You Are My Fantasy: Austenland (2013)

 

Happy Valentine’s Day

So today is Valentine’s Day and the end of our postings. I always find this fun to do as we just focus on a romantic moment, which could be found in almost any film. Tradition is to end on an Austen themed film (I broke it once and I’m going to try to never do it again), so here we go with our last one on Austenland (which I have started watching every Valentine’s Day.

Most Romantic Moment #14

Austenland (2013)

I LOVE this movie. It is based on the books Austenland and Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale:

I LOVED these books, so when I saw they were making a movie I was so excited!

One day I will review the whole movie, but not today-today we are just focusing on a moment.

Jane Hayes (Keri Russell) is a giant Jane Austen fan.

She decides to get out of the grayness of her life (and love life) and go to Austenland- a Regency inspired getaway where you can pretend to be in an Austen novel, go to a ball, and find you own Mr. Darcy ending.

Things however, do not go as planned. She ends up having the cheaper package and getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop.

She starts to fall for Martin, one of the handymen at the resort, but he ends up dumping her because she is enjoying “their world” too much. (Seriously dude? I’m paying for this vacation-of course I’m going to enjoy it.) Anyways…she decides she is going to take charge of her story and be the best Austen heroine she can be! Will she get her Mr. Darcy? Will she have the vacation of her dreams?

Or will she decide she needs to stop her Jane Austen fascination?

****Spoiler Alert****

So this moment comes at the end of the film. Jane took back her vacation, and had fun, gained confidence, and fell for Mr. Nobley (J.J. Feild). However, Martin returned (urgh!) and convinced her to join “reality” and she turns down Mr. Nobley’s declaration of love.

She ends her vacation and when she is speaking to Mrs. Wattlesbrook, the resort owner, she discovers that Martin was the actor, not Mr. Nobley. Mr. Nobley was brought in to fill some time while they waited for another actor to finish his series-Nobley was never scripted for Jane, he wasn’t scripted for anyone.

What?

It turns out that what Mr. Nobley said was real, but Jane is so upset with Mrs. Wattlesbrook manipulations (and the fact that she wasn’t even seen as worthy to be paired with a gentleman) she can’t focus on that-made even more so when Martin and Nobley follow her to the airport.

Jane thanks Mr. Nobley and says good-bye, ready to head home and give up on her Jane Austen interest.

When she gets home she expects her friend to be over soon to talk about the trip, a knock does come-but when she opens the door it isn’t her friend-but Mr. Nobley!

He traveled all the way from England to give her-her sketchbook and tell her how much he loves her! OMGoodness!!!

He tells her that he is in love with her! “Could someone like me make you happy?”, and then says the line that makes my heart melt and brain turn to goo-“You are my fantasy”! Aw, it is just so romantic!!! Jane and Mr. Nobley both get their happy fairy tale ending!

Squee! I loved it!

Even more so, I love that this mimics Northanger Abbey, when Mr. Tilney comes after Catherine and tells her that he loves her:

Ad with both characters being played by the same actor, J.J. Feild? It makes my heart go into overtime.

For more on Austenland, go to Five Jane Austen Adaptations That Should be Turned Into a Film or TV Show

For more J.J. Feild, go to The Jewel Carries a Curse: Ruby in the Smoke (2006)

For more on Jane Hayes and Mr. Nobley, go to Austenland

If you missed a post here are all the films and TV episodes I chose moments from:

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

I’m With Lucy (2002)

Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

“Valley Girls” from Gossip Girl (2009)

“Beauty Pageant” from Parks and Recreation (2009)

The 12 Men of Christmas (2009)

“The Decision” from The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl (2012)

Austenland (2013)

Catching Fire (2013)

Before I Fall (2017)

“Episode 14” from Strong Women Bong Soon (2017)

Once Upon a Christmas Miracle (2018)

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)

I Won’t Leave You: Strong Woman Bong Soon (2017)

Most Romantic Moment #13

Strong Woman Bong Soon (2017)

I LOVE this TV show!!!! So much!

So Bong Soon (Bo-Young Park) is a 27-year old twin sister, (her brother Bong Ki is studying to be a doctor) living in Korea, and trying to find a job.

She wants to be a video game designer and create a game based on her, why does she want a game designed after her? Well she’s special, she has super strength. The super strength was passed through all the women in her family, but if they use it to hurt innocent people they would lose it and reap the consequences.

Bong Soon has inherited the power and has been afraid to do anything with it as she doesn’t want to abuse it or lose it. She lives her life trying to hide her abilities and be fragile as she doesn’t want to hurt an innocent, lose it, or be seen as a freak, and because her crush says he likes delicate girls.

