"And to this purpose"

"If people like to read their books, it is all very well, but to be at so much trouble in filling great volumes, which, as I used to think, nobody would willingly ever look into, to be labouring only for the torment of little boys and girls, always struck me as a hard fate; and though I know it is all very right and necessary, I have often wondered at the person's courage that could sit down on purpose to do it." (In other words: rambling analyses, opinions, ideas, views, and comments from an English major, Essay/paper-writing enthusiastic, Austen-loving Master Librarian on, well, Jane Austen...and a whole lot of other things, too.)

"Celebrated Passages are Quoted"

Heidi's favorite quotes


"What is it really like to be engaged?" asked Anne curiously. "Well, that all depends on who you're engaged to," answered Diana, with that maddening air of superior wisdom always assumed by those who are engaged over those who are not."— L.M. Montgomery

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Admission? Confession?

I have to be honest and admit this. At first, I was furious that they were making a new Jane Eyre. I mean--you can't mess with perfection!!!

*sigh*

What? Oh, right. The 2007 version was the best version EVER. And I've seen about 5 or more. I would know.

Every fan of the book agreed with me--this is the best.

Every fan of the story agreed--this is the best.

Every fan of just this movie agreed--this is the best!

So every one of us was in shock as to why "they" would make another adaptation. Why are we beating these poor stories over and over again? There are so many other classics that could use a good film adaptation!

And while I am still a bit annoyed and wondering why in the world they are making another adaptation--and so soon after perfection!--here is what I must admit.

I am growing more intrigued every day...especially as the release is only a month away.

Well, you look at the cast and see if you resist even the slightest twinge of interest.

OK. You may be intrigued. You may not. But my admission is not just that I am intrigued. But it is something we all probably figured out, considering this entire blog:

I am a Period Drama film addict.

And in such confession, I would like to list those that I have seen--with my Thumbs Up (+) and my Thumbs Down (-). Granted, I have seen so many of these in the last 3 years--they were my great sustainment in a trying chapter of life--that I know I'll forget some. I borrow much of this list from the wonderful Enchanted Serenity--where I get most of my Period Drama news, info, etc. And I, like her, include a few that are not technically Period Dramas, but fit so well into the whole aura of the genre for me. (This list is certainly not complete, as I'm not including many of the much older versions of some classics!)

A Walk to Remember +
Amadeus + and -
An Ideal Husband +
Anastasia (animated) + (though - for the Rasputin parts)
Anne of Avonlea (BBC) + (much closer to the book)
Arsenic and Old Lace +
Ballet Shoes + and -
Becoming Jane + and -
Berkeley Square + and -
Bleak House (new one) +
Britannic -
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang + and -
Chocolat + and -
Cranford +
Daniel Deronda +

