Chicks On Lit discussion

I just watched becoming Jane about Jane Austen and loved it. Can anyone else recommend movies about authors because I'm very keen to watch more.

My English class in senior year of high school specifically focused on plays, and we watched the movie "Wilde" (about Oscar Wilde). It was pretty interesting from what I remember!

The Hours - Virginia Woolf
Capote - Truman Capote
Pandaemonium - Samuel Taylor Coleridge & William Wordsworth

Shakespeare in Love, if you wanna count that one

All of the above sound interesting and I would very much like to see the movie about Virginia Woolf as she is one of my favourite aurthors.

Miss Potter is about Beatrix Potter. I haven't watched it yet myself, but I've heard it's very good.

Along a similar line, I recently watched the DVD of A Wrinkle in Time, which I enjoyed, although I've heard poor reviews. However, in the extra features, there's a fabulous interview with Madeleine L'Engle. I'd recommend you rent it just for that.

I also want to see the film about Coco Chanel as her life seems like it would be interesting.

Miss Potter was very good.

I loved Miss Potter, I got sucked in!

Miss Potter makes me all teary eyed.

There's Finding Neverland. Johnny Depp portrays J.M. Barrie quite well. THAT one made me more teary eyed!

Has anyone watched Hans Christian Anderson? Danny Kaye portrays the writer!

There is a movie out right now called "The Last Station" about Tolstoy. I would like to see it, but its not playing in our local theater - to art film type movie. Its about a half hour drive away, and I hope it is still on next weekend. Last few months have been crazy at work.

Miss Potter is a fantastic film, I'd also like to see The Last Station, maybe even at the cinema but the so called art-house films are only shown for about 5 minutes I find! I forget exactly what, but I think it's gained some awards or nominations which might give it a longer showing...

I'm going to rent DVD of Bright Star - it's a Jane Campion film about John Keats and a secret love affair he had when he was 23. He died so young and when I consider all that he achieved, doesn't half make me feel inadequate!

Em, I missed The Last Station. It was gone after about two weekends. Enough performances of my own that I couldn't get out there. I have seen the book around Borders, but think I'll just wait for the DVD. Thanks for the info about the other movie. Will look that one up.

Your own performances? Are you a musician or an actor then? Shame you missed The Last Station, it's nicer to see these films on a bigger screen but I don't think with this film you'd loose that much by watching on DVD.

If you enjoy performing, have you seen Me and Orsen Wells? That's another one on my list to rent. Films are my other passion, as well as reading!

Love movies, of many types. Performances, LOL once upon a time, things like Minnesota Opera Company and community theater. YEARS ago. I've taught every grade level music for nearly 30 years. Now I am an elementary public school music teacher. But the last nine years I go over to the high school at night and am on staff for their musical. It sucks up three months of LONG days, but I love it.

I will have to check out Me And Orson Wells. Its not available yet. My wanted to see list includes Miss Potter, Finding Neverland, The Hours and Capote. There are so many good ones out there.

Kimberley wrote: "I also want to see the film about Coco Chanel as her life seems like it would be interesting."

I enjoyed watching Coco Before Chanel. It was a good movie. Coco Chanel did have an interesting life. I'm curious now to learn more and have a biography on my wishlist!

Nancy wrote: "Love movies, of many types. Performances, LOL once upon a time, things like Minnesota Opera Company and community theater. YEARS ago. I've taught every grade level music for nearly 30 years. Now I ..."

I've not seen Capote (about Truman Capote right?), that's sounds interesting - I've just got Breakfast at Tiffany's from the library this week so perhaps it would be a good time to seek that one out as well.

Well, it certainly sounds like you enjoy your work - nearly 30 years and extra evenings too!

Em - enjoy I DO! However, SUCKER is in neon on my forehead!

As I was cruising around Amazon the other day, one of my recommended DVD's was something called "Bright Star" which is supposed to be about Keats. Dang. I don't remember seeing anything about this but probably not a mainstream film. Anybody know anything about this one?

