Movies in May: Modern Movies with Austen Themes

UPDATE: Congrats to June and Patty on being the winners of GOING FOR IT!! Please message me (MarilynBrant@gmail.com) with the best email address to send your PDF copy of the story. And many thanks to everyone who took the time to comment!! 😀
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Do you love films based on Jane Austen’s work or life, well, then you’ll love our theme this month. Grab your popcorn and a soda! It’s time for Movies in May!

Films inspired by Austen’s novels and characters, or those that play upon her most recognizable themes, dot the cinematic landscape and add a dash of Austenesque delight to viewers watching for her influence…


lake houseI’ve been waiting — and, I’ll admit, somewhat impatiently — for this month’s blog theme!

It’s no secret that I’m a movie junkie. And while I love with a passion the various adaptations made of our beloved Jane’s original stories, I get a deep satisfaction whenever I come across unexpected sources of Austen’s influence.

When I first saw “The Lake House” (2006), starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, I was stunned by the far-from-subtle nod to Persuasion. (So much so that this book is the heroine’s favorite novel in the film!) But even with a plot that doesn’t resemble the relationship between Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth in any direct manner, the writers, directors, and producers of this beautifully romantic movie imbued it with the Austenesque themes of waiting…and trust…and patience…and the desperate hope for second chances…

If you’re not familiar with the story, here’s a quick summary of the plot: “A lonely doctor (Sandra Bullock), who once lived in a beautiful lakeside home, falls in love via letters with its latest resident, a frustrated architect (Keanu Reeves). When they discover that they are living two years apart, the pair must unravel the mystery behind their incredible romance.”

For those of you who have seen it, what did you think of the story? Without revealing any spoilers, I must confess that the first time I watched the film, I was in a state of suspenseful anxiety for most of that 1 hour and 39 minutes. 😀 This was, for me, a story I enjoyed all the more on my second, third, and fourth viewing!!

rewrite

The more comedic and, yet, still very philosophic film, “The Rewrite” (2014), starring Hugh Grant and Marisa Tomei, was a delightful surprise. My mom was the one who first alerted me to its release. She’d seen a TV interview of Grant doing some promo for the film, and they showed a clip from a scene where he references Austen in a humorous but not so flattering manner. Needless to say, I was intrigued by her description and I had to see it for myself!

Here’s a bit of background on this movie: “A washed-up screenwriter (Hugh Grant) reluctantly takes a college teaching job and meets a single mother (Marisa Tomei) who changes his life in more ways than one.”

I’ve loved these leads in many prior films for their onscreen likability and their stellar comic timing, but what I appreciated most about this movie was its genuine understanding of life’s “Third Act” — a time when we realize we have the option of shifting into a different state of our own adulthood. This element not only infused what might have been a very light rom-com with added depth, but I couldn’t help but feel that Jane herself — had she lived into her late-forties, early-fifties, or beyond — would have approved of this particular lesson in human nature. Anyone else have first impressions of the film to share?

small book cover - going for it

And in some book release news, Going For It (A Sapphire Falls Kindle World Novella), just launched this week!! It’s a crossover story between my Mirabelle Harbor series and my friend Erin Nicholas’s Sapphire Falls series! Here’s just a bit about the book:
* 
Journalist Trevor Cayne is working on the biggest feature story of his career, and he’s on a road trip from Mirabelle Harbor to Colorado to get the final details. But a quick stop to see his grandmother in Sapphire Falls threatens to derail his carefully constructed plans. Between Gram and her friends, the weather whims of Mother Nature, and the most stunning redhead he’s ever laid eyes on in his life, he may not make it further than the western edge of Nebraska…
 

Aspiring singer-songwriter Tina Marie Moran has vowed to leave Sapphire Falls for Nashville this week — she’s put her music dreams on hold for long enough. But between her loving but meddlesome relatives and friends, a broken heart that’s in desperate need of mending, and a handsome stranger who can play her body like a virtuoso lead guitarist, she may find herself engulfed in a new passion that’s as strong as her love of music.

If you love small-town characters, creative songwriting, and whirlwind romance, I hope you’ll give this story a try! And, just for fun & because I love the readers here (!!), I’ll give away 2 PDF copies of GOING FOR IT to 2 commenters on this post! 🙂 Open internationally, and the winners will be chosen at noon Central Time on Monday the 23rd. (If you win on Monday and already have a copy of this novella, I’ll substitute with another one of my ebooks!)

Happy weekend, everybody!!

47 comments

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    • Theresa M on May 20, 2016 at 7:53 am
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    I had never watched Lake House because it looked to scary. Now I hope I can find it on Netflix so I can watch it with your review in mind. I also remember the Hugh Grant movie ads but it seemed to go in and out of the theaters rather quickly. I will look for that one also!
    thanks for the reviews and best of luck for your new book!

    1. Theresa, thank you so much for the good wishes on the book release!!
      And, yes…definitely give both films a try & try not to worry as much as I did when you watch The Lake House 🙂 .

