SCORES!

Let's backtrack a bit. To another Jane Austen classic, Mansfield Park. The book was not my favorite of Austen's works. I found Fanny to be a tepid, bland sort of heroine. But lo' and behold! Here comes Frances O' Conner to prove me wrong. The 1999 film is a sheer delight, in spite of the quiet story from which it comes. Some fans of the book have really given me a dirty look about this, but there it is. The movie gave Fanny a new voice, a very hot love interest in Johnny Lee Miller, and a formidable family that you just love to hate. There were some liberties taken with the story that got alot of flack, but I actually enjoyed the slavery angle. Not the slavery itself, mind you, but the human quality it gave some of the more one-dimensional characters of the book. Another Touchdown for Jane!

Backtracking a little more: Sense and Sensibility was nominated for 7 oscars in 1995. And for good reason. While I don't believe it merits the same consideration as a book that Pride and Prejudice does, I believe this movie is one of the five best of the nineties. Every time I watch it (and we're in the double digits now, people), I am more impressed. Ang Lee has proven himself to be a brilliant director (gay cowboys aside) and this is , I believe, his best film. If you haven't seen this movie, if you hate Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant gets on your nerves, if you aren't a hopeless romantic, if period dramas aren't 'your thing', you will still love this movie. The screenplay is impeccable, the acting is superb by everyone involved (even Hugh Laurie's tiny role is standout), and it's gorgeous to look at. It's hard for me to pick out another movie that succeeds in making you love as many of its characters, as this one. GOAL!

And then, there's Emma. Emma of the muddled mind and good heart. Yes, the book is brilliant even if the lead character does make us shake our heads a few times. And all the movies are worth watching. I say 'all' because since 1995, there have been at least 3. Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone is the loosest adaptation of the story. But it still, despite all its silliness, tugs at the ol' heartstrings a little. This could partly be due to Amy Heckerling's deft handling of superficial teen angst (ala Fast Times at Ridgemont High) but I credit most of it to the timeless story of a young rich- girl attempting to better herself through matchmaking.

In 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Beckinsale both tackled the role; Paltrow in the much touted cinematic adaptation and Beckinsale in the A & E version. While Paltrow was very good in her first (of many) british accented performances, Beckinsale was the winner here. Why? Well, there are a few reasons. The beautiful, pastel landcape and costumes of the big budget version are very appealing and like I said, Paltrow was very good. But the rest of the cast falls a little flat. Jane Fairfax was sadly overlooked in this version and barely says two words while Harriet (ably played to a klutzy turn by Toni Collette) is a bit too wide-eyed and klunky for the waifish Harriet of the book. Alan Cumming was sufficiently smarmy in his role but it was overdone for comic value...a little too overdone. Northam is beautiful and was every bit the stately aristocrat he should have been. But he and Paltrow both came up a little short in their ability to provide a 'human' quality to their characters and chemistry. And Ewan McGregor (with his dreadful hair extensions) was horribly miscast.

I can speak quite freely about that movie because, in my opinion, the A & E version is so superior in every way (excepting the aesthetic). Beckinsale is fantastic as Emma, providing just the right mix of priss and philanthropy. She's a wonderfully human, endearing, and coquettish little snob. Mark Strong lacks the physical good looks that Northam posseses but his Mr Knightly is absolutely engaging. I was truly in love with him by the end. Olivia Williams as Jane and Samantha Morton as Harriet are both perfect. They are given large, meaty roles that truly require intelligent delivery. Raymond Coulthard's 'puppy' of a Frank Churchill is so memorable that I am astonished I've never seen him since. And Mr and Mrs Elton are two of the funniest 'baddies' to grace the screen. Jane shoots-she SCORES!

Persuasion starring Amanda Root and Ciarin Hinds was also released in 1995 and is another worthy film. I saw it once, the year it was released, and it isnt fresh enough in my mind to justifiably review. Suffice it to say that Jane Austen would be proud.

