Prince Caspian

I am currently reading Prince Caspian aloud to my two youngest (and anyone else nearby.) I felt the need to read it thanks to a particularly insightful and funny email I received from my daughter in Virginia. After seeing Prince Caspian, and being, to put it mildly, disappointed, she sent a passionate defense of her opinions. She has since regretted her strong views, so I will not post them here, but know that they were brilliant, and I came away thinking that "cute" was probably not a good word to start my thoughts on the movie. A bit of fuel to her flame, shall we say.

I hadn't read or listened to the book for a few years, which in my brain means I never have read it. Oh, I can remember the characters and the big things, but the Lewis-esque subtleties were forgotten. It is enjoyable to read the book again with all these thoughts in my mind. I am almost half-way through, and I am not disappointed in the movie yet. But the waking of the trees and the role of Aslan are just beginning. That's where the problems were most blatant for some movie critics.

I must admit, though, I am not a purist when it comes to books becoming movies. A movie IS a different art form, and a director will, by nature of the beast, put his or her oar in to mix things up a bit. Most of the time I don't mind, though. I was happy that Anne of Green Gables looked EXACTLY like she was supposed to, but The Inheritance is SO much better as a movie. The book doesn't even have the father character in it, and he is one of my all-time favorites.

I found I was in good company. Frederica Mathewes-Green posted an essay last week (here) discussing movies that are better than their books. Now, be prepared to disagree a bit with this one; she chooses some beloved texts in her analysis. My daughter's response to her Prince Caspian review? "Hurumph."

And, just in case you haven't seen this recommendation before, here is a GREAT Narnia resource:


The Chronicles of Narnia, Complete 7-volume set, unabridged audio
Readers: Kenneth Branagh, Michael York, Patrick Stewart, Lynn Redgrave, Derek Jacobi, Alex Jennings, Jeremy Northam.

Kenneth Branagh's reading of The Magician's Nephew is worth the price of the set. But you get Cadfael (Jacobi) and Mr. Knightley (Northam), too.

My husband is the only family member who has not seen the movie. I will go with him to celebrate his final day of school on June 10th. We'll have finished the book by then, and I will be much better prepared to comment. And I won't start with, "It was cute." I've learned my lesson.

Recommended viewing

Sweet Land

Recommended by favorite blogs Quiet Life and Magistramater, so I found a copy and watched. Then I watched a second time. I love it. A good look at prejudice, hard work, community, marriage. Great music, beautiful scenery. Subtle. Powerful.



Harvey

Fifty cents at the thrift store. I love Jimmy Stewart, but we had never seen Harvey. Where has this classic been hiding from us? We loved it. We laughed, and then we talked, talked, talked, and about who is really sane and intelligent and who is crazy. Great entertainment but it stays with you.

Highly recommended

Groundhog Day

Some history:

Adapted from "Groundhog Day: 1886 to 1992" by Bill Anderson)

Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow.

If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole.

If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.

The groundhog tradition stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, and for centuries the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. Even then, it marked a milestone in the winter and the weather that day was important.

According to an old English song:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.

From The Official Site of Punxsutawney Groundhog Club


Watching (sometime this weekend):

Phil: What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?

Ralph: That about sums it up for me.