Why I often like flirty(ish) characters in movies.

This is going to be a hard post to write, because no, I don't approve of flirting. Well, if there's a mutual serious love, then flirting is fine. And one can show signs of affection by mildly-flirting-define-flirting, I think, to a certain extent. But to bat your eyelids at strangers and all that jazz - I see it as shallow and unladylike behaviour. So bear that in mind - I'm not telling you that I approve 150% of what Lydia Bennet and those girls do. No sir.

However, there is a quality in those girls that I very much admire.

Their smiles. Their cheerfulness. The way they make other people smile. The way they make fun of themselves.

That I admire a lot. They're so happy - and genuinely so. Of course, between you and me, they are often happy for a ridiculous reason (Lydia: "Oh look, there's Denny. HAHAHA.") but they smile a lot, they make the best of situations, and they find hilarity in ridiculous things, which I just plain LOVE. Of course, there are times in which one ought to be serious, but there are sooo many time when one should just laugh and dust things over with a cheery spirit - and those 'flirty' girls in movies often possess that quality. And I like that. I love watching it. (Which is why I enjoy watching Lydia Bennet a lot + Julia Sawalha is amazing.)

Also, they easily make fun of themSELVES. Which boyyy, more people should do. Sometimes one should just laugh at themselves; because we're all such hilarious things, if you think about it. We're bits of skeleton and bits of skin and we all stand and talk and sleep and put things in our mouth??? I mean, that's hilarious. Laugh at that.

Of course, as I said before, there are times to be serious, and to take each other seriously. Like, if your friend comes to you with tears in her eyes and a heavy heart, you shouldn't go, 'HA HA, funny, water droplets coming out of eyes.' I mean, that's plain mean. But there are so many times in our lives when we could make situations so less awkward, or so less boringly serious if we just didn't take ourselves so terribly serious the whole time. (I suddenly realise I'm basically quoting this Mind the Gap episode.)

I like that. Lydia Bennet doesn't take herself seriously ENOUGH (duh, at all) but I do admire her personality to a certain extent. Cynthia Kirkpatrick is a spoilt girl with ridiculous hairstyles, but she doesn't take herself too seriously the whole time ("You know enough of me to know me capable of that!") and I like it. Rose from Downton Abbey is pretty boy-crazy (which is annoying) but she's so happy and cheerful that the whole room laughs with her (well, not always, but you know what I'm trying to say here.) And that, dear people, is an admirable quality to possess.

And Trixie from Call the Midwife - she's flirty ("... how do you know I'm not dazzled by your gaze?") and she's always talking about boys (just... stop) - but I really really love her. She's so happy and colourful, and she has such a warm, warm heart. I love Trixie. (Also, her FASHION sense is just ridiculously gorgeous.)

So lets be cheerful and interesting and lets not take ourselves too seriously the whole time. But lets also keep that sensible-ness and take ourselves serious enough to make good decisions. :-P Basically what I'm trying to say with this post: I often like the flirty-ish characters in movies, and here's why. Explained. The end.

My 8 favourite JA Minor Characters

*Naomi starts off 'minor characters' post with two major characters.* Whatever.

Ahhh, those poor lil' minor characters that get shoved into the corner. Today I will pull them (as in, the Jane Austen minor characters, duh) into the middle of the room, and give them some love and praise.

First though, let me tell you how I define a 'minor character.' To me, Mr Bennet or Henry Crawford are not minor characters. They are part of the plot. To me a minor character is - to be blunt - a character that doesn't really do anything to the plot. If you'd take it away, the story would be more or less the same. But that doesn't mean they HAVE TO GO. Because, as I said, there are SO many dear Jane Austen minor characters that I love. (This is why I got angry at P&P05 for taking away Maria Lucas (and Louisa Bingley). And that old S&S version which took Margaret away. That was mean. I love Margaret.)

Okey? Let's start.

8. Maria Lucas

Maria! She's a bit empty-headed, but I just can't help but love her! HER SCARED FACE THOUGH. Like, she's so scared and nervous and stressed out about everything to do with Lady Catherine de Bourgh; it's pretty hilarious. "Maria! Lady Catherine will never know!" I love that she and Kitty are friends and that they hold up the bough-things at The Wedding in the end. Aww.

