But this is a slick Flash version. There were some very crude ones up during the election. This is much better. You can change the music, add in various dance moves, he whoops, does splits. Much better than those others.

alrighty, will check out the new one! :-D

(Terry) If you've made a donation to Spring in the past you are eligible for a permium account. This gives you ssh access to the server, a firth.com or austen.com address which can be forwarded to your regular email provider, and web space. Repeating this because I had no idea the contributions included these services, and I'm always on the lookout for email alternatives. Plus, who among us couldn't use a place to store one's stash of photos for linking and such? Thanks! YGM...

Karen, thanks for that link. Very entertaining.

Thank you for link Karen. Really enjoyed it and am going back.

I guess this is as good a place to put this as any..... Saw White Oleander last night. V. good...If MP doesn't get an Oscar nod, I'll be shocked. RZ played a relatively short, but pivotal role. Someone else who saw it thought RZ should get a best supporting nod. The girl was just OK IMO until the last 20-30 mins where she just broke out for me when there was a transformation in her character. I never read the book, so basically went in blind to the plot except the general idea of a daughter passing through foster homes when her mom goes to prison. Most people who read the book liked it. A few who weren't so thrilled thought the movie fragmented. I perused the book in Costco today and can see how they would've needed to trim it down. Also saw Welcome to Collinwood....wait for video.

(Dorine)A few who weren't so thrilled thought the movie fragmented. TIME this week: Richard Corliss "Good novels don't often make good movies. The communion of author,character and reader is usually lost in translation."

Thanks for the heads-up and good report, Dorine.

I'm glad to see that Darcy is a supporter of Breast Cancer awareness! I hope everyone during this month will wear a pink ribbon in honor of those who are dealing, coping and have survived this disease. Thank you, Karen. I'm going to forward the picture to my aunt who is living with metastized (sp) breast cancer.

Thanks for the report on White Oleander, Dorine. We're being barraged by commercials. Saw the trailer for The Hours yesterday. From the way it looks, all three women will be pushed for Best A noms. Stephen was shown a number of times (looked like he had some hair added ;-) ) Can't wait to see this one. On the foreign film front, do not bother with Eight Women. Was the stupidest excuse for a movie that I've seen in a long time. Wish I'd had the nerve to walk out.

I started reading "The Hours"; however, right after I read Mrs. Dalloway, so of course, I felt like I was reading Mrs. Dalloway all over again. Had to put it down until Mrs. Dalloway a) sunk into my syster and b) I could separate the two books! White Oleander looks like a decent movie. Would like to get the book, however, the only ones in the store now have the actresses on the cover and personally, I really don't care like giving free advertising to a movie. Would prefer the older copy (w/o the Oprah Book Club on it as well!) of the book. I'm reading a book by a local author of MA, Caroline Knapp (she just recently passed away at the very young age of 41 of cancer), Drinking: A Love Story. This could be made into a wonderful movie; After 20 years of struggling with alcoholism, she dies. Would make a great movie, although, sad.

I just read on CNN that Gywneth's dad, producer Bruce Paltrow died in Italy of complications to pneumonia and throat cancer. Sad, only 58 years old. btw, that should read system!

Asking now as I will be OOT over the weekend; will anyone want to discuss the coming Forsyte Saga? I won't be able to play along until the rerun appears, but would greatly appreciate having a spot to talk it over. Is this the right forum, Karen? (Laura) Drinking: A Love Story, Caroline Knapp One of my favorite books. Not only a riveting read, but a serious exploration of the subject, especially for women, that speaks eloquently to non-problem-drinkers too. I've given away more than one copy. I was sad, but grateful to hear that she made it through and finished sober. She fought hard, carried on until the end, and left behind something lasting. You might want to check out Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies; it's just as well written and every bit as relevant on the same subject, with a wider focus on spirituality and other life issues. (Yes, my name is and I am, etc.)

I think a number of us will be up for a Forsyte discussion. Rave review in TV Guide, and a nice little interview with Damien Lewis. I haven't checked if it's online. Any Fiennes fans here? Ralph will be on Jay Leno's show tonight, promoting Red Dragon which opens here today. There's a great interview and lovely photo spread on him in the October issue of W. Includes this funny bit: on the set of Maid In Manhattan with JLo, the crew referred to RF as RaFi.:-)

(Mari) Any Fiennes fans here? No, they're on topic 40. ;-) I have no problems with using 160 for the Forsyte Saga, but if people want a separate one, we can do that as well.