So what about Northanger Abbey? I'm sure in the next few years we will hear it is indeed being adapted, possibly w/ Joel Schumacher at the helm and Lindsey Lohan tackling Catherine Morland (ach-can you imagine?). But until then, we will patiently wait.

Because hey, it's bound to be good.

My space, shmy space!

So many of my friends weere joining my space that my initial aversion to it has waned and now I'm a registered member! I'm so gullible.

Anyway, visit me at myspace.com/jewlover2

Now get outta here!

Closing in on Duran-Duran

So, how is my journey to Barbarellasville? For those of you who checked in at the beginning of the year, my physical goal was to get fit, namely-to look like Jane Fonda at her bulemic best...without the bulemia, of course.

This little update is more a note to myself than readers so bear with me:

How am I doing? Well, I was approximately ten lbs over where I wanted to be. I joined a website called dietwatch.com that provides meal plans (if you want them) and also (for a small fee) allows you access to a great little calendar where you can enter your food consumption, weight log, and exercise agenda for each day. Being a chronic list-maker who revels in organization, I felt this was my best bet. I have stuck to it pretty well and have now lost my weight (admittedly with the help of a couple of nasty viruses). Getting toned and such is of course more difficult but I have a pretty good workout schedule that can be suited to my routine as well as the inevitable changes having a job, house, and kids will bring.

I've discovered a wonderful work-out show on Fit Tv called Cardio Blast. The instructor is Cathe Frederick, a fitness enthusiast with a tight little body and poofy eighties hair. Her workouts are EXTREMELY difficult and because there are so many, I don't get tired of them. I record them on my dvr and do them whenever Nathan is napping during the day. My goal is to get up around 5am and get my exercising out of the way before the kids wake up but I'm not quite to that point yet...heh heh. All Star Workouts is another good hour-long Fit Tv show that I appreciate but the routines are sometimes confusing and dont seem to work my body as well as Cathe's.

Typical week of exercise goes:
Monday-Cardio (step, kickbox, etc)-usually high/low impact one hour
Tuesday-Weight Training (full body or upper body) depending on what I feel like-one hour
Wednesday-Cardio (again w/ the step, kickbox etc.)-one hour
Thursday-Weight Training (full body or lower body)-one hour
Friday-Conditioning (hour-long pilates or stretching techniques. Occasionally I do a good core workout if I havent gotten much of that in during the week)
Sat-22 minutes Pilates (dvd)
Sun-22 minutes pilates (dvd)

If I miss a day of cardio, I do cardio plus strength training the next day since Cathe has several workouts that mix the two.

Anyway, that is where it currently stands. I'm not super optimistic about the visual results because I'm not really super-strict with my diet (though I do count the calories) but I feel great and am really happy to be back in a routine.

Look out Duran-Duran! I'm a-comin!

"This is YOUR life...!"

Sometimes seeing your life and family in pictures can give you a whole new sense of 'being'.

An old shoebox suddenly appears from a long-forgotten hiding place and now your very existence is validated. Yes. This is me. This is my family. See? You were there! And you were loved and so were they!

Questions come up. 'Now, why exactly did mom think that was attractive? ' or 'Where were we ?' or better yet, 'Who was taking it?'

How is it that I could possibly have felt left out in this group of loving and obviously overjoyed people? What got us so tickled?

Sometimes, a memory completely eludes me. It's almost there, on the tip of a neuron, and then it slips away. But, find a photo, and here it comes prancing back as if to say : "see? I knew you could do it! You aren't crazy. That DID happen...only, not quite as you thought it did."

Cameras became such a novelty. It got to where we were taking pictures just to have them, no matter how rediculous. This one was actually the sanest looking one in the bunch...remember Heather? Remember loading yourself down w/ sports equipment? Posing with 'Aunt Sally'? The shower picture? WHAT were we thinking???
The thing that will always make me happiest is knowing that even though the pictures speak of times and places far away, there are so many more to come. And knowing that friends like these are likely to be present in those as well...it's just ...just...(sigh).

