The Gap, Prejudice, and Brussel Sprouts
Go here...trust me.
I was recently put in my place for judging a movie without having seen it. The movie in question was Pride and Prejudice (the new one), and I have actually spent a decent amount of time reconsidering my views on it. I'm still waiting for video, for three very good reasons. First, the 1995 version with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth is one of my favourite movies, and one that I put in to pick me up when I'm feeling low, which makes it sort of sacred. It's remarkably well done, and beautifully cast. Second, I really don't like Keira Knightly--everything I've seen her do has felt very flat, even the roles that really ought to flesh out nicely, so I just don't see her having the complexity to play Elizabeth Bennett. Third, from all accounts (including one from my roommate, who saw the new version and also loves the Ehle version), the new P&P has been boiled down into pretty much just a love story, which isn't at all the point of the book. This is a story about society, and politics, and manners, and the stupid little human mistakes we all make, and it's hard to make that the focus when you remove so much of the Jane/Bingley and Wickham/Lydia subplots (and apparently Bingley is played as a bit of a bumbling ninny, which misses the point entirely). I guess it's like what would happen if someone did a remake of the Lord of the Rings, but put all three in one movie--it might conceivably still be enjoyable, but the odds are good that anyone who really like the Peter Jackson version would find the entire concept utterly appalling. So that's my stance. Yes, I'm judging a movie without seeing it, but everyone does--that's how we decide what to see and what to skip.
And in other news, last night several of us sampled Brussel sprout-flavored soda. This was, perhaps, a tactical error. This particular beverage came from a set of sodas intended to make up an entire Thanksgiving dinner (turkey and gravy, cranberries, brussel sprouts, stuffing, and pumpkin pie). Perhaps the aroma wafting from the glasses should have been a warning, but we all bravely took a sip. We then all bravely ran to dump the rest down the sink. That was very possibly the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted, and I am including my mother's burned vegetable soup in that comparison. Some day I will threaten my children will brussel sprout soda. I will have very well behaved progeny.
I was recently put in my place for judging a movie without having seen it. The movie in question was Pride and Prejudice (the new one), and I have actually spent a decent amount of time reconsidering my views on it. I'm still waiting for video, for three very good reasons. First, the 1995 version with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth is one of my favourite movies, and one that I put in to pick me up when I'm feeling low, which makes it sort of sacred. It's remarkably well done, and beautifully cast. Second, I really don't like Keira Knightly--everything I've seen her do has felt very flat, even the roles that really ought to flesh out nicely, so I just don't see her having the complexity to play Elizabeth Bennett. Third, from all accounts (including one from my roommate, who saw the new version and also loves the Ehle version), the new P&P has been boiled down into pretty much just a love story, which isn't at all the point of the book. This is a story about society, and politics, and manners, and the stupid little human mistakes we all make, and it's hard to make that the focus when you remove so much of the Jane/Bingley and Wickham/Lydia subplots (and apparently Bingley is played as a bit of a bumbling ninny, which misses the point entirely). I guess it's like what would happen if someone did a remake of the Lord of the Rings, but put all three in one movie--it might conceivably still be enjoyable, but the odds are good that anyone who really like the Peter Jackson version would find the entire concept utterly appalling. So that's my stance. Yes, I'm judging a movie without seeing it, but everyone does--that's how we decide what to see and what to skip.
And in other news, last night several of us sampled Brussel sprout-flavored soda. This was, perhaps, a tactical error. This particular beverage came from a set of sodas intended to make up an entire Thanksgiving dinner (turkey and gravy, cranberries, brussel sprouts, stuffing, and pumpkin pie). Perhaps the aroma wafting from the glasses should have been a warning, but we all bravely took a sip. We then all bravely ran to dump the rest down the sink. That was very possibly the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted, and I am including my mother's burned vegetable soup in that comparison. Some day I will threaten my children will brussel sprout soda. I will have very well behaved progeny.