7. Mrs Palmer

I can't heeelp it! Mrs Palmer just makes me laugh SO HARD. I love the way she states the obvious, and JUST AHH. SHE'S HILARIOUS. Mrs Pole Imelda Staughton (However you spell that - I'm horrible at spelling actor's last names) did a such an amazingly good job acting. :-)

6. The Capital Capital Man

... aka, Sir William Lucas. But we always call him 'the Capital Captial Man' - because that's what he always says. "Good, Good. Excellent, Excellent. Capital, Capital." We love this character SO much in our house. Giggle every time he's on screen. (He's one of my brother's favourite P&P character; which says a lot, right?) What I also love about Sir William Lucas is that he SHIPS it. It's awfully embarrassing for them, but he makes the match. :-D

5. Margaret Dashwood

How can you not love Margaret. I love both the tomboyish-twelve-year-old Margaret in the movie (where she hides under tables (in both movies?!! Really?) and where she builds treehuts and blows on grass) and the lady-like-thirteen-year-old in the book (who wishes she was rich and delights in watching Whilloughby cutting bits of Marianne's hair and then kissing it. *Shudder*) Yes, I wish they would have kept the movie-Margaret more like the book-Margaret, but I still love the movie-Margaret(s.) "Yes, and his name starts with an F"!

(Gotta love her.)

4-3. Isabella and John Knightley

Ahhhh, Isabella and Johnnnnn. I love them SO much. When they fight in the garden and Emma makes the match. When they marry and then have children. And when they look at their younger siblings going off on their honeymoon and they're like, 'Awww, there go our younger siblings.' IT'S SO CUTE. Yes, they are a bit broody and sometimes grumpy, but they're so adorable and I still love them. I JUST LOVE THE KNIGHTLEYS AND THE WOODHOUSES together in general. :-D

2. Kitty Bennet

I LOVE Kitty. She's so forgotten, poor girl. I think Polly Maberly did a very good job-  she made Kitty both 'peevish' and 'adorable.' I love how she improves over the book - it makes me so happy to see my little Kitty turning out so well.

- When she peeks through the window to see if Mr Collins is gone all-ready.

- When she makes the bonnet and then gives up.

- When she falls off the swing and falls in Denny's arms. (Hmmmmm.)

- When she says her 'Why are you winking at me?' line. BEST EVER.

I just love Kitty. :-) In fact, I love her so much that once when I was like, twelve, I wrote a (very stupid, never-ever-to-be-shown-to-you) sequel where she was the main character. (It's a very embarrassing 'book.')

1. Mr Palmer

Just LOOK. This picture.... IT GIVES ME SO MUCH JOY. :-D

I MEAN SERIOUSLY.

I love this guy. He's SO FUNNY AND OH MY GOODNESS HUGH LAURIE WAS AMAZING THE END.

"Oh, if only the rain would stop!"

"If only YOU would stop."

"Try."

"She'll be wet when she comes back!"

"Thank you for pointing that out, my dear."

:-D

Who are some of your favourite JA characters?

Sorry I don't really address Mansfield Park and Persuasion in many posts. Although I love all Jane Austen's books to some extent, my four favourites are S&S, P&P, Emma, and Northanger Abbey. You probably have noticed that I mentioned those four the most in my posts. Yeah, sorry about that. :-/

My 4 favourite Lark Rise to Candleford characters

Sooo. My life recently has mainly been obsessing over Lark Rise to Candleford. I won't even mention that it's my one weakness, because I've said that many times before, so t'would be vastly unoriginal to repeat it again. But yes, I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT.

So here's a Lark Rise-themed post then. :-)

Please bear that I haven't watched series 3 or 4 yet, so I am unaware of the new characters in there. I might put Daniel Parish on my list in the end, but I don't know yet. I might well though - I've seen pictures of the lad, and I've heard a lot about him. He does sound... em, look, rather nice (*giggle*). But for now, I have enough to choose from as it is.

~.1.~

Dorcas Lane

DORCAS LANE IS THE BEST. Yes, she cannot help but stick her nose into other people's businesses. Yes, she likes a bit of gossip. Yes, she can be very stubborn. Yes, she's disastrously curious. BUT I LOVE HER. She reminds me a bit of myself actually, I suddenly realise. I pry in other people's affairs constantly, I DISASTROUSLY curious, and yes, I do like a bit of gossip, I shan't lie. And I can be very stubborn if I set my mind on it, too.

