An Education

An Education (2009)
Jenny is a bright teenager with a promising future but she longs for something different, something exciting to happen in her life. You know, like all them other teenage movies about girls. This one's different folks, hang in there. Any who, one day she meets an older man, David and a spark is born. He's charming, her parents love him and he can talk them into anything. An affair blossoms and Jenny has experiences she only dreamed of. Ah the 60's, where a teenager can date a man in his mid to late 30's and nobody blinks an eye. It's actually a sweet love story. Will it all work out? Come on now, you get the drift. I don't want to give away spoilers because this movie is way brilliant.

Okay, let's get into it. This movie is totally all Carey Mulligan, it rests on her shoulders and she does a brilliant job in holding it all together. I really wished she had won the Oscar for her portrayal. I won't get into that now.

Jenny is a 16 year old in 1961 on the fast track to getting into Oxford. She's working hard for it, her father pushes her hard to be the best. Jenny is confused, bored, wants her parents off her back. The usual teenage angst. One day she meets a man who offers her a ride, he's charming, he's cute, what's not to love.

Peter Sarsgaard plays David, Jenny's beau. He's so brilliant, I'm surprised he got passed over for some nominations. But like I said before, this film really is all bout Carey's performance. Back on track, David is so different than what Jenny is use to. He's older, he's Jewish, he charms her parents into allowing this relationship to go forward. He takes her to concerts, even to Oxford. It's so exciting for Jenny and she falls head over feet. David falls head over feet as well, there's no denying that. David clearly loves Jenny.

Along the way David introduces Jenny to his close friend Danny (Dominic Cooper) and his ditzy but sweat girlfriend Helen (Rosamund Pike). During a weekend away Jenny witness some odd behaviour and miss doings by David and Danny. Something isn't right, Jenny knows what's going on, that it's wrong but she brushes it aside. She's falling in love, all the rest doesn't matter.

During all this, Jenny's school work suffers. Miss Stubbs (Olivia Williams in a very unglamourous role as Jenny's teacher) is so disheartened that Jenny is throwing her education away, she refuses to give up, claiming she's throwing her life away. But Jenny doesn't care, she's in love and David has porpoised. She's quiting school, she doesn't need it when she marries. You just know it's all gonna blow up in her face from there. Don't worry folks, it has a happy ending, I guess.

An Education is based on true events in the life of British journalist Lynn Barber. It's based on an autobiographical essay that Barber wrote for Granta magazine. Later, Barber released her autobiography An Education in 2009.

Costume Drama Whore-A-Thon Day 17

Day 17 'The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler' (2009)
The true story of Irena Sendler who helped save 2500 Jewish children during World War 2. Irena, a Catholic, working as a social worker during the occupation in Poland, gets access to enter Warsaw Ghetto. She helps smuggle children out and place them with other families. Eventually Irena gets arrested and tortured but never says a word against the many people who helped her. Not a single child she helped rescue was ever caught or found by the Nazis.

I'm a sucker for Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. This is a truly moving story of bone-a-fide hero. The scenes in which the mothers had to make the ultimate sacrifice of giving up their children in order to save their lives. Heartbreaking. It's nice to see a movie about a true hero.

The love story was cute. Gorin Visnjic plays Stefan, and it's nice to know that they later married in real life. Stefan was a college friend who was Jewish and Irena bumps into him again in the Ghetto. It's sweet, he's hot, it's all good.

Costume Drama Whore-A-Thon Day 16

Day 16 'Bright Star' (2009)
Bassed on the true story about the ill fated love affair between poet John Keats and Franny Brawne. Beautifully shot by Jane Campion. The costumes were beautiful, the sets were good. It's a very beautiful movie to look at. Abbie Cornish was very good and I was surprised that she wasn't nominated for an Oscar.

It's a touching love story but be it's also freaking depressing. I was so moved and involved in the story. Excellent movie. Should be shown more love. What I also found very moving was the love letters they wrote to each other. What you hear in the film was there actual letters. Very touching.