Pretending all the time…

So there are three story lines in this show: the first is that gangsters are trying to take over and redevelop the area. Second, Mr. Ahn (Hyung-shik Park), creator of the video game company Ainsoft, is currently being threatened and he hires Bong Soon to be his bodyguard. And the third; there is a creepy guy obsessed with the fairytale Bluebeard and His Seven Wives who is intent on abducting seven women to be his “brides” and has built a secret prison under his garage where he keeps his victims.

Will Bong-Soon win over her crush? Or realize that Mr. Ahn is the best guy there is? Will they stop the blackmailer or will Mr. Ahn be destroyed? Will they defeat the gangsters? Or will they take down Bong-Soon? Will Bong-Soon stop the kidnapper? Or will he outsmart her and force her to loose her powers?

Most Romantic Moment #13: I Won’t Leave You

This moment comes near the end of the series-Bong Soon and Mr. Ahn have been spending a lot of time together-and have fallen in love. Their whole relationship is so cute!

Meanwhile, the police have failed at catching the serial kidnapper. Bong Soon beat him up, rescued the missing girls, freed her best friend-but was tricked into injuring a regular person and lost her powers, with the criminal falling into the river-presumed dead.

Bong Soon is heartbroken, and Mr. Ahn takes care of her-AW IT IS SO CUTE! I should’ve picked that moment, but oh well it will be next time…anyways they grow cuter and closer, dating. But it turns out that the kidnapper isn’t dead as the police thought (I knew it! No body? They are alive!) He has a plan to destroy Bong Soon, disguising himself, sneaking into Ainsoft, kidnapping Bong Soon, and tying her up with a bomb.

Guk Du, police officer, and Mr. Ahn try to save her, with Mr. Ahn finding her locked on the roof. He tries to get her out, but can’t get it open-damaging his hand in the process-Bong Soon begs him to leave, pleading with him-but he refuses. He will never leave her.

How romantic!

It is just so incredibly romantic as he does’t want her to be alone, he doesn’t want to be without her, and he just LOOOOOOVES her!

It is made doubly romantic as when we first met Mr. Ahn he was so used to being alone he only cared about himself. In fact, in an earlier scene (in the first few episodes) he wants Bong Soon to open the car door and start the car in case there is a bomb, so that she is hurt instead of him. He has come a long way since then, not only in putting others first, but being able to share how he feels.

For more on Strong Woman Bong Soon, go to Super Power Girl, Blackmail, Gangsters, and a Serial Kidnapper: Strong Woman Bong Soon (2017)

You Don’t Owe Me Anything: Once Upon a Christmas Miracle (2018)

Most Romantic Moment #12

Once Upon a Christmas Miracle

So back in December when I was watching a Christmas Film every day, this was suggested by Martha.leith. I enjoyed it, especially one moment, that I’m sharing with you today.

This film is based on a true story. Heather is a nursing student who is tired all the time and not feeling well.

At first she thinks that she is overworked, but then she realizes that something is not right. She goes to the doctor and discovers that she only has a few months to live, unless she can find a living donor for a transplant. As one who has been studying medicine, Heather knows the chances of her getting a transplant and her body accepting it is very slim. Instead she decides to use the rest of her time to make this the best Christmas ever.

Chris, a recently returned marine, hears about Heather and even though she is a stranger, he gets tested and is a match! The two begin to get to know each other and Heather starts to fall for Chris; but does she REALLY love him or does she just feel grateful for what he has done? And will they survive the surgery, or will it be a last Christmas for one of them?

Most Romantic Moment #12: You Don’t Owe Me Anything

This moment comes about 2/3 of the way through the film. Heather has been really chill through the movie-everyone else is sad, worried, freaking out-but Heather has just been enjoying the holidays, no big deal. But the day of the hospital, Heather is prepped and it hits her. She is asking this guy to go under surgery and give a part of himself. He could die, he could never recover, her body could reject it and they would have had him open for nothing. How can she do this?

She can’t do this, she can’t ask this of him, she doesn’t want to do it anymore, but then Chris calm her down. Heather tells him she doesn’t know what she could do to thank him, and he tells her “you owe me absolutely nothing“-he’s freely giving it to her.

How romantic!

Every time I see it, that scene makes my heart melt!

For more Christmas films, go to Saving the Photo Shoot: The 12 Men of Christmas (2009)

Reading One Page Turns Into the Whole Book: Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

Most Romantic Moment #11

Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

So I did not enjoy this film, I have watched it twice and still don’t like it. But like Bridget Jones’ Diary, just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean there isn’t a moment or two that you do. I plan to do a full review of the film later, but for now:

So the film is about five woman and one man starting a book club, a Jane Austen Book Club. Four of the women are very close, the other two members being strangers they ask to join…and they treat them pretty badly actually. Who asks someone that they just met to join their book club and then makes fun of them…like seriously? Oh no, no I said I would continue the full review later. Better take a breath.