The Violet Hour

Since my little cousin Violet was just born on Friday, I've devoted this little post to her. This is one of my favorite poems by the indomitable Longfellow:

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The Children's Hour

Between the dark and the daylight
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations,
That is known as the Children's Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.
A whisper, and then a silence:Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!
They climb up into my turret
O'er the arms and back of my chair;
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!
Do you think, o blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!

I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.
And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!

Walt and Me

A dear friend posted an entry today about her favorite vacation. I hadnt really thought about a vacation in so long that when I read her comments about Mexico, it immediately got me thinking about my favorite place...the 'happiest place on earth...Disneyworld.

Now some people may think that is a very bold and naive statement but may I just say...ehem. When I think of vacationing, I think of Disneyworld. And Walt. And the smells, sounds, and sights that automatically make me feel young and innocent.

My love of Disney started when I was an infant. I saw The Rescuers at the theater and became completely inconsolable at the sight of Madame Madusa who scared the pixie dust outta me! My mother carried me out crooning Wish Upon a Star in my ear, hoping against hope that I would not be forever scarred by the apparition of that crazy red-haired woman and her pink slipdress. Now, when I see it, she still gives me the willies. But I digress. I grew to love other Disney classics that are so appealing to little gals: Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty etc. I also became very attached to Swiss Family Robinson and Mary Poppins, still am actually. Disney appeals to two of my many sides...the artistic and the whimsical.

When my husband and I went to Disneyworld on our honeymoon it was such a singular experience...and somewhat surreal. We were only 19 and kept looking around for our chaperone the whole time, feeling kinda naughty for being on our own, free to canoodle and cuddle as much as we liked . Something about the place made me feel even younger than I was which resulted in my skipping about like an pea-brain most of the time. I remember so well the smells of Epcot, the sunburnt raft ride and cold chicken at Tom Sawyer Island, the song on The Carousel of Progress, the mickey mouse ice cream bars.

On our one year anniversary, we visited again, this time with family and friends. The memory that stands out the most is riding a six-person bike at The Boardwalk Resort, endlessly honking our horn and annoying all of the retired guests. I've never laughed so hard...kind of like the giggles you get when you jump on a trampoline. Touring the 'world' with my brother and his wife was even more fun that it had been on the honeymoon because their energy added a different vibe to the trip.

On September 11th of 2001, three of my girlfriends and I were trying to figure out why terrorists had to choose the date of our vacation to attack. We were supposed to leave for Disneyworld on the 12th and planes were grounded. When we finally did leave, on the 19th, we were understandably scared to death to fly. My palms were sweating as we landed and I truly felt that this trip was a mistake. It turned out to be the best so far. The staff was endlessly helpful, the guests more determined than ever to be happy, and the lines nonexistent. We did all the girly things like night-clubbing and shopping to our heart's content. Our hotel was within walking distance of Epcot and my most precious memory of the trip was strolling around The WOrld Showcase by myself in the dark during Illuminations. Only if you've been there, do you know how that feels.

Finally, in 2003, I took my three year old son. And seeing The Magic Kingdom thru his eyes was just as fabulous as people say it is. Now I did all the cheesy things like take pictures with the characters and watch the silly 'Broadway-style' shows without feeling like time was being wasted. The Swiss Family Treehouse seemed bigger, the animals on the Jungle Cruise seemed real, Splash Mountain was terrifying suddenly, and playgrounds were crazy-cool! The pool at the hotel was actually visited multiple times and nobody hurried. Naps were taken during the day. Ice cream was eaten at leisure. Parades were viewed for the first time...and thoroughly enjoyed! Disneyworld with a child is a wonderful thing.

Now I find myself planning my friend's vacations there when I'm not going on one myself. Something about planning out their trips makes me feel like I'm still a guest. I'm always reading up on new 'hidden mickeys' and reading the Unofficial Guide.

To sum up: I know there are many other places in the world to visit. I know I'm missing out on so much by spending my vacations so single mindedly. But when I look at my photos I'm immediately grasped by a strong urgency to visit again. And you know what they say: 'If it ain't broke...'