    • Linda A. on May 20, 2016 at 9:26 am
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    I really enjoyed The Lake House and saw it in the theater in 2006 with a friend. She didn’t like it but I think it was because of the time jumping and she was confused. You do have to pay close attention to what is going on.

    1. Linda,
      Agreed! 😉 That’s a film where I think it helps to know from the beginning that there are time-travelesque elements!!

  1. I found The Lake House on You Tube and loved it, so much so that I got hold of my mother and re-watched it with her. We shared a box of tissues.

    1. June, ohhh, I know about the need for tissues!! 😉 I’m so glad you loved that film as much as I did! xox

    • Celia H on May 20, 2016 at 11:14 am
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    Hi! I’m trying to remember the name of a movie in which Elzabeth Bennet is transported to modern London and her place taken by a modern girl! Would anyone know it? Thanks!

    1. Celia,
      I believe you’re thinking of “Lost in Austen” — check out the IMDb page here and let me know if that’s the mini-series you had in mind 🙂 . http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1117666/
      I own a copy of it and thought it was a lot of fun!

    • Christina Boyd on May 20, 2016 at 12:55 pm
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    I’m going to have to revisit “The Lakehouse” because I could never make the “Persuasion” connections. Thanks for the insight.
    And haven’t seen the Hugh Grant film–how did that one get by my radar??

    1. Christina,
      I don’t think the Hugh Grant film was advertised nearly well enough — or, maybe, people were just too busy seeing Terminator 17 or something 😀 . I hope you’ll enjoy it if you watch it! I found it very clever and funny…

      • Sheila L. M. on May 20, 2016 at 11:00 pm
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      It’s the book she leaves on the bench at the train station…before they ever meet in person. He picks it up and runs after the train, holding the book up. They talk about that glimpse of each other in the letters at a later time.

      1. Sheila,
        Exactly!! Thanks for adding that part in — I should have mentioned it 😉 .

  2. Wonderful post! I’ve always wanted to watch The Lake House and just haven’t gotten around to it. Now I will! 🙂

    Have a lovely week, ladies! 🙂

    Warmly,
    Susanne 🙂

    1. Susanne,
      Ohhh, I hope you’ll like it as much as I did! I think it’s a little gem of a film…
      Wishing you a wonderful weekend, too 🙂 .

  3. Love the Lake House. I watched it recently. Have not seen the other movie. I will have to look for it. Congratulations on the new release.

    1. Patty,
      Thank you so much for the good wishes on the release!! It’s made for an exciting week 😉 .
      And I’m delighted you love The Lake House, too! Such a charming film.

    • Stephanie L on May 20, 2016 at 1:23 pm
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    I’m not much of a movie person outside of Austen…BUT I love love love The Lake House. I own it which is a huge message LOL. I own about 6 movies that are NOT versions of Austen’s novels. The whole time thing and Persuasion and the water…oh I love this movie. I’ve never seen the other one you mentioned though.

    Going for It was awesome! Please leave me out of the drawing. 😉

    1. Stephanie, first of all — thank you for reading GOING FOR IT!!!! You know it means the world to me when I hear that you enjoyed one of my stories, so thanks for that, too! You made my week. xox
      SO glad you share The Lake House love! Every time I see it, I adore it even more, and it’s one of those rare films for me that I want to start watching again the second the end credits start rolling…
      If you find yourself in the mood for an unusual comedy sometime, give The Rewrite a try. I’d love to hear your thoughts (pros/cons) on it 😀 .

    • Carole in Canada on May 20, 2016 at 3:37 pm
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    I have caught bits pieces of Lake House but not the whole thing! I love Sandra Bullock but not a fan of Keanu. Never saw anything on Hugh’s movie though. Will have to check that one out. Congratulations on your new novella!

    1. Carole,
      Thanks for the congrats on the novella!!
      As for The Rewrite, it’s a fun one! Very cute, especially if you like Hugh Grant 😉 . If you see it sometime, please let me know what you think!!

    • Eva E on May 20, 2016 at 4:51 pm
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    I have not seen either of the movies. I look forward to watching them during the “dog days of summer” and, hopefully, also reading your new novella. Thank you for the giveaway.