I love Dorcas Lane. She's so kind. She's so wise and good and so good at solving problems. And then she's also such great fun - hilarious, with all her 'one weaknesses.' And I love how she admits her flaws. Gah, I WANT TO GO AND WORK AT HER POST-OFFICE. I want her to boss me around so badly. :-P

Dorcas Lane makes me want to be a single woman for the rest of my life, frankly. If I don't find my Mr Knightley, I shall happily go in my life as a second Dorcas Lane, and proud of it, too. :-) She's so my favourite character. :-)

~.2.~

Minnie

Minnie LET ME HUG YOU.

First of all, if you don't like Minnie, explain that to me. I must know HOW it is possible, because I don't think it's humanly possible. She's just ADORABLE AND SWEET AND FUNNY. She's so innocent and while everything's her fault you can never really blame her and be angry with her. (Although sometimes you do need to tell her to go out of your sight. Especially when she's talking to you about your love life. (She does this often.))

Minnie is not the cleverest of people, but she's so SWEET and ADORABLE and funny and... she makes us all laugh. I love how she's so taken away by romance. 'Oh, ma'am, I've seen Laura's Ma and Pa kissin' on the road.' or when she said the following to Dorcas lane, a blushing smile on her face: 'I like watching Laura and Fisher together. And Thomas and Mrs Ellison. And you and -' 'Out of my sight, Minnie!'

I love this character. :-) (#bestcharacterever)

~.3.~

Alf Arless

First of all. HIS SMILE. It's the best Period Drama smile ever, I think. THOSE DIMPLES. I wish I could find a picture of his broad smile, but all the ones I found were horribly small ones of no good quality whatsoever.

Alf Arless is such a good nice lad. He's very kind. Such a good sort. I love that he's good-looking, but then a different kind of handsome. I love that he's the parental figure in his family while he's the brother. I love his relationship with his mother. I JUST LOVE HIM. :-)

And he and Minnie together... just too adorable for words asdfghjkl!!!! (No, I haven't actually seen it yet, but I've watched all the fan videos on Youtube, so there. Also, I've viewed pictures and I'm officially melted.)

~.4.~

Caroline Arless

I know, I know. She's a very controversial character. And yes, she has her faults - faults that I don't relate to, I'm happy to say. (I don't drink. Well, I do. But not her kind of drinks.) But she's so much fun!! She totally steals the show in every scene she's in. And I miss her now she's gone! I hope hope hope she comes back. (Does she? Tell me, people-who've-seen-all-of-Lark-Rise.)

You can really see that this character means well. She loves her kids, she loves her neighbours. And also, she's SO HILARIOUS ADMIT IT.

Who's your favourite Lark Rise character?

Tell me, and we can talk.

Before I leave, please watch this video I made of clumsy Period Drama people having accidents. It's only 50 seconds, so you can't do wrong. Plus, I'm rather pleased with it. And also, I'm going to keep on forcing my Period Drama videos on my blog before I have some more Youtube suscribers. (So, I'm going to do The Annoying Thing and ask you to suscribe. Here. Thanks. Have a hug and some pizza. :-D)

And now, without futher ado, have a lovely day. Or night. Or whatever you're about to plunge into.

Minor Characters // Margaret Dashwood

Margaret Dashwood. Such a sweet girl. Funny, slightly annoying, but so likable. I really like her. She reminds me a bit of my sister, actually. But the Margaret in both Sense and Sensibility movies is not at all like Jane Austen created her. And I pity that.

 

 

I read Sense and Sensibility before watching either movies, so I imagined her as Jane Austen wrote.

 

Margaret, the other sister, was a good-humoured, well-disposed girl; but as she had already imbibed a good deal of Marianne's romance, without having much of her sense, she did not, at thirteen, bid fair to equal her sisters at a more advanced period of life.

Margaret is thirteen - cheerful, bubbly and a hopeless romantic. She loves getting involved in her sister's love lives. She reminds me a bit of a slightly younger Lydia Bennet, somehow - of course, somewhat less energetic and naughty, perhaps - but still, a little like her. A handful, but ready and growing. And although she's by no means clever, she means well.

 

 

His appearance however was not unpleasing, in spite of his being in the opinion of Marianne and Margaret an absolute old bachelor...

 

Margaret agreed, and they pursued their way against the wind, resisting it with laughing delight for about twenty minutes longer...