Esbee!!! Have a great day!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ESBEE Have a great day!

Happy Birthday, Esbee! May it be Firthfully delicious!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ESBEE

Happy Birthday, EsBee, many more.

I hope you had a great birthday Esbee! Why don't you just go climb behind those hedges (on that wonderful CF picture Karen put up for you here) and do a personal check on the ear piercings (use touch and taste only :) )

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ESBEE! In honor of your birthday, I watched P&P! I hope you enjoyed your birthday as much as I did!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ESBEE, AND MANY MANY MORE!!!

I've opened Topic 164 to discuss the Forsyte Saga and moved most of the comments from here over there.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ESBEE Hope you had a great one.

Big thumbs up for "Real Women Have Curves." Now, this is THE film that deserves all the accolades and box office being given to Greek Wedding. It is funny (without the ethnic group being stereotyped and over the top) warm, and well-acted and written, and capable of being universally adopted. It is the story of a bright, overweight Chicana in East LA, who is graduating from Beverly Hills HS, which she worked to get into, and is now torn between the cultural expectations of her family, class restrictions and family obligations (to start earning money now) and her own personal goals. Like Greek Wedding, the film was based on a semiautobiographical play, which no one would touch with a ten-ft pole. Fortunately, HBO Films stepped up and this is well worth seeing and telling everyone to see. Far better than the other. It will be released later in the month.

Thank you SO Much everyone for the Birthday wishes!! :-) unfortunately was nowhere near a computer yesterday so didnt have a chance to pop in. (spent the day at a trade show -came home exhausted and spent the evening with Cary Grant and a glass of wine) Today is party day, which is where i'm off to now!! -Best present yet: Cousin called to say "dont buy TIOBE on DVD, i've just ordered it for your b-day!" (love relatives who buy usefull presents!) btw- LOVE the pic Karen, and a shoeless Colin! Gah! am melting into a puddle of drool at the very thought.

Esbee, I'm so sorry I missed your party! I was out of town and offline over the weekend. A belated Happy Birthday - I hope it was great!

Response 1618 of 1618: Mary Murphy (Brown32) * Mon, Oct 7, 2002 (09:09) Article in the News of the Week -- Mention of Lizzie and Bridget re the new hot book out of the UK. It is to be made into a film. Can we hope Colin will be approached? Or has he had enough of the "Bridget" gals? There is also a review of the book today in the NY Times. ************************************** The NY Times - October 6, 2002 A New Book, Featuring Another Spineless Woman By TAMAR LEWIN OH, where are the heroines of yesteryear? The strong, the virtuous, the impeccably competent: Antigone. Nancy Drew. Jane Eyre. And, most especially, Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Austen's model of admirable womanhood? More recently, the popular heroines have tended to be adorable but incompetent, like Bridget Jones. Now comes Kate Reddy, the heroine of "I Don't Know How She Does It," Allison Pearson's addition to the growing body of conflicts-of-a-working-mother literature. Kate comes across as Bridget Jones's older sister � married and the mother of two, but still just as harried, just as given to obsessing about her flaws and just as prone to mishaps. Where Bridget finds herself in black stockings and a bunny tail at what turns out not to be a costume party, Kate finds herself addressing an all-male meeting at her investment firm in a sex-toy red bra under a sheer white blouse. Bridget is cowed by "Smug Marrieds," Kate by the stay-at-home mothers she thinks of as "The Muffia," the ones who bake for school parties, while she "distresses" store-bought pies so they can be passed off as homemade. Does the extraordinary expansion of opportunities for women add up to nothing more than Bridget's quest for a marriageable man, or Kate's search for some balance between her life as a mom and her career as a hedge-fund manager? What does it mean that they share the same constant self-criticism and guilty sense of not measuring up? After so many decades of feminism, why are Bridget Jones and Kate Reddy still viable heroines? "They're viable because our whole society is into victimology," said Charlotte Hays, editor of The Women's Quarterly, a conservative publication. "American women have things easier than anywhere else in the world, and we're not as tough as we used to be. Instead of the model of the Southern woman sitting on the front steps defending the family silver from the Yankees, or the frontier woman, we now have the angst-ridden, overbooked executive woman, worrying about balancing her career and her children." Heroines, of course, should have happy endings. Kate leaves her high-powered financial job and moves out of London to concentrate on rebuilding her fractured marriage and reconnecting with her children. But that's not happy enough, apparently: in the final pages, Kate begins to rebuild a business, too, a failed dollhouse factory. (Dollhouse? Didn't Ibsen already slam that door?) Bridget has the classic happy ending, in which she gets her man, Mark Darcy. But she is no Elizabeth Bennet. "Bridget Jones was facing the same riddle as Elizabeth Bennet, how to find a marriageable man," Ms. Hays said. "But Jane Austen's women didn't consider themselves victims." Given how times have changed, it is no wonder that Elizabeth Bennet had more character and backbone than Bridget Jones or Kate Reddy, said Myrna Blyth, the former editor of the Ladies' Home Journal. "A hundred years ago, a woman might resolve to be kinder, to think before they spoke, to be a better person," Ms. Blyth said. "Today, she'd resolve to lose weight. There's less focus on moral character. We have narcissism as liberation now." In a world where women still have less power than men, it makes sense that women's humor is often self-deprecating, according to Katha Pollitt, a feminist writer. "There's a rich vein of women feeling bad in a culture that makes them feel worse," she said. "Why? Because women are raised to think of themselves as lesser beings, to have low self-esteem. One way to deal with that is to make a joke out of it. "Bridget Jones was hilarious, but the thing that was wrong was that Jane Austen's Darcy wouldn't have looked at her for a minute. And in the end, it was a put-down of women who take themselves seriously. It's all part of connecting incompetence with sexual desirability, and making women feel that if you're too smart, they won't love you." She and others point out that the blundering heroine is not the only sort that captures the modern imagination. Hard-bodied women, from Xena the Warrior Princess to Lara Croft in "Tomb Raider", are just as strong, self-aware and violent as their male counterparts. Plenty of books feature tough women detectives. And contemporary authors, like Margaret Drabble, Barbara Kingsolver, Jane Smiley and Toni Morrison, have produced a raft of novels with complicated heroines, who are neither pathetic nor laughable. But they don't resonate like Bridget and Kate � or, for that matter, Elizabeth Bennet.