Yes, that's the one I mentioned a few days back! It looks very good to me but haven't watched it yet. I've got it marked high priority on Lovefilm so I hope it'll be arriving soon to watch!

At the moment I've got a film version of a book I read when I was maybe 10 or so - Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild - will try to watch it this evening.

Em, I am such a dip - you mentioned it and I was so focused on your comment about "The Last Station" - still mad that it zipped through town. I looked at the trailers for "Bright Star" and it looked really good. You will have to let me know if you get it...

I will, likewise if you see it first...

Just checked by Lovefilm account and Capote is on it's way, should be with me tomorrow.

Phillip Seymore Hoffman plays that part and I think he is such a versatile actor. Hope you will like it.

Thanks, and agreed he is a fantastic actor!

I watched Capote last night, as we suspected Phillip Seymour Hoffman is excellent - I have no idea if he's accurate in his portrayal but I assume he is!

Capote was certainly a flawed character and not necessarily all that likeable. The film focuses on how he came to write In Cold Blood and how the process of doing so affected and changed him. In summary, it may not be the greatest film ever made but it is a revealing portrait of a writer at work, atmospheric and quite fascinating. It has inspired me to read the book too.

Very cool. I vaguely knew the subject matter, but obviously haven't seen it. Another case of wanting to see it at the time, but too busy. I definitely will have to go find it. I have read In Cold Blood years ago. It is such a sad creepy story. I think the book Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee that I picked up last week actually has something about Truman Capote as Harper Lee was his research assistant for the book. I look forward to reading that.

She was, that's another thing I learned from the film that I didn't know before! The book about Harper Lee sounds interesting too.

Kimberley wrote: "I just watched becoming Jane about Jane Austen and loved it. Can anyone else recommend movies about authors because I'm very keen to watch more."

My aunt gave me this on DVD, but I've never watched it. I must confess that I've never read anything by Jane Austen although I do have several of her popular books on my shelves. Would I be better off to watch the movie first and then read some of her works or read the books first and save the movie for after I've done so?

Em wrote: "I watched Capote last night, as we suspected Phillip Seymour Hoffman is excellent - I have no idea if he's accurate in his portrayal but I assume he is!

Capote was certainly a flawed character..."

I'm a big fan of Capote and really enjoyed the film. I agree that it wasn't the best movie ever, but it was certainly interesting.

Katie wrote: "My aunt gave me this on DVD, but I've never watched it. I must confess that I've never read anything by Jane Austen although I do have several of her popular books on my shelves. Would I be better off to watch the movie first and then read some of her works or read the books first and save the movie for after I've done so?"

That movie isn't entirely accurate. It's more like a "what might have happened" type of thing and is, to the best of our knowledge, exaggerated. No one can be entirely sure as to the details or extent of..things (I don't want to give anything away), since her sister burned many of their correspondences during that time, as people were often in the habit of doing. So it doesn't really matter which you do first.

I had read all of her books and history before seeing the movie, and I actually found that doing it that way made me enjoy the movie more because I picked up on things mentioned in the movie as being from one novel or another. In fact, I would actually say that the movie took just as much from her books as anything we know for certain about actual events. I suppose that as they were fashioning the story, they were of the mind that her writing must have reflected some sort of experiences from her own life and therefore borrowed certain things from her stories.

I pretty much agree with Jenny, Becoming Jane is an accessible, light and enjoyable film, it's an interpretation rather than a factual account. Could watch it anytime I think without spoiling the books.

However, as a long-time Jane Austen fan, I'd recommend reading them - Pride and Prejudice, Emma or Sense and Sensibility if they're on you're book shelf are my favourite three!

I just found on Netflix In Love and War which is about Hemmingway serving in WWI. I haven't the slightest idea if it's accurate. It's got Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnell. I'll let you know what I think of it when I see it.

Oooo sounds interesting. I haven't heard of it before. Thanks!