So most of the women are going through things-Jocelyn is a dog trainer and one of her dogs passed away; Sylvia’s husband has been cheating on her for months and is divorcing her, and Pru and her husband are having a series of miscommunications, Pru is feeling neglected, and she is considering having an affair. Bernadette decides that that the perfect antidote to everything is to read Jane Austen.

They round out their group with Sylvia’s daughter Allegra and a random guy, Grigg, who Jocelyn thinks will be the perfect rebound for Sylvia-even though it is clear Grigg is into Jocelyn.

Jocelyn sure is

The film continues to show this group as they face their issues and read Jane Austen.

*Spoiler Alert*

So this moment comes at the end of the film. Pru’s husband has been gone physically (although to her it has been a lot longer emotionally), her mother died, she has been contemplating having an affair, and she is completely unraveling. She goes off to rendezvous with her soon-to-be lover, but changes her mind and returns home.

At home her husband Dean is playing video games. She comes to him, ready to try again and brings her book Persuasion. Forgetting her temptation, blowing off book club, and letting down her pretense & pride-she pleads with him to read Persuasion with her.

Dean is not into it as he is more of a magazine guy, but Pru is so persistent and he can tell it is important to her, as she just starts reading it aloud, that he agrees to one page.

Prudie Drummond: [showing Dean a copy of Persuasion] Will you do me a favor? Will you read this?

Dean Drummond: Isn’t that what you’re special little book club’s for?

Prudie Drummond: I really want you to read it. Please Dean.

Dean Drummond: Prudie, I feel like you want me to be something I’m not. I just walk around being me. I don’t pretend to be anything else. You just set me up for a test, you don’t want me to pass.

Prudie Drummond: No, no. This isn’t a test. This is something to share.

Dean Drummond: Why don’t you just tell me what it’s about?

Prudie Drummond: It’s about these two people who used to love each other. And they don’t any more. And it’s about how they persuade themselves to give it another try… Look I can get you started off. Okay? [she begins to read the first page]

Dean Drummond: Prudie… Come on, you’re not really going to read this all aloud… Alright, one page…

But it doesn’t turn out to be just one page, as we see they have moved to the bed and are continuing the story, and then later we see Pru fast asleep and Dean keeps reading, finishing the whole book.

The Jane Austen Book Club

I find this so romantic as each had to give a little of themselves to move forward-Pru had to open herself up and not talk down to her husband, while Dean had to make Pru his top priority and open himself up to trying something new and not shoot it down right away.

And also because we see that even when Pru has fallen asleep, he keeps reading. He could have stopped-as he gave it a try. He could have just read it when Pru was watching-but no he continues reading and taking part in something that is so important to her.

And it doesn’t stop there. At the end we see a year has gone by and Dean has read all of Jane Austen books-talking about them, calling Bernadette’s fiance Mr. Darcy, and squealing over how the fiance Señor Obando hasn’t read Jane Austen and they will have to introduce him to it.

How romantic!

For more on Persuasion, go to Holiday Mix Tape

Saving the Photo Shoot: The 12 Men of Christmas (2009)

Most Romantic Moment #10

So I love this movie and try to watch it every Christmas and it is totally Pride and Prejudice (so if you haven’t seen it, you should totally check it out.

E.J. Baxter is a genius New York publicist that after being betrayed by her fiance, leaves that life to move out to Montana. When she gets there she clashes heads with good-looking bad boy, Will Albrecht. She hears the plight of the volunteer search-and-rescue team, as their lack of funds are causing them to use out-of-date equipment. E.J. comes up with the idea of creating a “naked” calendar (nothing is shown but bare chest) to raise the money.

The calendar is a success and both Will and E.J. realize that there is more to each other than meets the eye and they fall in love. After some misunderstandings the two break up, and E.J. returns to the big apple. But will she stay in NYC, or will she realize her heart is in Montana?

Most Romantic Moment: Saving the Photo Shoot

So this comes about 2/3 of the way through. E.J. has pitched the idea of the “naked” calendar, and with a little help from the officer who is Mr. May, everything is going great. That is until the guy for Mr. December drops out.

Everything is set with the printer, photographer, release, and they are out a person. Someone suggests they do group pic, but the guys don’t really want to do it again (one pic was hard enough to get out of some who were very shy) and there is no one left to ask. The clock’s ticking, and E.J. is looking at having to scrap everything and be out all the time, effort, and money.

But then Will shows up to do the photo. Now Will was against this from the very start. He thought it was a dumb idea and tried to convince others to be against it. He even told her he would never, ever do it. But, because he loves E.J., he swallows his pride and he takes the last photo, saving the day and the project.

So romantic!

For more on The 12 Men of Christmas, go to On the 12th Day ’til Christmas: The 12 Men of Christmas (2009)

For more Pride and Prejudice, go to Modesto Jane Con: Defining the Definitive Darcy and Lizzie