    1. Eva, thank you!!
      I really hope you’ll enjoy the novella and both films as well 😉 .
      Have a lovely weekend!

    • Vee on May 20, 2016 at 5:21 pm
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    Loved your passage and the topic Marilyn! I had no idea about the two movies you have highlighted! I love it when there is something new to look forward to. These are on my list to view!
    A huge congratulations on the release of your novella ‘Going For it’ 🎉I love reading all of your stories! The book is bought and next on my reading list! 😘

    1. Oh, Vee, you’re such a sweetheart!! THANK YOU, as always, for being so kind and supportive 😉 .
      And I’m so glad I was able to share something new for you in the film world! I can’t wait to hear what you think of the movies, once you’ve had a chance to see them!!
      xoxo

        • Vee on May 20, 2016 at 6:03 pm
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        You’re welcome Marilyn 😘. Thanks for providing wonderful entertainment xox

        1. *Hug!!!* XOX 🙂

    • Karylee Marin on May 20, 2016 at 8:26 pm
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    Wow,Marilyn ~ I’m crazy about Jane, crazy about the movies, and crazy about these two in particular – and crazy ’bout the four leads! (I think Marisa has made a pact with the devil; the woman never ages.) So, you really hooked me up! Congratulations, again, on all your work and thanks for allowing us to enjoy your success and enthusiasm. Good luck with the latest! Karylee Ka

    1. LOL about Marisa’s pact with the devil, Karylee!! I’m inclined to agree…she looks *fabulous* 😀 .
      And many thanks for the book congrats and for your enthusiasm about the films — I hope you’ll love them both as much as I did!!

    • Sheila L. M. on May 20, 2016 at 10:57 pm
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    I love The Lake House and sometimes just pull up the final scene for the angst and romance. I don’t know how many times I have watched all or part of it. Drool worth story!

    I haven’t heard of the other movie but will have to check it out.

    Seems to me I have read and loved a lot of your stories so this one will have to be put on my TBR pile. (I am feeling just so inundated presently.) But then thanks for a chance to win.

    1. Sheila,
      Totally agree about The Lake House!! Even just writing about it today makes me want to watch it again…
      And, ohhh, thank you so much for your lovely comments about my stories 😉 . I appreciate your kindness and cherish your thoughtful reviews. I really hope you’ll like this new one whenever you get a chance to read it!
      xox

        • Sheila L. M. on May 21, 2016 at 8:53 am
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        I am laughing b/c in reading this post I wanted to watch The Lake House again…but I had been babysitting on day yesterday in NJ and then drive home 2 hours in rush hour traffic on Interstate highways and it was late when I read your blog in going through all my e-mails. So I will have to scratch that itch sometime soon.

        1. Wish we could watch it together, Sheila! ♥

            • Sheila L. M. on May 21, 2016 at 12:08 pm
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            Oh, I would so love that and would bring several bottles of wine to help in the enjoyment. Hugs.

            1. 😀 😀

  4. I had no idea these had Austen influences! I just put together a list of 100 Period Dramas Streaming on Netflix, and there are 5 films included that are either Austen or are Austen inspired. Thought I’d share as you are a fan of movies (and Austen!). The list is here: http://www.willowandthatch.com/period-costume-historical-dramas-netflix-2016/

    1. Oh, how wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing your film list with me!! Looking forward to checking it out and, I’m sure, finding some new ones that I need to add to my ever-growing must-see stack 😀 .

      1. You are most welcome! There is also a master list here, if you really want to get yourself into trouble 🙂 http://www.willowandthatch.com/period-films-to-watch/ As an Austen fan, you may want to start with the Georgian era list. Happy watching!

        1. LOL!! Thanks for the link…and for the warning! 😀

      • Sheila L. M. on May 23, 2016 at 4:59 pm
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      I looked at your list – overwhelming. And what a lot of work you put into collecting and publishing that information. Thanks for sharing.

    • Rosa on May 22, 2016 at 2:53 am
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    I loved the Lake House because of the Jane Austen references but also I’m very fond of time travelling stories. Have you watched Kate and Leopold? Delightful even though not at all related to Jane Austen.

    I must watch Rewrite. Sounds good! Thank you.

    1. Oh, Rosa!!
      I *loved* Kate and Leopold, too!! (Then again, I’d watch anything with Hugh Jackman, LOL.) I saw it years ago, and you’ve made me want to see it again 😀 . Thanks for the reminder. And I hope you’ll enjoy The Rewrite as much as I did. As for time travel stories, have you ever read Time and Again by Jack Finney? They haven’t made his version of this story into a film yet, at least not as far as I know, but the novel is wonderful and well worth reading! xo

      • Sheila L. M. on May 23, 2016 at 4:46 pm
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      I have watched Kate and Leopold several times…so you must be watching Outlander also. Love those books and the TV series.

      1. Sheila,
        I don’t know about Rosa, but I’ve been watching Outlander too!! I’ve read the first few books and am so impressed with the TV series ♥.

          • Sheila L. M. on May 23, 2016 at 5:32 pm
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          I am now reading book 7…plus I have a Pinterest board https://www.pinterest.com/sheilaodara/another-outlander-fan/ with over a thousand pins. That man is so yummy!

          1. Fabulous Pinterest board!!
            I already follow you, but I just took a peek at your Outlander page and saw MANY wonderful new photos of Sam that I love… And Cait, too, of course. But, ohhhh, Jamie, Jamie, Jamie!! 😀 *swoon*

    • Margie Darcy on May 23, 2016 at 9:54 am
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    I need to get these both STAT!!!

    1. Margie,
      I hope you’ll love them both as much as I did!!
      🙂 xo

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