Emma Thompson
I've always loved this movie. It is so beautifully done. Emma Thompson is my favorite actress, I believe. She has such wit and elegance that is worth emulating, imo. At least in her on-screen persona. My favorite line in this movie is when she as Margaret Schlegel is confronting her sister for her excesses (Helena Bonham Carter in this and her other sister co-star in Sense and Sensibility, Kate Winslet's Marianne Dashwood suffer from this malady) and says, "I haven't nearly done with you, though, Helen. You have been most
self-indulgent. I can't get over it. You have less restraint rather
than more as you grow older. Think it over and alter yourself, or we
shan't have happy lives." I looked for a video of this speech on Youtube but couldn't find it - the way she says "or we shan't live happy lives" is so her. Loving, gentle, firm, and yet light.
Comments
From what I remember in the movie, Emma Thompson (Margaret) always had that light, pleasant sort of persona. She (as I recall) always "kept her cool" even during high stress situations and never really lost her temper-o.k., a couple times, but for the most part. . . In some movies, when a particular character enters the scene, I feel a little uncomfortable; but with Margaret, I was always pleased to see her enter any scene. Because of these, I think she was my favorite character as well.
This is one of my favorite movies of all time.
Well, the rest of my comments didn't go through--so here goes again:
My favorite scene is early in the movie. The Vanessa Redgraves character is walking about the garden at dusk, savoring the house (her house) in a way the rest of her family (playing cards inside) could never understand. I like to walk about the yard at dusk. I often think of this scene.
My favorite line from the book is when Margaret is contrasting people of the will with people of the mind. I won't be able to rest easy until I find it now!
I don't know what's up with the comments not going through completely. David Bryan has had that problem, but I haven't had it happen to mine for some reason.
I love that scene too. And when Mr. Bast is walking through the bluebells, if that's what they are. Which is sort of contradictory to when he describes the night he walked out of the city and was disappointed. Perhaps the bluebell scene was only in his imagination.
The Redgrave character however seemed to find it in reality at Howard's End. Margaret's connection seemed more out of love for Mrs. Wilcox than her own experience, but I'm not sure.
Now you've made me want to read the book to find that will/mind contrast. Thanks for your comment(s).