From 163: Response 1621 of 1621: Evelyn (lafn) * Mon, Oct 7, 2002 (09:55) OT "Bridget Jones was hilarious, but the thing that was wrong was that Jane Austen's Darcy wouldn't have looked at her for a minute. And in the end, it was a put-down of women who take themselves seriously. It's all part of connecting incompetence with sexual desirability, and making women feel that if you're too smart, they won't love you." HF said she didn't write the book to make a statement on women...just a story. And Bridge was never fashioned as Lizzie. Hey, Jane Austen's Emma wasn't exactly a paradigm for women...just a story. As JN once said when asked if he fancied an Emma..."She'd drive me f****** mad"

Thanks for the interesting article. But agree with Evelyn, Bridget was not written to Champion or malign the modern woman. How can one dispute the author's own words. And Jane Austen wrote brilliant stories, and that's just what they were. All the women mentioned in this article are nothing more than characters in stories. I find it odd that a woman reporter, I'm assuming Tamar is a female name, would have done a more thorough background check on the authors of these characters. She would have discerned this. Love the JN quote, Evelyn. I loved Emma, but certainly would have thought twice if not more times, if I was a man and considered marrying her. I'm afraid she'd drive me nuts too.

Happy belated birthday, EsBee! So sorry I missed the celebration, but was OOT and I'm just catching up on all the posts now. Hope you enjoy your new TIOBE DVD! Hope your birthday was perfectly delightful!

