Some Television / Films

Around ranting, I did some reading (see last entry as well as an abortion related book co-written by the advocate in Casey that was fairly eh) and watching over the weekend.

I finished re-watching Austentatious and basically still think the way I talked about here. It's still a nice show, but for one thing (though the character is nice enough) the "Lizzie" character isn't really that Lizzie-like, except dealing with a "Darcy" to some extent (who has yet to really fall for her when the show ends).  Still, it's a nice enough show, and it's too bad it only last ten episodes.  I think more life was in there. 

I have seen Born Yesterday (including the remake, which as I recall was okay) a few times now.  I still enjoy Judy Holliday (sad she had such a short career) and the rest.  A tad bit optimistic about corruption only being quite rare.  Nice overall civics message.  The actors help make the film, especially the lead, who starred in the show on the stage. The last bit is also cute.

I might have saw a bit of Light in the Piazza, but this is more new to me. The movie concerns a twenty something woman, who apparently had an accident or something that caused her to be mentally deficient to some degree (she comes off as very childish at times, but overall seems ordinary). This leads to problems when she falls in love while on an Italian vacation with her mother.

Olivia de Havilland as the mom has the biggest role though the guy's father (the loved interest is played by a young George Hamilton, who seems to be talking Italian) is also fairly significant, played by a well known Italian actor.  The mom feels guilty about letting her marry without telling the Italian family fully about the daughter's condition.  (This didn't go well when her past boyfriends were told).  

Early on, I figured the problem was that the daughter might have children and pass along her condition.  There is a bit early about the daughter being upset the mom didn't have another child too.  But, from a comment by the father (and the mother being stressed out by a speeding horse drawn carriage), apparently the issue is not biological.  The mom is fine with the daughter having children.  And, eventually figures the family she is marrying into is well off and she will get a lot of help from the husband's family and servants.  So, she will get to be a frivolous wife.  

So, hiding it from the her own husband (who wants to put her into an institution), she returns back with her daughter, rushing along the marriage (with a nice dowry promised to soften up the father-in-law).  The father-in-law is concerned when it comes out the daughter is a few years older than the son (if a bit less than he thought).  The mom drops that she doesn't think of her that way, especially with some early illness.  The father is concerned about that (so wouldn't he also be concerned about her mental state?), but the mom assures him that she's healthy now.  

Anyway, the two are happily married, George Hamilton (much less tanned at this point) liking his innocent, naive wife, and the father assures the mother that his son isn't too much in the brains department really anyway.  And, the mother never lets the family into to her secret, pleased that her daughter looks so happy.  That is her dream, her daughter having a normal, happy adulthood somehow. The ethics of this is a tad dubious.

The movie is largely some Italy porn and the father-in-law flirting with the mom.  And, the mom stressed out, but not willing to actually come out and tell anyone (the consulate, a priest) exactly why.  And the kids are happy go lucky.  The only other stress is when the father comes and he wants to burst the mom's bubble.  So, the film (based on a novella) is somewhat stretched.

Still, overall, it is well acted, especially by the mother.