Overcoming First Impressions*

When it was released, I adamantly vowed not to see the new version of Pride & Prejudice featuring Keira Knightley and not Colin Firth. But it happened to be on HBO this afternoon, and I started watching. Out of curiosity, really. You know, to compare it my beloved BBC miniseries and find it severely lacking.

I was begrudgingly surprised. Despite my protestations that Knightley was all wrong for the role of Elizabeth Bennett, she pulled it off swimmingly. She delivered a witty, complex performance and possibly brought out the flawed humanity of the character more so than other portrayals, in which Bennett becomes somewhat of an above-reproach heroine. I admit, they even accomplished making her look rather dowdy. And while Matthew Macfadyen is clearly not Colin Firth, his Darcy is well-played and appropriately stand-offish. A bit more vulnerable and yielding than Firth's ever is, for he does smile on several occasions during the film.

Overall, this film has a verve and energy to it that the BBC miniseries lacks, though the BBC version does cover the novel in its entirety more faithfully. Knightley, Macfadyen and fellow cast (including the illustrious Judy Dench as the deplorably pompous Lady Catherine de Bourg) draw the wit and comedy out of the story and more accurately depict the societal gaps between the various characters. Also, Simon Woods, who played Octavian in Season 2 of Rome delivers a performance quite the opposite of the confident dictator with his affable Mr. Bingley.

My only beef was the end scene added specifically to the American version that insinuates that we tacky Americans will never understand the passion of Elizabeth and Darcy without an implied sex scene...which, just doesn't really belong in this film. Still I confess...I'll be adding it to my DVD collection in short order. For like Elizabeth and Darcy, I'm not to proud to admit when I've been prejudiced.

* A postscript for any trivia lovers - First Impressions was Jane Austen's working title for the novel.

RuMANations

A girlie-girl prone to crushes since, oh, I don't know, birth, I've always had some celebrity that I secretly pined for - or not so secretly wrote on every notebook I carried. According to the same journal that charted my musical tastes, I've had crushes on the following celebrities:

Dean Cain (of Lois & Clark fame) * Chipper Jones (of the Atlanta Braves) * Adam Duritz (of Counting Crows) * Harrison Ford * Colin Firth * Michael Schoeffling (from Sixteen Candles, although my crush had more to do with the little-known Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken) * Hugh Jackman * Joshua Jackson * John Mayer...and I'm sure there were many, many more whose names I was smart enough to not catalog for future embarrassment.

But far more embarrassing than any of my past crushes is that, I must confess, I still get celebrity crushes. And they seem to come in threes. My current list of crushes includes:

*James Purefoy - British and delicious. If you missed HBO's Rome, you missed his incredibly witty and sexy portrayal of Mark Antony, you missed out. He's just rugged. And wicked. Great voice, too. A guy's never looked so hot shoving a sword into his gullet.

*Christian Bale - I know he was popular among my friends (a.k.a. NIKI!) when he was in Swing Kids. I thought he was cute then, but now? He's smoldering. He's got that mysterious quality. Best Bruce Wayne ever (and with the worst script of all of them).

*Mr. Armani - I tried to find out this guy's name, and the best I can do is find one site that names him Andrew Cooper. But I don't think that's right. So we'll just call him Mr. Armani. He's spearheading the spring campaign for the label, and well, let's just say I'm glad we get GQ in the office so that I could tear the ads out and pin them to my billboard. Plus the latest issue has Christian Bale on the cover - bonus!

Once a crusher, always a crusher.

Thank You, BBC

Dear BBC:
I know I'm about 10 years late with this, but I just wanted to say thanks for Mr. Darcy. Thank you for your fine casting, your willingness to go out on a limb with that wet shirt scene and in particular that look of adoration on Mr. Darcy's face when Elizabeth is playing the piano forte. Thanks for the "Please allow me to express how ardently I love and admire you" line. And for the tall hat, the tight knee breeches and the startched cravats. Thank you for making a nearly-six-hour-movie that I will still stay up til 2:30 AM to watch. Really, I owe you one.

Sincerely,
Ashley

P.S. I'd like to thank the English in general for the gift of Hessian boots. Hot.