Costume Drama Whore-A-Thon Day 15

Day 15 'Sarah, Plain & Tall: Winter's End' (1999)
Jacob's father reappears in his life after 30 plus years of being a no show, a dead beat. Jacob's upset, doesn't trust his father.It makes for a difficult relationship with the two. Though his father is trying to make amends for his past mistakes, especially with his son. After a serious accident were Jacob is injured and can't work the farm, his father steps up. Anna is working in town as a nurse worrying about her fiance who's fighting in World War 1. Sarah of course is the bridge that keeps her family together.

Well, it's a good movie. Is it as good as the previous two, no, but it's an okay way to end the series. Glenn Close is always good.

Costume Drama Whore-A-Thon Day 14

Day 14 'Skylark' (1993)
The highly acclaimed sequel to the beloved Hallmark Hall of Fame's Sarah, Plain & Tall. Boy that was a mouth full right there. In all seriousness, I love this, just as much as the original.

Sarah, Jacob, Caleb and Anna are all back. It's been two years, (the story take place in 1912) since Sarah was, essentially, a mail order bride. The Witting's are a happy family. But there's a drought and the farm is suffering for it. The drought is effecting everyone and close friends sell farms and move away. You can't live without water now. When fire breaks out and destroys the barn and no water left, Jacob sends Sarah and the children back to Maine until rain comes. While in Maine, Sarah stays with her family and finds out she's prego. Soon it rains in Kansas and the farm is saved, ya. Jacob travels to Maine to get his family back together. Of course it ends well.

It's just as good as Sarah, Plain & Tall, if not better. See it, it's awesome. I still remember the first time I saw it. I missed out on Sarah, Plain & Tall when it first aired on TV, so I was unfamiliar with the story. Flipping threw the channels one night, I saw Glenn Close was coming on and decided to give it a chance. It was the premiere and I was hooked. I just remember sitting in my room by myself watching this charming story. It actually made me love Hallmark movies. I'm such a sucker for them.

Costume Drama Whore-A-Thon Day 13

Day 13 'Sarah, Plain & Tall' (1991)
A much beloved Hallmark Hall of Fame production based on the classic children's novel by Patricia MacLachlan. Sarah Wheaton (Glenn Close) travels from Maine to Kansas after exchanging letters with a widower, Jacob Witting (Christopher Walken). Jacob has two children, Anna and Caleb, who are still morning the lose of their mother. Sarah must adjust to her new surroundings and her new family. A very compassionate and devoted person, Sarah bonds with Anna and Caleb and teaches the children it's okay to morn and move on. Sarah also works her magic on Jacob, and a love story is born.

I love this movie, in fact I've never come across anyone who doesn't. I highly recommend it. The production is top notch, the acting is excellent and it's freaking Glenn Close and Christopher Walken. I never get tired of watching, it's always enjoyable no matter how many times I see it. It's a sweet movie, it's a family movie, but it's such a great TV movie. I love it. Everyone should watch it, I'm serious. It has all the great elements of a good love story. Hey, it's a television classic now.

Costume Drama Whore-A-Thon Day 12

Day 12 'The Courage to Love' (2000) (as seen on Lifetime)
The true story of Henriette Delille, a new New Orleans creole living in the 19th century. Creolos were children born from relationships between wealthy European white men and African American women. Even though there was love in most of those relationships, marriage was not allowed. Henriette was a very religious woman, she spends her days helping people, educating children and various church duties. Henriette's father, leaves her mother after years of living together to marry a white woman of his class, it has a profound impact on the family, which now has to struggle for money. Henriette defies her mother and tradition by refusing to an arranged situation, basically like an arranged marriage but not a marriage, a glorified mistress is a better way to put it. Henriette soon meets a French Doctor Gerard Gaultier, and they soon fall in love. He wants to take her to France so they can get legally married. Henriette is torn, her mother has gone mad, her sister who was in a very loving relationship has be left penniless due to the death of her partner and rejection from his wealthy family. Henriette is also conflicted by her feelings for the church. In the end she follows her heart and becomes a nun. She later becomes the founder of the Sisters of the Holy Family.

Vanessa Williams does an incredible job. It's an inspirational film and heartbreaking all at the same time. Though Henriette did truly love Gerard, she makes the hard decision to follow her heart, which she doesn't regret in the end. A great film, I saw it when it first aired on television and have seen it several times since. Well worth a watch. It's not preachy, it's just a story about a woman choosing the right path for her life and not letting others choose her life for her.