David Copperfield 1999 +
Downton Abbey +
Emma 1996 + 

Emma 2009 +++!
Finding Neverland + and -

From Time to Time +
Goodbye Mr. Chips (1969) +
Great Expectations 1999 +
He Knew He Was Right - (only because "he" bothers me!)
His Girl Friday +
Jane Eyre 1943 (I think) -
Jane Eyre 1983 -
Jane Eyre 1996 + and -
Jane Eyre 1997 +
Jane Eyre 2007 +++
Jude --- and another ---
Lark Rise to Candleford (season 1) +
Lark Rise to Candleford (season 2) +
Lark Rise to Candleford (season 3) +
Lark Rise to Candleford (season 4--still on!) +
Les Miserables (Liam Neeson) - with a bit of +
Les Miserables in Concert ++ (and so excited for the 25th concert in month!!!!)
Little Dorrit 2009 ++
Little Women 1933 -
Little Women 1978 +
Little Women 1994 +
Lost in Austen + and some -
Love Comes Softly +
Love's Abiding Joy +
Love's Enduring Promise +
Love's Long Journey +
Love's Unending Legacy +
Love's Unfolding Dream +
Love Finds a Home -
Love Takes Wing + and -
Man in the Iron Mask - and a little +
Mansfield Park 1999 - and a little + 
Mansfield Park 2007 + and -
Martin Chuzzlewit +
Mayor of Casterbridge -
Miss Austen Regrets +
Mr. Holland's Opus +
My Fair Lady +
Nicholas Nickleby 2002 +
North & South +
Northanger Abbey 1987 - with a little + 
Northanger Abbey 2008 ++
Oliver! +
One Night with the King +++
Our Mutual Friend ++
Persuasion ++
Persuasion 2007 + and a little -
Pride & Prejudice 1940 - (even with the amazing Greer Garson)
Pride & Prejudice 1980 - and a little +
Pride & Prejudice 1995 ++
Pride & Prejudice 2003 ++
Pride & Prejudice 2005 + and -
Return to Cranford (2009) ++
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves + and a little -
Sense & Sensibility 1971 + and -
Sense & Sensibility 1981 - and a little +
Sense & Sensibility 1995 +
Sense & Sensibility 2008 ++
Shadowlands +
Somewhere in Time + and -
Tess of the D'Urbervilles + and -
The Barchester Chronicles (part of it) - and a little +
The Buccaneers --- and triple that
The Count of Monte Cristo 2002 - with a tiny +
The Inheritance +++

The Lost Prince +
The Moonstone +
The Princess Bride +
The Scarlet Pimpernel 1982 +
The Scarlet Pimpernel 1999 +
The Secret of Moonacre +
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall + and -
The Way We Live Now - and +
The Woman in White +
The Young Victoria +++!
The Young Visiters - and a little +
Twelfth Night 1996 + and a little -
Under the Greenwood Tree +++
Washington Square - and a tiny bit +
Wives and Daughters +++
Wuthering Heights 1939 -
Wuthering Heights 1992 -



7 comments:

Meredith said...

You have seen a ton of these! I'll admit, I'm also skeptical of/intrigued by the newest Jane Eyre. The 2007 is so good! I'll still probably see this one, though.

Sara Lyn said...

I laughed that you admitted you're intrigued with the new one. Of course! It's a timeless story and hopefully this will either be better than 2007 or at least come in second. We could use a second place that was closer to first place than second place is now. :)

I recently heard of the movie "The Woman He Loved" and heard several people rave about it. Ugh. The I watched part of a movie called "Bertie and Elizabeth" (dealing with some of the same as "The King's Speech" I believe) and liked the part I watched much better. I kind of wonder which side of the story is more accurate, though...

ldsjaneite said...

Meredith - Yep. I have seen a ton. It probably isn't healthy for me!

SaraLyn - I just watched Bertie & Elizabeth this evening. I enjoyed it. Ever since "Young Victoria," I have been learning more about the British monarchy since that I would have expected myself to be interested in. I guess I just grew up in a time when the royal family just sickened me, and I didn't want to anything about them. So now I'm slowly enjoying learning about the lives of the, uh, better ones while still seeing the connections. I guess it is just refreshing that among some of the wretched (like Edward VIII) there were lovely people like Victoria & Albert, and Albert & Elizabeth. Maybe there is something in this old-fashioned name Albert....

I agree. A close second would definitely be nice.

Anonymous said...

Ha ha. I love period drama films as well (at least the ones I have discovered via youtube). I love your list!

I just saw the trailer for the newest one today with my sister, another period drama addict. We were intrigued as well, not gonna lie. Though the style of the trailer itself was ... well, interesting. :)

ldsjaneite said...

Bri-I didn't even think about a trailer. So I looked up a couple. And one made me seasick watching it!

And, oh, YouTube. That's how I watch most of my Period Dramas right now.

Anonymous said...

Good list! Makes me wish I had Netflix again.

ldsjaneite said...

smallbutvaluable: Yes. I wish I had the full-screen, no-computer-going-to-sleep-every-5-minutes convenience of Netflix, too. But, "desperate times call for desperate measures"--and I gotta have my period dramas! So, YouTube is my friend.