With two King Arthur films coming up, Steven Speilberg for HBO and Jerry Bruckheimer...one would think there could be a heavy role for Colin in one of them. TheTelegraph: Spielberg puts the legend of King Arthur to the sword By Catherine Milner, Arts Correspondent ) Steven Spielberg is to demolish the "myth" of Camelot in a television film series about King Arthur that does not feature a round table, Excalibur, Merlin or knights. The series, which is due to be shot in Britain next year, will oppose the traditional view of Camelot as a cloud-covered city of towers and battlements by portraying it as a simple Roman fort. Perhaps most contentiously, King Arthur will be a humble blacksmith who does not become king by drawing the sword Excalibur from a stone, as depicted in legend - instead he is feted because he can create steel from iron ore. "At that time a blacksmith who could cast iron skillfully was regarded highly and would have had the same funeral honours as a king," said David Leland, the film's scriptwriter and director. "The process of casting iron and creating good weapons was a secret and the blacksmiths kept their secrets very close to their chest. I think the idea of how you get iron from a stone - how you get a good sword from a stone - was one of the secrets that explains the Excalibur legend." Mr Leland said that the series, which will cost �85 million to make, will be filmed in the West Country next spring. It will "de-evolve", he says, the story that has captivated writers and artists since the early Middle Ages. It will attempt to recreate the "historical reality" of what life was like in ad500, when King Arthur is thought to have reigned. He said: "I am not interested in mysticism. I am not setting out to create magic. There's no point in making this film unless you get under the skin of it and to the reality as it would have been at that time." As a result, there will be no round table in the series, nor any Excalibur scene, Mr Leland said, and he was circumspect about the fate of Merlin, the magician. King Arthur will be known as Artos, Sir Lancelot as Bwyr and Guinivere as Gwenever in keeping with the Romano-Celtic translations of those names. "Sir Lancelot is an invention of medieval poets so we wouldn't have a Lancelot figure, but maybe have some essence of who he was instead," said Mr Leland, who is known for his work on the Second World War series Band of Brothers. Instead of the knights there will be a "brotherhood of companions" wearing leather jerkins and woolly cloaks rather than the armour of the Crusaders in which they are usually portrayed. Spielberg will come to Britain next spring to oversee the project, which is backed by the American production company HBO. Negotiations are under way to show it the BBC. Casting will start in January. The legend of King Arthur is primarily based on Le Morte D'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, written in the 1400s. Malory's works were the inspiration for a number of paintings, particularly those by the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood in the 19th Century. However, Spielberg has competition: Jerry Bruckheimer, another Hollywood director, is starting work next year on his film King Arthur, which he is shooting in Ireland, and Warner Brothers are bringing out a film based on T H White's book The Once and Future King. Like Spielberg, Bruckheimer has stated a desire to concentrate on historical accuracy rather than legends - even though his grasp on the history of the period seems slightly askew. Describing his film recently, he said: "It happened much earlier than movies or the English have put it. They changed the way it was told. Arthur was really Roman and the Knights of the Round Table were Russian and great horsemen."

Perhaps most contentiously, King Arthur will be a humble blacksmith who does not become king by drawing the sword Excalibur from a stone, as depicted in legend - instead he is feted because he can create steel from iron ore. That's right destroy all our myths. Let's give men one more excuse. :-(

Thanks Lora! and i scored four BIG bags of free books (several of which i really wanted! Farm Fatal for one) on my birthday. A girl cant complain! :-)

will cost �85 million to make Holy Moly! For TV?! Must be a 30 parter. ;) And a Happy Belated (not even fashionably late ;)) Birthday EsBee!!

(Telegraph) However, Spielberg has competition: Jerry Bruckheimer, another Hollywood director, is starting work next year on his film King Arthur, which he is shooting in Ireland, and Warner Brothers are bringing out a film based on T H White's book The Once and Future King. All I could think when I read this was, it's Valmont all over again.

(Rika) All I could think when I read this was, it's Valmont all over again. First thought I had too, Rika. Would love to see him in a movie like this but with two and possibly three coming out on the same subject about the same time its going to spread thin. Perhaps he was approached and because of the Valmont experience, thought better of it. Only speculation on my part. Thanks for the very interesting article, Evelyn. I love movies and books about Arthur and Camelot.

About "Real Women Have Curves": http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hollywoodreporter/columnists/grove/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1738021

Anyone else in the UK watch Tipping the Velvet last night? Apparently the ratings were quite good. I didn't like it at first, but it was growing on me as it went on, and I will definitely check it out next week (not just to see Jodhi May or Anna Chancellor either). However, one BBC press release says: Set in England in the 1890�s, Tipping The Velvet is a colourful, passionate and entertaining love story about Nan Astley (Rachael Stirling), a heroine as appealing and charismatic as Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. I *must* disagree! Nan grows interesting, but for me she is not as compelling in any way, shape or form.

Would it have done any better with CF? Who knows, but Aug is a crummy month for viewership: The previous two A&E movies since the summer performed even worse: The two-hour "Lathe of Heaven" Sept. 8 finished with a 0.8, the fourth-lowest original on A&E since '94, while the three-hour "Armadillo" on Aug. 3 could scare up only a 0.7 rating, the second lowest. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=854&ncid=805&e=15&u=/variety/20021011/tv_variety/television_ratings_cable_dc

Would it have done any better with CF? Duh! You know Milos was CF.

