10 fictional darlings

SO!

Olivia tagged me with the '10 favourite Screen Characters Tag'! Thank you, old sport. I'm one of those delightful little creatures that has tons and tons of favourite fictional characters, so, as other people have done before me, I won't pick my ten favourite characters - I'll pick ten of (mark the of) my favourite characters. It'll be fun.

By the way, the first five will be male and the last five will be female. Just, in case you can't see the difference between the two. Or just in case you scroll down and meet only men for awhile and don't understand why there aren't any females - they will come.

#1. Lionel Logue

(Geoffrey Rush, The Kings Speech)

Lionel Logue is Awesome. I just love him. If I had a pick a father of the Period Drama world, I'd pick this one, without a doubt. He's childish. He's funny. He's serious. He's smart. He loves people and he has flaws. He's definitely one of my all-time favourite screen peeps. I want to spend an afternoon with him and give him a big bear hug. I basically want him to exist.

#2. Bertram Wooster

(Hugh Laurie, Jeeves and Wooster)

Ah, Bertie. I have devoted an entire post or more to him, but I had to add him. Because, to be frank, he's that one character that cheers me up and I can never have enough of. He must be so much fun to doodle around with. Just imagine going for a walk with Bertie Wooster at your side - I really want to do that.

#3. Tevye

(Chaim Topol, The Fiddler on the Roof)

What even is Tevye's last name? Or is that it? What is his first name then? It'll always be a misty unknown-ness to me, it seems. Anyway, about him. He's just AMAZINGLY funny and awesome. I just love him. I even love how he shouts and loses his patience after five seconds of waiting and how he mumbles and kicks the chickens. He's just hilarious and one of the best characters, ever.

#4. Roger Hamley

(Anthony Howell, Wives and Daughters)

Roger Hamley is one of my favourite heroes and, to be naomi (well, my name isn't Frank, is it?), I don't understand why more people share my love for him. He did fall for Cynthia, yes. But he felt sorry for it afterwards and he's super kind and sweet and handsome. He can even pull of a beard.

#5. Mr Knightley

(Johnny Lee Miller, Emma)

I did think of adding Mr Palmer in Sense and Sensibilty or Sparkler in Little Dorrit but then I remembered Mr Knightley and all thoughts about the grumpy hilarious Hugh-Laurie-role and the Sparkler-ideas vanished. I LOVE Mr Knightley. Yes, love as in love. He's the kind of man I want to marry one day, if you see what I mean. He's just SO kind and good and wise and so handsome-especially-when-he's-super-angry. He'd also make a really good father, don't you think? He's my favourite hero, period.

#6. Beatrice Potter

(Renee Zellweger, Miss Potter)

I love Miss Potter. Aside from she being a huge animal-lover and me not that huge, I relate to her a lot. We both love to write, we both love to paint and have a super artsy bedroom. She's quirky and special and does things. 

#7. Elizabeth Bennet

(Jennifer Ehle, Pride and Prejudice)

BECAUSE SHE'S AMAZING. How can you not love her? She's just the nicest character. Quick tongue, pretty starry eyes, sweet smile, witty one-liners, kind kind heart. She could be my friend, please. I will never tire of her. Indeed, there is not a tiry bone in her body - one can be entertained by her for hours in succession. Lovely heroine.

#8. The Dowager Countess

(Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey)

Oh my goodness, how can she not be everyone's favourite Downton character? She definitely is mine. She just SUCH a character. I want her to be my Grandma so bad. Is it possible to have three Grandmothers? I want her to be my third. (Want, want.) She's HILARIOUS. Everything she says - every little syllable that whisps out of her body - is hilarious. Her facial expressions are hilarious. And what makes it even more hilarious is the fact that she's the most serious character at the same time.

#9. Melanie Wilkes

(Olivia de Havilland, GONE WITH THE WIND)

She deserves more friends. She loves everyone. She never sees wrong. She's almost soppy. But yet I love this beautiful darling doll. She's so sweet. Olivia de Havilland did her so well. What does annoy me about Melanie is the fact that she so adores that witch-Scarlett. But still, I can't dislike Melanie. She's just a pot of shining gold. I always cry when I read her death scene.

#10. Maria von Trapp

(Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music)

Starting off as a wild, getting-into-trouble, big-hearted, challenge-accepting, problem-solving tomboy. Ending as a mature wife, darling mother, beautiful-smile-owner. I just love Maria von Trapp. She's a lovely nanny and a lovely mother. Exactly what Geog and the children needed, I should say. And she's funny too, isn't she?

Have you seen these movies?

Do you enjoy the same characters as I?

