Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Movie Review)

darcy I first met Mr. Darcy on a cold Sunday in January 1999.

My then-husband left for the day to see the Giants play a post-season game and I decided to pop in the first of six VHS tapes my mom had lent me of the BBC version of “Pride and Prejudice” to keep me company while I tackled taking down the Christmas tree.

Five hours later, the ornaments long boxed and put away, the kids and I were riveted to the couch as Elizabeth and Darcy declared their love for each other and the Bennett sisters (well, a few of them anyway) ended up with men of good fortune and, so it seemed, true love.

Sigh.

And so began my love affair with Austen – “Pride and Prejudice” in particular – and all-things Darcy. I’ve gone on to read the book a few times, watch Colin Firth – oh I mean the series – another time in full and then see the more recent movie with Keira Knightly and that really cute new Darcy who marches all manly through the misty field to declare his love in the end.

And apparently, I’m not alone. We all know Bridget Jones had a thing for her own Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth, again!), but then there’s the extreme as displayed by the main character Kerri Russell plays in the new movie “Austenland,” which I went to see Friday night.

And I know, it didn’t get great reviews (one review’s headline “Comedy Lacks Sense, Sensibility”) and my clearly-refined movie snobbishness should have had me mocking the movie Jane’s obsession with, and search for, Regency-period love, but dudes, I really liked it. The movie was super-cute and lots of fun.

Was it “Blue Jasmine”? No, it was not. But as great as that movie was, let’s all admit that it was a bit of a bummer seeing the fabulous Cate Blanchett unravel at the end. And while I don’t need books, movies, etc. to have happy endings, there’s room in my life for both kale and cotton candy.

“Austenland” is light and airy, like sticky strands of spun sugar, and who’s not a sucker for romance and the notion of bewitching a fellow – especially a cute one with a great British accent?

Sign me up.

Those romantic fantasies are what render us unable to stop watching “The Notebook” or “Crazy, Stupid Love” when we stumble upon them while channel surfing. I’m like a deer in the headlights, caught in the glare of make-believe love.

I don’t know, maybe it’s why I’m still single, buying into the notion that there’s some Darcy-like love in my future. You’d think I’d have become a little more realistic by now.  Five minutes perusing Match.com should do that to a person.

On Sunday, I got back on the female fantasy movie train and snuck into to see the new movie “Adore,” and I say “snuck” because the premise is kind of dirty and I, of course, was there in the interest of science and not because I wanted to see Naomi Watts and Robin Wright get it on with hot young dudes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KWyEbmKHsY

Don’t get me wrong: I really like young dudes. Legit. But the boys that these 40-something moms end up with – each pairs with the other’s son – are even younger than my own son and that is just creepy. Let’s raise the cap on the age of men we sleep with, ladies.

But it’s a movie, so you go with it. And it’s fun to look at the gorgeous Australian coast where they live and frolic, not to mention the perfection of the four main characters.

And that’s where it gets interesting, because while “Adore” should be making us ladies of a certain age green with envy that we weren’t born tall and lean and blessed with striking cheekbones, we learn that even the genetically perfect worry about aging. When Naomi Watts stared all sad at her slightly sagging face in her bathroom mirror, I was like, “I’ve been there, sister.”

Overall, the premise is slightly lurid and the dialogue laughable at points, but you’ll be so busy looking at the scenery — not to mention Robin Wright’s great hair — and marveling that beautiful creatures fret about wrinkles just like you, you won’t even notice.

And there’s nary a Darcy in sight.

5 thoughts on “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Movie Review)

  1. I believe the Cougar Rules for seducing a younger man include that he can be no less than half your age plus seven years. I then, should be on the lookout for a 36 year old. I like to think of myself as Erica (Diane Keaton-that witty playwright) in “Something’s Gotta Give” dating Julian (Keanu Reeves) but secretly hoping Harry (Jack Nicholson) comes looking for me in Paris.

    • Barb … that is like my favorite movie, ever. And while my first obnoxious thing I thought to say was, “I just want to go to Paris,” but having someone chase me there wouldn’t stink. 🙂 Oh, and I like your math.

  2. Okay, thanks for the laugh on a difficult day and you know how I feel about Colin Firth – I watch that version yearly – right around Christmas. Not sure if I would want to see Adore but I might check out Austenland this weekend just to make me laugh…

    • Susan, glad to be able to inject a little levity into your life right now. Austenland is silly but as a dedicated Anglophile, I think you’d be amused. Go and let your brain relax 🙂

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