I just wanted to say prayer for those of you who live in the DC/Maryland/Virgina area. I know that right now isn't a fun time to be living in the area and my prayers are with you. I hope they get the sniper very soon. And if anyone lives in the area, could you just post to let us know that you're ok????? Thanks.

(Laura) those of you who live in the DC/Maryland/Virgina area... my prayers are with you. As are mine. Hopefully they'll catch the bastard soon- *Big Hug* for all of you!

My prayers and heart go out to you in the sniper's area. Feel your pain and anxiety with every news broadcast. Keep the faith.

I'm one of the MD/DC/VA people, and I appreciate the thoughts and prayers. It is getting scary around here because you never know where this sociopath is going to pop up next. As you've probably heard, there are some public events that have been cancelled, and they're having lockdowns at some of the schools. One of my students even walked me to my car after class last night (very kind of him, though it wouldn't really have done any good if the sniper had been out there). The problem, though, is that it's hard to say exactly what you can do to stay safe, aside from hiding under a bed or in a closet until the person is caught. They set up a partial roadblock on I-95 today after the shooting this morning - they reduced traffic to one lane in an area of the highway just a few minutes from where I live in order to observe the cars as they went past (they're looking for a white van that's been seen leaving the scene of a few of the shootings).

Hello all Sorry I haven't been on the boards in a while-- research has been keeping me BUSY! Anyway, some of you know that I live here in Bali, and most of you may have read in the news about the bombs that had gone off here on Saturday night, 2 at a tourist area and one at the US Consulate. I'm alright, though a bit on guard about what's going to happen next. I was in the tourist area last night, though after having dinner with friends, decided to head home a bit early. Pretty scary, considering that we were considering looking for a place to get a drink and go dancing. The are we would've ended up at was precisely where the car bombs hit. Anyway, all is OK... Parents are panicked, of course, but I am keeping the cell phone and Internet lines open.

Good to hear you're safe, Winter, and our friends in the MD/DC/VA area.

Thanks Winter, for keeping us posted.I was concerned when I saw the reports from Bali. Anybody hear from Emma in DC? Scary times.

Hey hey hey!! A British woman (Paula Radcliffe) just won the Chicago Marathon. They've all been running past my house since early this a.m. Stragglers now... ;-)

And she set a world record too!

Funny how you call her a British woman;) Paula Radcliffe's very well known on this side of the Atlantic.

Good to hear from you Winter. Keep safe. Thoughts also to you Rika and anyone else in the area, hoping it will be resolved soon.

Gosh I'm glad you're ok Winter. Of all the unlikely places for this to hit, is no where safe anymore?

Glad to hear you are safe Winter. I guess no where is safe anymore Terry. Just a tragic commentary of today's society.

Thanks Winter, for keeping us posted.I was concerned when I saw the reports from Bali. I am so glad to hear you are safe! I thought of you immediately.

Winter, what is it like in the aftermath? Are tourists hightailing it out of there?

How small our world seems. I take a quick look at the headlines and am glad DC is quiet but then I see about Bali. Glad you are safe Winter, take care.

Winter, what is it like in the aftermath? Are tourists hightailing it out of there? The day after the bombing was so strangly quiet... I am staying in denpasar, the capital, where very few tourists live. The capital, however, is populated with a mixutre of Hindus (the Balinese) and Muslims (Indonesians from other islands--a majority elsewhere but a minority here). I went to get lunch at a Muslim food stand, and you could just see how quiet things were there. I am fearing for the Muslims here, who may be blamed and harrassed for something a handful of extremists did. I used to tell people that though I'm in Indonesia, I'm staying in Bali-- where things are so peaceful, so different fromt the rest of the archipelago. I can't say that any more, as this place has just been victim to the largest terrorist act in Indonesian history. Tourists have been crowding the airport since Satruday night. Australians are having an easier time leaving, as Quantas has sent additional flights in. But I'm not sure about other nationals. The US Embassy has sent out a statement recommending that US citizens evacuate, and they;ve already sent non-essential personnel home. As for myself... I'm not sure. I love being here, and I had a month left till I take my break from research and head back. The thing that works in my favor is that I pass for Indonesian (though i'm not) and I speak both fluent Indonesian and enough Balinese. Will see what happens.