How the World of Musicals works

 

 Music keeps us happy, tears us up, touches our heart, makes us jump and tap our toes. Music is amazing - it really is. It's like magic. The other day I was listening to a beautiful sweeping soundtrack, just crying. And it struck me how powerful just a few violins can be - how a specific blend of melodies can snap bring tears to my eyes in a normal day. And then the other day I was listening to a snappy old ragtime, suddenly finding myself dancing all over my room in the dark in my pyjamas. The music just forced me to dance - even though I was almost dozing off with the mp3player things in my ears. They just DID something to me that made me throw off my covers and start moving my legs and snapping my fingers.

 

But still, although music is powerful and does an enormous amount of things in everyone's lives, we do not live in musicals, where the magic doubles and practically everything is possible. Alas we don't. But if we did, all sorts of things would happen...

 

Rain is a perfect excuse for a good song. Of course, there's two very different ways you can go - you can go the romantic, sad way with rain rolling and mingling with your tears, or the optimistic way, holding an umbrella you hardly ever use because singing in the rain just makes you so happy again, right? Right?!!

 

 

Or you don't have to sing about rain, if you're happy and dry under a big umbrella. You can sing about the umbrella - or the fella with the umbrella, or whatever! You'll find the lyrics immediately - they will come rolling on your tongue as you walk. I promise. It just HAPPENS, and rain is always a bonus. The songs in the rain are always the popular ones, you'll see.

 

 

Start dancing. No really, just start. Do complicated stuff with your hands and your sticks and bottles or with whatever you happen to be having. Once YOU start, loads of other people will come behind you and do exactly the same things as you do - like a mirror. There won't be a single mistake and it'll cause quite a sensation. You'll see.

 

Oh, and if you happen to be in a rather um... risky place, don't worry. Even if it's the rooftops. Just dance them socks off, do weird things, and people will come and make it into a beautiful symmetrical scene.

 

 

Everyone just knows what to do. It's awesome.

 

 

Always wear tap-shoes. This is crucial, guys and dolls, this is crucial. You want to know why? Because you might need 'em, that's why. You never know when you're big tap-dancing scene will come up, when a soundtrack will pop up in your day. You need those tapping shoes ready to dance flawlessly.

 

Oh, and wear a big smile whenever you dance. Even if you're tired as can be, never show it. Just dance on and on. Only when you're really finished and when the music suddenly stops, you may collapse on an (upside down? Why not.) sofa, laughing hysterically. Because it WILL be fun.

 

 

 

Wear bright clothes. Have you noticed how (in most musicals) everyone wears the most deplorably colourful outfits? Yellow here, red there, purple there, bam pink, blue there, lime-green over here. Rainbow jumbles everywhere, and bah - don't worry about historical accuracy for this time - it's all about music. You may wear your hair down, ladies, and it may look like a wig. So yes, wear colour.

 

As for more outfits tips - men, tuxedos are very good - caps if your name is Dick van Dyke, sporty look if your name is Gene Kelly and a fine black top hat if your name is Fred Astaire. All matched with tapping-shoes of the finest kind, of course.

 

Ladies, colourful dresses in unique models and shapes and combinations. Go for ridiculous stuff. Frothy petticoats are advised, and so are not-too-short hemlines because you're bound to swirl and twirl in your dress. Or you can just go for my favourite look - a white dress with blue satin sashes. (Got it? Got it?)

 

 

Oh, and if you're aiming for fame, try bright red shoes with sparkles. Judy Garland is one of the most famous actresses to date, so that proves it works.

 

 

Never say you can't sing. Because that's ridiculous. Everybody can sing, but sometimes it only takes a super-nanny who can swing a heavy guitar AND a satchel with all her earthly belongings while singing and dancing unashamedly to convince you. And you'll see - you'll be singing like a pro five minutes after your first lesson. And dance on the bargain. Even if you're five.

 

 

Apparently the singing gets better when you look out of a window. Better still, if you sit on the windowsill. Because yeah, you might have an audience watching you. (And remember, if you're singing with a group, see that you're nicely posed (nice and symmetrical, you know) and that the little ones know all the lyrics. Of course, they will.)

 

 

 

Music is magical in musicals, but it rarely affects animals, unless they are drawn by a handsome chimney sweeper. So if you want your robin to calmly stay on your finger with the scene, you'll have to use some kind of clay-cardboard-prop. (Seriously though, readers, robins look like THIS.)

 

I would LOVE to be in a musical just for oooone day. But nome, that's not going to happen unless it's all going to get arranged and rehearsed for. :-P But still, it's nice to dream. And really, the musical world is MAGIC. It's so unreal, and yet we hardly ever realise it.

 

I hope you're having a happy musical day!