Me: Could you tell me where I can find Pretty in Pink?
Guy: Pride and Prejudice?
Me: No . . . Pretty in Pink.
Guy: 'Pudding' and what?
He finally got it, but the "Pudding" bit just about did me in. What kind of movie title would start with "Pudding"? A lame one, that's what. I believe, in the several retellings of this incident since, my last words to the Blockbuster guy were "'Pudding' and you suck!" That's what Mean Ash would have yelled, anyway. Real Ash probably only said it in her head.
Anyhow, this is all a slightly indirect way to introduce the topic for today:
The Allure of British Period Pieces
In fact, while my sister was in town for two weeks last year, we watched three favorites:
- Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit
- Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South
- and Lost in Austen (see this post on the writing blog)
But the more we watched, the more we analyzed why we love them. Is it as simple as getting caught up in a love story? I don't think so. Though that's a common enough element in many British costume dramas, I don't think it's just that.
Little Dorrit is classic Dickens, in that the story is complex and very rags-to-riches-to-rags, with extreme, melodramatic characters and only a little love story on the side.
And heaven knows there's more going on in Downton Abbey than just a love story. Births and deaths and weddings and electricity and murder and scene-stealing Maggie Smith, just to name a few. (As a sidenote: A long time ago, in Downton seasons, I saw this article on The Onion and loved it.)
Lark Rise to Candleford is another fun one, a four-season series set at the end of the 1800s about a young village girl who moves to a nearby town to become an apprentice to the postmistress. It stars Bates before he was Bates and Lydia Bennet, from the Colin Firth Pride and Prejudice, after she was Lydia Bennet. It's fun and endearing and lighthearted, but someone rightfully described it as an upper-class soap opera. It's just as compelling.
Another great one with Lydia (I suppose she has a real name, I'm just too lazy to look it up) is Cranford. It also stars Judi Dench, who I have never disliked in anything I've ever seen her in. If I met her in real life, I think we could be friends.
And Netflix isn't much help either, making so many shows readily available for when I'm running on the treadmill or just sitting around in my fatsacks. The Forsyte Saga—seen it. Bramwell—seen several episodes. The Buccaneers—in the middle of it.
It's true, some are not as good as others, but it's still safe to say I've seen A LOT over the years. And so have the rest of you, I know it. So why do we like them so much? One theory I sometimes entertain is that many of us have British ancestry and it's like being called home.
But truthfully, I'm still left wondering. What is it about British period pieces?
Also, I didn't list all the good ones here, but are there any others you'd recommend? I certainly don't want to miss any. ;)
Costumes and accent. I'm sure of it.
ReplyDeleteOh, and that fatsacks comic made me laugh out loud. Thanks for that.
An English writer by the name of Toby Young suggests that people from New York love Jane Austin stories because New Yorkers have a similar social mindset to the people in her novels! Never having been to New York, and not wishing to put my trust in how the people look in the movies, i couldn't comment.
ReplyDeleteI like the subtle humor you have to be paying attention for to get. Like the grandmother on Dowton (best lines on the show), or the pastor on Pride and Prejudice. I dislike gay dukes and footmen.
ReplyDeleteI think for me a lot of the appeal is related to the contrasts of life then and there to life here and now. Like the fact that doctors, lawyers, businessmen, etc., were so looked down upon by the gentry because they had jobs! I think we definitely romanticize life in that era (e.g. some of the clothes were so beautiful, but probably incredibly uncomfortable), but there is a certain appeal to the simplicity of life. On the other hand, I am SO glad that I wasn't born in a time when women were considered such second-class citizens.
ReplyDeleteI love the historical aspects, the culture and society of the time, the clothing and way of life and everything everyone's mentioned. I also love that the stories are so dialogue-driven. They're so intelligently-written that you actually feel smart just reading/watching it. Which is hard to find these days with all the drivel and nonsense. Also, the stories are just such a good time. The epic tales over a span of decades. The twists and turns. I'll always appreciate a writer who can tell a good story and develop a quality character because it sounds pretty hard to me.
ReplyDeleteI liked all of these so much! I think if we put them together, we would have a pretty good explanation for our collective obsessions. And thanks, Tim, for your comment. I'm glad to have a native's perspective. :)
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