(Evelyn) Anybody hear from Emma in DC? She's fine - I just saw her this afternoon.

Winter, thanks so much for writing in and letting us know you're OK. I thought of you immediately and was really worried! It was enough to bring me out of lurkdom :-). I hope things quiet down and that you are able to complete your research in relative peace.

Winter thanks so much for report. Living in NYC area understand your apprehension as no one nearby felt safe in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. No one knew where and if they would attack next. It is frightning. Perhaps you will be able to finish your research unscathed further. I hope so. My prayers and thoughts are with you.

Jana, good to see you;-))

Rika thanks for the news on Jana. Winter, we appreciate your report at such a difficult time. Take care.

(Lizza) Rika thanks for the news on Jana. You meant Emma, right? She's the one I had news on. There was another shooting tonight. I was in Baltimore for the evening and you wouldn't believe the number of roadblocks I saw on my way home. Between roadblocks and night construction, the major highways in D.C. are just about at a standstill tonight. I only had to go through one relatively quick roadblock, but it was quite an experience to be scrutinized by rifle-toting police officers as I went by.

Rika, just saw that on the news online a little bit ago and hoped you were nowhere nearby. What is the proximity of the shooting to your town? And Winter, saw a picture on the front page of one of the NY papers of a street with all the cars blown out and burned some. Glad to hear you decided to call it a night then.

(Dorine) What is the proximity of the shooting to your town? It's probably 10 miles or so from where I work, a little further from home.

Winter, am SO happy you are ok (I will have to plead ignorance and didn't realize you had left LA!) We miss you here in Boston, it's been ages since we've seen each other!!!! Please take care and every precaution. As for the MD/VA/DC area, I really hope they catch this b*stard soon. I cannot imagine what it is for you to have to live like that. This person is terrorizing two states and our capital. (personally, would like to see a lynch mob get him, maybe shoot him in the head a few times with the 'cop killer' bullets he's using.

Hoorah! I haven't been this excited since the James Dean one! (must use up my Harry Hoodinis) Giving new meaning to the term "first-class mail," the U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday dedicated a postage stamp bearing the likeness of one of Hollywood's most debonair leading men, the late Cary Grant. The stamp pictures Grant, sophisticated as always, wearing a tuxedo and fixed with the slightest hint of a smile on his chiseled features. The self-adhesive stamp was issued on Tuesday exclusively in Los Angeles and will be made available nationwide starting Wednesday, postal officials said. "It will make even the most ordinary letter seem not only first class, but also debonair," said Jean Picker Firstenberg, director and CEO of the American Film Institute. The stamp art was reproduced from a oil portrait that was commissioned by the Postal Service and painted from a black-and-white publicity photo taken in 1951 or 1952. That would have made Grant 47 or 48 at the time. But as Firstenberg said in her tribute, "Grant and his movies will never age."

Hubba, Hubba! ;)

Looking at that stamp, and fresh from the 007 discussion on 163, I'm imagining how wonderful CG would have been as Bond. Yum!!

Karen, a certain statue of the man is awaiting your visit!! Thanks for posting the image, here's to your debonair missives. Wish our postal service was that exciting.

Thank you Karen. Oh God how I love that man. What a stamp. Thank you so much.

I think this is the right place to post this. My friend lent me this book called "Cinematherapy: The girls guide for every mood"; basically it's a chick book to help you through tough times. Well they JUST happen to have a write up of the BBC/AE version of P&P (and the BBC/AE big screen version of Emma); their little synopsis' are cute and uplifting. I thought I'd share this one (of P&P with you.) "In an era where family and breeding are major factors in one's future romantic prospects, Elizabeth Bennet's got a lot to overcome: her mother is a shrill and vulgar busybody, her father a curmudgeon, and her sisters include a hopelessly untalented singer who insists on inflicting her off-key warbling on trapped party guests and another who is dimwitted and boy crazy. Worse, Elizabeth's dowry is practicaly nonexistent and she lives in the countryside, miles from the well-heeled gentlemen. Yes, the pickings are paltry until that vistor form London, Mr. Darcy (Firth), shows up. Unfortunately, he proves to be sullen, rude and conceited, which is a real shame because he's got two carriages, six liveried servants, and 10,000 pounds a year. Lucky for Elizabeth, and even luckier for her gold-digging mother, her prejudice against the prideful Mr. Darcy is lifted when he eventually turns out not to be a cad after all. Why, he even humbles himself to Elizabeth, albeit not until after she has, in essence at least, smacked him upside the head for being an arrogant jerk. It may take a little work, but his true gentlemanly spots soon show. Don't you wish all fixer-uppers could be so easily renovated?" Viewer's Note: The 1940 version is worth watching if you're a fan of the vivacious Greer Garson, or if you want to gaze at Laurence Olivier's perfect cheekbones, adorable cleft, and flashing black eyes. Unfortunately, its overly precious direction and musical score, along with its dopey Hollywoodesque constuming (especially dopey given that the ladies wear hoopskirts instead of Regency-era Empire waists), make it far less satisfying than the newer version. What's the point of a Jane Austen adaptation if you can't drool over beautiful gowns, rolling green fields and the opulent interiors of the English estates?" I thought this was cute. By the way the chapter is called "Men Behaving Well Movies" :)

