I LOVE THIS MOVIE.
I'm actually studying this novel for English Literature this year - I will be doing an exam on it, and all that official jazz - so these last months I've pretty much been in an everything Northanger Abbey mood. I re-watched the movie, of course. The movie's a jem. It's twinkly. It's sassy. It's charming. It's adorable. And I recommend it. :-)
Of course, it has it's faults. Also, Catherine Moorland annoys me slightly (more on her later). And also, why did they add all those weird dream-scenes? So unnecessary.
So, the story is about a seventeen-year-old girl. Young, 'almost pretty', and innocent. We follow her childhood in several minutes, seeing her baptism (don't you feel sorry for the baby who 'acted' Catherine? Next time you watch it, just look at the poor dears shocked face when the water splashes on her face. You'll feel so bad.) and then seeing her change into a teenager while playing tag with her siblings who never grow. (If you've seen this movie more than once you'll probably know what I'm talking about. Haha.)
We hear that she loves reading. Her mother says she reads 'too much.' But we ALLL know there is no such thing as reading too much. Not even if the books are all about gothic vampires and damsels in white dresses and heros in dark nights rescuing the damsels from said vampires and ghosts and murderers.
YOU probably might be asking me; Naomi, why did you mention in the beginning of this blog post, 'Catherine Moorland annoys me a little'? Because - pardon me for saying so; no offence and all thaat - she sounds a mighty lot like you. Loves reading. Believes there is no such thing as 'too much reading'. Young. A Teen. Part of a large family. No romantic experiences (yet).
Why, Naomi, you all say, you practically ARE Catherine Moorland.
Ahhhhem.
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| Um, this is REALLY not how families take walks. |
Well, for those up-mentioned reasons, I love my dear little Catherine. She's very darling, very innocent, and, yes, admittedly in many ways very similar to yours truly over here. (No, I did not just say that I was a darling. Haha.)
But - dare I say it? - Catherine can be rather... um, silly. Well, she CAN be. Mrs Radcliffes novels did seem to turn her brain inside out, somewhat. She's very naive and... well, silly, in some aspects. I roll my eyes at her sometimes (not that that says much, for I roll my eyes at many-a-people.) For instance, she's rather gullible, and she often lets other people take the rules.
But she's not a doormat or anything like that. She does say what she thinks, and she can tease back and reply wittily. She's not silly silly. She's just not super super brilliant in the brain, is all. But she's still delightful and I do love her. :-) Just, the obvious no-Catherine-ness annoys me now and then. That's all. :-)
Anyways. I've talked about Catherine Moorland, back to the story.
So her Uncle and Aunt Allan propose her to come to Bath for a visit. After all, she's seventeen and must start having her share of balls and hello's-to-society's. T'must be done, you see, quite important. It's all very exciting, and Catherine goes off, with a book in her hand. (The movie annoyingly makes the journey very exciting because Catherine's imagination imagines the carriage to be attacked by robbers. But it's just her imagination getting the better of her. Mrs Allan's faint is hilarious, though. Someone, gif it.)
Aunt Allan is the aunt of everyone's dream, because she goes and buys stacks of new frocks and bonnets and pelisses and whatnot for Catherine the next day. Seriously, I Want to be Catherine. Which girl doesn't?!! To be brought to Bath, to go to balls, to receive a new wardrobe?!!
Catherine meets several people. I'm going to talk about my favourite last, because yes, SAVE THE TREATS. :-D
Isabella - humph - she actually drives me nuts. Not only because her dresses are scooped SO disastrously low (argh) but also because she's flighty and impossible. I like Carey Mulligan's performance, though, she does an excellent job. Carey Mulligan looks very good in Regency, and she has the most adorable dimple ever.
Then we have John Thorpe, who's - pardon me - a humbug. That's all I'm going to say. :-D
And then we have HENRY TILNEY.
I know, I've talked about him before. But I must again. Henry Tilney is one of my favourite heroes ever. He's so cheerful, so funny, he teases, he has such a TWINKLE. And I really want to see him preach - I always forget he's a clergyman. Also, he's SO HANDSOME. And he's sensible. AND kind.
BASICALLY YES. :-D
And, say whatever you want to say, he can give a smirk like NO-one else can. And also, oh, I forgot to say - He
understands MUSLIN. So of course he's great.
(It's so hilarious how Mrs Allen is so impressed about his 'understanding of muslin.' "And Mr Allen can't even tell my gowns apart!")
And then we also have Elinor Tilney, Henry's lovely sister. She's so sweet - although that long flat bonnet of hers (the almost-see-through-one) is pretty ghastly. One of my favourite bits in the movie is when Henry Tilney comes with three drinks - one for Elinor, one for Catherine, and one for himself - and by the time he's back, Isabella has gone and grabbed Catherine. This pretty much describes the relationship between the Tilney's and the Thorpes haha.
I think Jane Austen must have had a lot of fun writing this novel. It's all very jovial and adorable. Witty hero, jazzy conversations, noisy ball-rooms, sparkling story. I love it, and I think this movie does the book a very good credit.
There are some weird/annoying scenes concerning Catherine's dreams, and one scene between the oldest Tilney brother and Isabella (I skipped it - so I have no idea what they actually show.)
Some other things I love about this movie:
1. When Henry Tilney talks about what Catherine will write in her diary. I LOVE LOVE LOVE THAT BIT SO MUCH. Seriously, when I reach that bit in the book, I re-read it about five times because I think it's so adorable and funny and cute. :-D
2. When Henry Tilney climbs the tree.
3. When Mrs Allen and Catherine and the servants all line up with hatboxes and boxes and more boxes. I love that shot of them all walking down Bath.
4. I want to visit Bath again. I visited it once when I was very little (so that doesn't count) but I HAVE TO GO AGAIN. And visit the Assembly rooms and everything. Ohhhhhh. *Squeals and moans to dad like Lydia Bennet.*
5. Some of Catherine's dresses are really cute. I actually don't really like her first ball-dress - I think the cut is very weird around the top. But her blue pelisse and some of her other dresses are adorable.
6. Northanger Abbey is SO gorgeous.
7. I love that we get a view of Catherine and Henry married and with a baby. I LOVE THAT. And we also see Elinor all finally happy. AWWW. Happiness alore, people. That's what I love about Jane Austen - always those gorgeous happy endings.
8. The conversation between Catherine and Henry on their way to Northanger Abbey. I just loves it.
9. Henry's CLOTHES.
10. I love it when the Father Tilney ships it. :-D (Not for the right reasons, I know, but still. It's funny. And also, I'm laughing meanly at the end, when we see him walking all miserable in the gardens of Northanger Abbey. Mwhahaha.)
11. "But you can see the house from the window!" "Sssh. Mr Tilney, I'm sure Catherine would be delighted to show you."
People who've seen this movie know what I'm quoting. :-D
I both dislike and love the rubbing-mud-off-the-cheek scene. I don't really know what I think of it. It's definitely cute though. I was aww-ing. But it's also awkward. Like the kiss. That was also cute and awkward. :-)
Have you see this movie?
Do you like it?
And a question for Jessica and Rosie: Even though Henry Tilney isn't your favourite, do you want to watch this movie? And do you think Henry Tilney is handsome? (Sorry, couldn't resist asking. Hahaha.)
