Cuddle Up With a Great Movie

If you live in a place like I live, it’s cold outside.  Maybe it’s snowing or raining.  But any way you look at it…it’s nice to be inside.  One thing I love about the cold is having an excuse to cuddle up with a blanket and watch a great movie.  But sometimes, it seems like there’s just nothing good to watch.

My husband and I LOVE movies that are made by the BBC (British Broadcasting Company).  If you’ve never seen one or have scoffed at them in the past, give them another chance.  I’m going to recommend a handful of incredible movies that my husband and I love and think you will too. 

Just keep in mind that the BBC typically makes their movies for TV, so each movie can consist of 4 to 14 episodes…totaling 4-8 hours of movie.  No, we do not watch it all in one sitting.  But it is so nice to have a masterpiece to look forward to night after night.  And, since it is broken up into episodes, it is easy to watch just one a night and not have to commit to a 2 hour movie if you don’t want to.  One of my favorite things about BBC movies is that they develop the characters incredibly well.  I guess if you’re going to have 6 hours of movie time, you have that ability.  Not so in a 2 hour flick.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

I have to start here.  This is by far my all time favorite movie.  It is incredibly done, amazingly put together, and the story is flawless.  Yes, you can watch the recent Kiera Knightly version, but it is NOTHING compared to this.  This is Jane Austen’s pure love story between a poor girl with a strong mind and spirit and a wealthy man who is too proud to accept his unexplicable love for her.  But there is SO much more to it!  You’ve just got to see it.

THE WAY WE LIVE NOW

One thing I love about the BBC is that you find characters that got their start in the BBC and now you see them in other things.  Like Scarecrow from Batman Begins…he’s one of the main characters.  And Moaning Mertyl from Harry Potter.  See them both there on the cover? 

Anyway, this is an adaptation of Anthony Trollope’s novel in which a foreigner moves into town and dupes all the wealthy families into investing with him, dragging them along to his and their ruin.  Only some are wise enough to see thru it all, while others are too blinded by greed to resist.

DAVID COPPERFIELD

Speaking of people getting their start…see Daniel Radcliff (Harry Potter) and Professor McGonagall?  Also in this I believe is that lady who comes to Hogwarts and makes all the rules (can you tell how much I know about HP?).  This movie has a TON of now-famous actors. 

This is a fantastic adaptation of Charles Dickens’ famous classic.  It is a story of a young boy who loses everything and, thru the love of those he meets, grows to find himself and discover the true loves in life.

WIVES AND DAUGHTERS

One of my definite favorites…it’s sitting on my counter right now.  Maybe I can sneak in an episode before bed tonight.

This is a beautiful story (based on Elizabeth Gaskell’s unfinished novel) of a young girl and her father.  Their relationship is so tender.  But he feels that she needs a mother’s influence so he marries.  But the woman of his choosing has a difficult time putting off her pride and conceit to truly love her new step-daughter.  The love story that flows thru the movie is incredible and so moving.  Maybe it’s just me.  But my husband loved this one too.

OUR MUTUAL FRIEND

Ahh…another one full of Harry Potter characters.  This is also the film portrayal of Charles Dickens’ novel.  The story is a web between multiple stories, back and forth, centering around two vastly different romances.  One filled with angst and inequality, and another so tender and deep.  The friendships, experiences…I don’t know how to describe it.  This is such a good movie. 

LITTLE DORRIT

This is now one of my new favorites.  Yet another Charles Dickens’ novel redone.  This is a story of a girl born and raised in a debtor’s prison who is her father’s only true companion.  When a stranger extends charity toward her, it sparks the interest of the stranger’s son.  As he pokes and prods to find the truth, he discovers secrets and sorrows that he tries desperately to heal.  Definitely a rags to riches film, but also exposes the cruelty and sad reality of pride.

So there you have it.  Just a smattering of some incredible movies that can keep you company during these long winter days and nights.  Go sit down, relax, grab a mug of cocoa, and enjoy a timeless classic.