"What's the point of a Jane Austen adaptation if you can't drool over beautiful gowns, rolling green fields and the opulent interiors of the English estates?" I say, who cares? We go for the tight britches;-D My son gave me the follow-up book: ADVANCED CINEMATHERAPY; "The Girl's Guide to Finding Happiness One Movie at a Time" He knows me too well....

ADVANCED CINEMATHERAPY; "The Girl's Guide to Finding Happiness One Movie at a Time" LOL. This book is just cracking me up and I'm not in a bad point in my life for once!!!! however, do still watch BJD and WHMS when I feel wishywashy;)

(Laura) Winter, am SO happy you are ok (I will have to plead ignorance and didn't realize you had left LA!) We miss you here in Boston, it's been ages since we've seen each other!!!! Please take care and every precaution. Thanks for your concern, everyone. I miss my Boston pals too! Yes, it's been ages since I've been there-- a lot of changes, moving on, etc. over the past couple of years. Will try to reconnect as soon as my research here is over (which may be sooner than I expected). Love that stamp... love that man... *sigh*

Looks familiar;) http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/funny_old_game/2337031.stm

LOL Tineke. Saw trailer today for "Maid in Manhattan" with Rafe and J. Lo. Looks cute...the guy actually smiles ...American accent.Scene dancing with J. Lo reminiscent of TEP. Due out in December. I'll be there when the doors open. "Moonlight Mile" v. worthwhile. A cut above the other films out there. Ellen Pompeo is a dead ringer for RZ.

Tine, that is funny! Poor Joanne!

LOL Tineke. Poor Joanne! Would however make allowances if he looked like Paul Ashworth. However since article doesn't say so agree with Joanne. Thanks for headsup on movies Evelyn.

Seems a shame that Colin wasn't part of this, but if you look at the results, errrr, I don't know... Perhaps if his dimple had been cast... http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/story/sm_693448.html?menu=

LOL. Karen. Me thinks Meg Matthews needs a boob job.

LOL Karen. Me thinks Meg Matthews needs a boob job. Believe it or not, that's her after having had one done!!!! IMHO I think she should demand a full refund!!

From Miami Herald:10/19/02 CELEBS EVERYWHERE South Florida events are attracting them Speaking of VIPs, they're due everywhere at upcoming events: Actress Kelly Preston, wife of John Travolta, will be inducted into Miami Children's Hospital International Pediatric Hall of Fame Nov. 2 for her work on children's health issues.

I saw that. Too bad it's not YKW. ;-) But if I run into her about town, I will ask about LC. "What do you think of the title change?" "Does CF get to sing too?" "Can I have his cellular number?" ;-))))

Hey, we only have Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn, Laurence Fishburne and Clint Eastwood here in Boston. (filming local writer, Dennis Lehane's novel "Mystic River")

(Janet) Believe it or not, that's her after having had one done!!!! Then I commend her plastic surgeon for having a full line of options from which to choose, including "sagging ones." ;-) More realistic IMO. *hee hee*

From USA Today: Wertmuller 'Swept Away' by sequel plans Italian director Lina Wertmuller says she will make a sequel to her 1974 film, Swept Away. Thankfully, she has no plans to cast Madonna, who stars in the universally panned remake directed by hubby Guy Ritchie. Wertmuller, 76, will officially announce her plans Friday in Washington as part of the inaugural "Washington, Italia 2002" film fest. ~~~~~~ hehehe!! Although I can't imagine what she wants to show in a sequel?