Chick Flick Weekend

One of my traditions--and, it turns out, other "Scout Moms" have a similar one--is that when Hubs and the boys are gone (usually at a Scouting event), I watch "chick flicks." I started the tradition with a VHS recording of Braveheart, but over the years I've branched out. We also have Movies On Demand and most of them, especially if they're a few years old, are free.

Last Saturday I watched one of my all-time faves, Somewhere In Time, with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. And a Rachmaninoff score.

The plot's pretty weak--I'm not really sure why Elise McKenna (Seymour) falls for Richard Collier (Reeve) and in such a short time span. And the apparent ability of Elise's manager, William Fawcett Robinson (Christopher Plummer), to predict the future is mentioned in passing but never explained.

But Somewhere In Time does have a wonderful setting, gorgeous period costumes, the ethereal beauty and grace of Jane Seymour, and Christopher Reeve's smile. And his ability to make fun of himself.

The seduction scene leaves much to the imagination--which is good. One of my faves, in fact.

The other chick flick I watched (Sunday night) was Shakespeare In Love. Joseph Fiennes plays Will Shakespeare, Gwenyth Paltrow play Viola--who becomes the muse of Shakespeare--and Colin Firth (sigh) plays Lord Wessex. Dame Judi Dench received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her eight minutes in the film, but they were important minutes, mind you.

The seduction scene in Shakespeare In Love leaves much less to the imagination, but has the advantage of showcasing lines that (we are to believe) Shakespeare incorporated into Romeo and Juliet. Except for that scene, this might be a way to introduce students to Shakespeare and to Christopher (Kit) Marlowe and the whole milieu of English Theater during the time of Elizabeth.

More gorgeous costumes, wonderful dialogue, terrific actors (Geoffrey Rush, of Pirates of the Carribean fame, plays the theater manager), and the best repeating line I've heard in awhile: "I don't know. It's a miracle."

Hubs was home at that point, but he fell asleep. I turned the volume down and I missed some of the dialogue because English actors just won't open their mouths and enunciate! But that's my personal rant.

I'm looking forward to the next Scout outing. I have Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason for starters.