Monday, August 24, 2009

North & South

For our anniversary my Mom gave me this movie.  It's based on a book by Elizabeth Gaskell also titled North & South that I read a year ago and loved, and I've wanted to see the movie ever since.  It was only made about 5 years ago and has excellent acting and made the book come alive for me.  It's not a Civil War story like it may sound.  Rather, it takes place in England in the 1800's and is about a girl who leaves her home in the south of England for a dirty town in the north that has cotton factories.  There is of course a love story that runs throughout, but it's only one of the themes of the story.  The bigger theme is the relationship between master and workers at the factories, the union's role in things, and strikes that inevitably occur as they try to see eye to eye.  It's about 3 hours long and reminds me a lot of Pride & Prejudice as pride is the universal sin, but thank goodness it doesn't have the silly daughters and mother in it like P&P.  It's totally clean and I would highly recommend both the book and the movie as I loved both.  Gaskell was not quite the writer that Jane Austen was, but she's still very good and did a terrific job.  So go read/watch it and enjoy!

9 comments:

Carrie said...

Thanks for the suggestion! Always looking for good books and movies!

Poppy said...

I saw it and loved it. You reminded me that I want to read the book.

Annie Leavitt said...

oh oh oh oh oh, love and have this movie. sarah and i have watched the end scene at the train platform probably a million times. no joke : )

read the book afterwards. it was good, but different of course. my mom loves this movie because our ancestor had to do the same thing and move up to northern england with quite a culture shock. glad you enjoyed it!

Alyssa said...

Saw it and enjoyed it too.
Check out Cranford (a mini-series I caught on PBS with Judi Dench).

Karene said...

Hey! You went and watched it without me!!! :) Can't say as I blame you...getting it for your anniversary and watching it home is much easier than figuring out how to get together. I'm glad you liked it!

Jeanne Lawyer said...

I just love it when someone recommends a good book. You know me I love to read and I just finished a book. Thanks for the suggestion. I will let you know what I think.

Emily Widdison said...

I will have to go get it at the library today!!

Alison said...

Ha! My mom just got us the entire Elizabth Haskell collection as well. We just finished Cranford and North and South is next! I can't wait to see them. Don't tell but it is actually Jeff in the relationship that likes the movies more ;)

suzy said...

Watched it...the end scene--my favorite! I guess I need to read it now. :)