 

Marianne's preserver, as Margaret, with more elegance than precision, styled Willoughby, called at the cottage...

 

When I read the book, I had the feeling that Margaret and Marianne seemed pretty close. I liked their relationship. I can imagine the two of them talking about how 'old' Colonel Brandon is. 'An absolute old bachelor, ay, Marianne?!'

Also, I find it ironic that they made Marianne drag Margaret on the walk in the movies, as in the book she agrees with her sister that 'there is no felicity in the world superior to it.'

 

 

Margaret related something to her the next day, which placed this matter in a still clearer light. Willoughby had spent the preceding evening with them, and Margaret, by being left some time in the parlour with only him and Marianne, had had opportunity for observations, which, with a most important face, she communicated to her eldest sister...

 

Margaret's sagacity was not always displayed in a way so satisfactory to her sister. When Mrs. Jennings attacked her one evening at the park, to give the name of the young man who was Elinor's particular favourite, which had been long a matter of great curiosity to her, Margaret answered by looking at her sister, and saying, "I must not tell, may I, Elinor?"

 

"I never had any conjectures about it," replied Margaret; "it was you who told me of it yourself."

 

Haha, she really reminds me of Lydia Bennet in these snippets. She likes news (News? Oh yes, I always like news!) and she likes gossiping and... oh, she's such a cheeky, flighty teenaged girl.

 

 

I wish," said Margaret, striking out a novel thought, "that somebody would give us all a large fortune apiece!"

"Oh dear!" cried Margaret, "how happy I should be! I wonder what I should do with it!"

 

Mrs. Dashwood's and Elinor's appetites were equally lost, and Margaret might think herself very well off, that with so much uneasiness as both her sisters had lately experienced, so much reason as they had often had to be careless of their meals, she had never been obliged to go without her dinner before...

 

'The real' Margaret Dashwood was more grown up and sophisticated than either Margaret's in the adaptions. She's imaginative, and reads and wishes big things.

 

 

Marianne had retreated as much as possible out of sight, to conceal her distress; and Margaret, understanding some part, but not the whole of the case, thought it incumbent on her to be dignified, and therefore took a seat as far from him as she could, and maintained a strict silence.

 

Mrs. Dashwood was prudent enough to remain at the cottage, without attempting a removal to Delaford; and fortunately for Sir John and Mrs. Jennings, when Marianne was taken from them, Margaret had reached an age highly suitable for dancing, and not very ineligible for being supposed to have a lover.

 

Sneaky and cheeky as Margaret may be, she is not really clever, so doesn't understand all the why's and when's of Elinor and Marianne's love lives.

At the end of the book, Jane Austen writes that Margaret starts thinking of lovers and starts going to dancing, having reached an age 'highly suitable for dancing.' So seriously, this Margaret is a young lady - thirteen in the beginning - maybe fourteen or fifteen at the end.

 

 

In the 1995 S&S movie adaption, we hear Margaret ask her mother if she can also go to London. 'I'll be twelve soon,' she says.

The other version (2008) doesn't mention her age, but - see the screencap above - we can see her birth date in the Dashwood family Bible. Thus I have observed that in the 2008 version, they made her five years younger than Marianne. Marianne being, let's say, seventeen, Margaret is the right age - thirteen - in that version. That's probably the main reason why I prefer Lucy Boyton's Margaret - she was more the right age (and, for example, they made her dance in one scene, which I loved). But still, she wasn't the book-Margaret. She was small and tomboyish.

 

Both adaptions have the same sort of Margaret-girl. And both adaptations did not follow Jane Austen's instructions for the youngest Dashwood sister. They made her hide under library tables:

 

 

They made her a tomboy - climbing in trees, riding horses, whistling on grass, wading in mud and killing stabbing Edward during a game of fencing:

 

 

And sure, don't get me wrong, I loved the way they portrayed Margaret - it was really cute and she made many of the scenes funny and laughable. I loved the way they made the Edward-Margaret relationship (because, yes, this is not something Jane Austen made up, you know - nothing about Edward and Margaret in the book, you know!) and, in short, I love the Margaret in the movies.

 

But one of them should have stayed loyal to the book. Margaret was a young lady, romantic, cheeky, cheerful and ready for balls. Not a tomboy.

 

Did you like the way Margaret was portrayed in the movie?