Movie Review: Jane Eyre

Title: Jane Eyre
Collection: Masterpiece Theatre
Viewing Time: 228 minutes
Rating: 5/5

After a wretched childhood, orphaned Jane Eyre yearns for new experiences. She accepts a governess position at Thornfield Hall, where she tutors a lively French girl named Adele. She soon finds herself falling in love with the brooding master of the house - the passionate Mr. Rochester. Jane gradually wins his heart, but they must overcome the dark secrets of the past before they can find happiness. When Jane saves Rochester from an eerie fire, she begins to suspect that there are many mysteries behind the walls of Thornfield Hall. Her fears are confirmed when Rochester's secret past is revealed, destroying her chance for happiness, and forcing Jane to flee Thornfield. Penniless and hungry, she finds shelter and friendship in the shape of a kind clergyman and his family. But she is soon shocked to uncover the deeply hidden truth of her own past. This lavish and sensual new version of Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel is modern and moody, timeless and romantic. Starring Toby Stephens as Mr. Rochester, Ruth Wilson as Jane, and Francesca Annis as Lady Ingram (amazon.com).

Jane Eyre has always been one of my favorite classic novels.  I first read it my freshman year of high school and try to re-read it every few years.  The first time I read the novel, I had a really hard go at it.  My mom suggested I see the movie first and maybe it would help me to better understand and enjoy the novel.  We rented the 1944 version starring Orson Wells and Jane Fontaine  and it has always remained my favorite rendition of the movie.  However, after discussing it with one of the girls at work, she gave me her Masterpiece Theater version to watch and I have to say that I absolutely loved it. 

Jane Eyre has it all.  It's a romance with a bit of mystery mixed in.  It has a huge creepiness surrounding the whole story.  It's Gothic and beautiful and the perfect movie for a cold and rainy fall day.

This adaptation of Jane Eyre focuses primary on Jane's relationship with Mr. Rochester, a relationship that tends to be brushed over sometimes, with many adaptations instead focusing on Jane's horrible and cruel childhood.  However, the essence of the story will always be the love story between these two main characters.  I can't say enough about Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson's performances as Jane and Mr. Rochester.  The chemistry that these two had on screen was absolutely marvelous and had me glued to the screen.  The love story between Mr Rochester and Jane Eyre is and will always be one of the most hauntingly romantic things I have ever seen or read.

If you have ever struggled with reading Jane Eyre or feel that it's not the novel for you, I'd suggest you give watching this movie a try.  It may just inspire you to pick up the novel.  I know that I'll be re-reading Jane Eyre again in the next few weeks.  There's nothing like losing yourself in the pages of the book, as you imagine yourself walking the hallowed halls of Thornfield.

Finally, I found myself extremely attracted to Mr Rochester in this movie.  The actor playing Mr Rochester is Toby Stephens, who is best known for his role in the 2002 Jame's Bond movie Die Another Day (which I have never seen and probably never will).  However, I was quite taken by his looks and his portrayal of Mr. Rochester and was truly everything I always thought Mr Rochester would be.  His dark broodiness was fabulous for the role and his facial expressions, especially at the end of the movie were quite phenomenal.

Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Pages: 323
Rating: 5/5

Growing up, Friday nights were always family movie night. Up until I started high school and football and basketball games became the norm, my mom, dad, brother and I would pile into the family room with blankets, popcorn and high expectations for the movie ahead. It was on these Fridays that my love for old movies began. Watching the likes of Jane Eyre, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Gone With the Wind, I was introduced to amazing worlds and unforgettable stories. I can remember one particular Friday night that mom was more excited than usual about the movie she had selected for the evening. It was one that she had loved growing up and when she saw it during her shopping she had to get it. Looking at the VHS cover, I wasn't particularly thrilled - the movie was black and white and showed a picture of lawyer. How good could it really be? However, as the opening credits began to play, and a soft voice began to talk about the town of Maycomb I was enthralled. This was my first encounter with the classic story To Kill a Mockingbird.

Over the years, I fell more and more in love with the movie, often watching our worn VHS when I was home sick from school, or on particularly cold winter nights. When I got married 4 and a half years ago, I asked mom for my own copy of the movie that first year for Christmas. To Kill a Mockingbird was always a comfort to me. A gentle reminder of quieter times. However, despite my connections with the movie, I had never once picked up the book. I'd looked at it a few times at the bookstore, and even went as far as buying it a year or two ago, but on my shelves it sat. I'd flip through the pages every so often, but the words "modern classic" would make my head hurt. So many other classics have been started then put away because of their lack of readability and headache inducing. Would To Kill a Mockingbird be any different? In one word, YES.

After reading Sheila's review, and seeing how much she enjoyed the book, I had to give it a try. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, To Kill a Mockingbird was first published in 1960 and quickly became a modern American classic. After doing a bit of research, I found that author Harper Lee loosely based the story on her own family and neighbors as well as a crime that had taken place in a nearby town when Lee was growing up.

Told through the voice of Scout, the young daughter of local lawyer, Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird pulls at the heart strings and leaves the reader in awe. Telling the story of racial injustice in small southern town, the novel also illustrates the loss of innocence among children.
The story centers around the young lives of Scout and Jem Finch, and their widowed father, Atticus. The Finch family resides in the small southern town of Macomb, where they live peacefully among their neighbors including the infamous "Boo" Radley. Rumored to have stabbed his father with a pair of kitchen scissors, Boo never leaves his home, allowing him to become the source of neighborhood gossip and children's wild imaginations. Jem and Scout, along with their friend Dill fill their summers with games of truth and dare, normally involving the Radley house and its occupants but slowly things begin to change. Atticus is appointed to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a young white women. Soon, Jem and Scout begin to feel the repercussions of this decision by not only children but a few adults.

Scout, simply by the nature of work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his life that affects him personally. This one's mine, I guess. You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will; you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don't let 'em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change...it's a good one even if it does resist learning.

~ To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 9

To tell anymore would simply ruin the essence of the story and would rob the reader of too many emotions.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a compelling, intense and emotionally riddled read. I strongly believe that everyone should take the time to read and enjoy every part of this great American novel. I think this novel needs to be required reading in every high school in the US (banned book or not...don't even get me started). I wish that I would have been encouraged to read this when I was younger, as opposed to waiting until I was almost 30 to experience such a rare and special gift. There's not many books that touch me in the same way that this novel has. This will be one that I will read and cherish over and over again. Don't be like me and let the fact that it is a classic scare you away. Take a few minutes, get comfortable in a chair, and let Lee take you away to a warm summer in Alabama. Run the streets with Jem and Scout, and listen to what Atticus has to say.