Jane Austen, 2

Northanger Abbey. Yes, I'm a few days late (it aired on Sunday). But to make up for it, I've now watched it twice. No, not because it was just that good, but because The Cold One didn't get to watch it the first time so we recorded it for her and watched it last night. And, the second time, I didn't really watch the first half. More, I listened to it while making fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. Good news is, dinner was rather tasty. I think it was well worth it. I've decided, I really like cooking for other people. Because then I get to make things like fried chicken.

Anyway, back to the movie. This movie was very different than most Jane Austen's that I am used to. It was based around trashy gothic romance novels and sinister evil men. Mr. Thorpe made me cringe at the first sight when his shifty eyes watched Catherine dance. He continues to be a jerkface from then on. We started the movie with the typical Jane Austen mindset. Mr. Tilney came on, wooing the women with his knowledge of muslin and Desdemona immediately started wondering if we should like him. He seems likable, and thus, we shouldn't like him--like Mr. Wickham. I disagreed. But perhaps that's just because I had already decided I really liked Mr. Tilney. I was taking a risk in opening myself up to disappointment if Desdemona was right. Then there's Captain Tilney who is an utter jerkface and always seems shmarmy. Much like the Shmarmy Prince in Into the Woods. Then there's Mr. Tilney (the dad). Every time he walked into the scene, the music changed to make you think you were watching some creepy, scary movie. It set the mood so that you could never possibly like him. Unless, of course, you are Hodag and like him for his obvious evil-nature and admire his sideburns.

The story has the typical Jane Austen, fall in love, have some sort of major conflict where you fear it won't actually work out in the end, but it really does and everyone lives happily ever after. Of course, after you realize how perfect and ideal the man who makes you swoon (and this time actually riding up on a white horse) shows up at the end and saves the day.

I leave you with the closing line of both book and movie: "I leave it to be settled whether the tendency of this story be to recommend parental tyranny or to reward filial disobedience."