Monday, Monday

[ksmith]

It's snowing. By tomorrow, we will end up with anywhere from 5-8". Brought home work laptopn just in case it's closer to 8", which will make getting out of the driveway problematic especially if them as plows leave another dam at the foot the of the thing.

I Did Not Finish My Tax Stuff last night. I am lower than dirt. I did watch Pride & Prejudice, though, and I will say that while I liked aspects of Ehle's and Firth's perfomances well enough, there are places where this version fell down when compared to my fave version, the 1985 David Rintoul as Darcy version that no one ever mentions.

1) I like Joanna David, who played Aunt Gardiner, but she couldn't hold a candle to Barbara Shelley. Part of the reason was the script--in the '85 version, the closeness of Eliza Bennett and her aunt is more thoroughly portrayed, and several key conversations shown. In the '95 version, the close relationship isn't shown, and thus the growth of Eliza as she comes to realize that some of her first impressions were well off the mark isn't portrayed as well as it might have been.

2) I HATE THE ENDING OF THE EHLE/FIRTH VERSION!!!!!!! That preachy sermonette about marriage was a lame, smarmy, lead balloon of an ending, and the scriptwriter should have his head handed to him. All the grace of a waltzing rhino. Clunky, iow.

Back to taxes.

It's still snowing.

Comments

[msagara.livejournal.com]

Did you see the most recent theatrical, with Keira Knightly? (I may be spelling both names wrong). If yes, what did you think of it?

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Nothing compares to the David Rintoul version, which introduced me to Jane Austen, and launched my love for her works, and from there I went on to discover the Regency genre.

Though I suspect it may have something to do with our age (*coughs*) in that we may have imprinted upon his portrayal of Darcy like ducklings, and thus are programmed to see all others as inferior.

[norilana.livejournal.com]

Oh, lord, finally SOMEONE ELSE who has see the David Rintoul/Elizabeth Garvie version that I adore! Yes on all counts!!!

The subtlety and finesse of the Darcy and Elizabeth in that version has not been surpassed!

Rintoul is the perfect Darcy, with the wonderful warming smile in the final scene to counteract his stony demeanor earlier (and Colin Firth never even changes his expression properly in the end, never truly shows joy), and Garvie's Eliza is just so genuinely subtle and her wit and true astuteness is so much more than the slight tinge of maliciousness evident in Ehle's performance.

[norilana.livejournal.com]

Exactly! :-)

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I didn't see that version. I saw the previews featuring The Kiss, and thought No! No! Why do they keep trying to modernize a perfectly good story filled with subtlety and wit?

Some LJers liked it, though. Did you see it?

[msagara.livejournal.com]

I did. What I liked about it was the proposal - because it is literally the first time I've seen it done in which it's clear that the two are terribly attracted to one another. It was subtle -- but the director does understand some of the undercurrents, and how to get them across, in that type of young love; the dialogue is the same as any other version's dialogue, but he's moved them so that the discussion takes place outside.

There were other problems with it of course, but -- I did like it.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

It was my intro to Austen as well.

Though I suspect it may have something to do with our age (*coughs*) in that we may have imprinted upon his portrayal of Darcy like ducklings, and thus are programmed to see all others as inferior.

*ahem*

I really do like Colin Firth. Liked him since "Another Country" (young Colin, along with young Rupert Everett and young Cary Elwes. Now that was a movie...)

::breathes::

The other players imprinted as well. In addition to Barbara Shelley, I liked the actress who played Jane much better, and the mother. The actor who played Mr Wickham (sp?) was a cooler character as well. More calculating. I didn't get the impression that he would dissolve into a puddle of alcohol, but that he'd drive Lydia to it instead.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I know there are more of us. We will win in the end!

Garvie has a mobile face, and was able to convey much with her eyes. My tape of the thing is starting to get grainy--I need to spring for the DVDs.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

How old is Darcy? Is he young as Eliza, who iirc is 20? I'd peg him for mid-late 20s, even though they matured earlier then and he may have been younger for all I know.

[msagara.livejournal.com]

How old is Darcy? Is he young as Eliza, who iirc is 20? I'd peg him for mid-late 20s, even though they matured earlier then and he may have been younger for all I know.

I would say mid-twenties, in that movie. I am not famous at figuring out ages, but he seemed younger than Firth's Darcy.

[msagara.livejournal.com]

I should probably add that watching that scene was a slow "Oh, I get it" moment for me; I've seen it done a number of times, but ... I don't know if it was the chemistry of the actors, or the director; it just stood out for me.

[jemck.livejournal.com]

Count me in the Rintoul/Garvie/duckling camp. Which isn't to say Firth/Ehle isn't perfectly enjoyable.

There were some plusses to the Keira Knightley one - not least that here in the UK we didn't get the kiss version and Deborah Moggach (iirc) did a stellar job with the script.

(btw, the whole ongoing winter snow situation you have just boggles my mind, living here in the green and mild Cotswolds, England. Goodness, LJ broadens one's perspective. And makes one thankful for the gulf stream )

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I should give it a watch. I thought they made Darcy look too Heathcliffy, but again, that may be the fault of the preview scenes.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Fay Weldon wrote the Rintoul/Garvie script, and I think that made a difference as well. Woman can write.

Maybe woman have more of a knack for scripting this tale?

(btw, the whole ongoing winter snow situation you have just boggles my mind, living here in the green and mild Cotswolds, England. Goodness, LJ broadens one's perspective. And makes one thankful for the gulf stream )

Tell me. Looks like my area wound up with 3-4 inches, which means I'll dig out, and see how the roads are. If I remember correctly, this is our snowiest winter since the late 70s, and the 4th snowiest since they started keeping records (I could've misheard this last bit). Close to 60 inches recorded at the official station, and we're supposed to get more over the next few weeks. I just hope it all STOPS by the end of March, when I go to NYC. I don't want any weather issues, please?

[kalligraphy.livejournal.com]

Have you seen Bride and Prejudice? It's a Bolliwood version of Pride and Prejudice done by the same guy who did Bend it Like Beckham.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I've never seen a Bollywood film--was it good?