Impressions of Sweet Land, Adam Bede and Cold Comfort Farm

[birdienl]

Sweet Land 2005

Adapted from: a short story by Will Weaver
Length: 110 min

Summary: Set in 1920, Inge travels from Germany to rural Minnesota meet the man destined to be her husband. Bureaucracy and social morality cause major complications.

Familiar faces: I knew both Alan Cumming and Elizabeth Reaser from The Good Wife, but no familiar period drama faces

Watch this if:
- If you like small, character driven movies
- If you want to see some great acting without a being said

Don't watch this if:
- If you don't like to read between the lines in a movie, but like to have things spelled out

Best part: Brownie bakes an apple pie and wants Inge to taste a piece, but they end up eating the entire pie and bonding over it without words





Adam Bede 1992

Adapted from: the novel by George Eliot
Length: 102 min

Summary: In 1799 rural England emotions run high when two men, one rich and one poor love the same girl, driving the confused girl to drastic measures.

Familiar faces: Iain Glen (Wives and Daughters, Downton Abbey), Patsy Kensit (Silas Marner) and Susannah Harker (P&P'95)

Watch this if:
- If you're a fan of George Eliot's stories in general, about women in difficult positions due to social and moral restrictions
- If you want to see some really good acting by the actress who later played Jane in P&P'95: Susannah Harker

Don't watch this if:
- You're not in the mood for a relatively heavy story with some controversial subjects

Best part: Hmmm, I'm hard pressed to think of an exceptional scene. Every scene with Susannah Harker was very good.





Cold Comfort Farm 1995

Adapted from: the novel by Stella Gibbons
Length: 95 min

Summary: In the early 1930's, 20 year old Flora Poste, recently orphaned and left with only 100 pounds a year, goes to stay with distant relatives on Cold Comfort Farm. Everyone on the gloomy farm is completely around the twist, but Flora tries to sort everything out with common sense and modern conveniences.

Familiar faces: Loads! This is one of those BPDAR movies (British Period Drama actors reunion....): Eileen Atkins (Cranford, Upstairs Downstairs '10), Kate Beckinsale (Emma '96), Rufus Sewell (Middlemarch, Pillars of the Earth) among others

Watch this if:
- You're in the mood for a funny and quirky period drama
- You like to see a  lot of acting talent together in one movie

Don't watch this if:
- You're a serious fan of doom-laden novels of rural life like Thomas Hardy and Emily Brönte and can't stand to see them parodied

Best part: Flora turning Elfine from a slightly deranged girl into a beautiful woman and helping Cupid a hand in the process





Next, I'd like to invite everyone on my f-list who's a Downton Abbey fan (and who isn't, these days?) to come and join
downton_land, an interactive Downton Abbey community with challenges (graphics, writing etc) and discussion. Click on the banner to go to the applications post!

And, last but not least: check out this wonderful Period Drama fanvid by the very talented KatSw3. I've always loved her fanvids, but this one absolutely blew me away!

Period Drama - Our own invention  (Sorry, no embedding)

Comments

[2theriver2pray.livejournal.com]

Cold Comfort Farm was really cool! Kate's my favorite Emma and I kept thinking 'Oh, Emma's at it again!' It was really well cast and I really adored Kate as Flora.

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Now you mention it, Flora is indeed quite a similar character to Emma! Kate Beckinsale was really well cast as Flora. You're wearing a great icon btw!