A great "Chick Flick"

I admit it, I love this movie, for so many reasons. Set in England, in the years before women could earn their own money, this is Jane Austen's story of sisterly devotion and the lessons of romance.

Kate Winslet (Marianne) and Emma Thompson (Elinor) play the Dashwood sisters who are forced to move from their childhood home upon the death of their father. Their brother (the sole inheriter of their father's fortune) doesn't help them much after being shrewdly advised by his self-serving wife. However, while the sisters and their mother shortly stay with the brother, Elinor meets Edward Farres, and it is very obvious that they are very fond of each other, although neither of them say anything about it.

Soon the Dashwood girls find their new home at the Devonshire cottage, and there Marianne finds two suitors in Colonel Christopher Brandon (played by Alan Rickman) and Mr. Willoughby (played by some hottie whose name I don't know). Marianne, thinking Colonel Brandon is too old for her, falls head-over-heels for Mr. Willoughby, and is so caught up in the joy of her romance, that she pays no mind to the proper etiquette of "courting" for that time period, although her sister Elinor keeps trying to remind her.

There are some wonderful conversations between Elinor and Marianne. Elinor, is the reserved and cautious type, where Marianne is her foil, the passionate and worryfree spirit.

I don't know what these ladies were thinking, but I fell in love with Colonel Brandon right from the start. Maybe it was the way Rickman played him, but I just thought he was the most intelligent and trustworthy of all the "suitors" presented.

Anyway, Marianne's love affair with Willoughby turns into heartbreak when the girls go to the city for a visit and Marianne discovers that Willoughby is engaged to a wealthy woman, and if he doesn't marry her, he will be penniless.
Devistated, Marianne falls ill, but the love of her sister Elinor, her mother, and of course the heroic Colonel Brandon, bring her back to life.

In the meantime, poor Elinor has been hiding the fact that she's also discovered that her heart's desire Edward, is also previously engaged to a woman, whom he met while in college. In pure chickflick (must have a happy ending) style, the events switch so that Edward is off the hook, and finally declares his love for Elinor. This is probably the best scene in the film, because after having watched Elinor hold in so much emotion, she finally breaks into hysterical tears of joy to find out that she can indeed be with the man she loves. It's so sappy, but so great too!

Why do I love this movie? I have not read the book, so I can not say it's better or worse than the book, but I can say that I believe this is an important story about how a woman feels about love and her place in society. It's the classic struggle (the theme found in so many novels/movies) about the balancing of practical matters (like money) and emotional matters (romance/love). This theme is stressed so frequently because these matters are never easy to balance. (I know that I have needed this reminding over and over again.)

When I watched the film, I felt happily transported to a time when men spoke eloquently and were careful with their words and usually respectable gentlemen in their behavior; And where women (regardless of how hot or cold their emotions seemed) dressed so beautifully (like gorgeous flowers in a garden) and had such lovely manners, trained in etiquette.

I love this film because even though we worry about the two sisters, everything does turn out well, and they get their happy endings. And the hope that a story like this can give me, is exactly what I need sometimes when I'm so confused by the modern world, and so uncertain about what my future holds. This story gives me hope.

It is a romance story that tries to show us how to love with both our heads and our hearts. A story where the message is to be both practical and passionate. It's a lovely story and Ang Lee did a wonderful job directing it.