I got scared off of the 2004 BBC production a while ago, and I've yet to return to North and South. But your pitch here has me intrigued--I may have to revisit my (admittedly rather uneducated) distaste for this story. 😂 Thank you for sharing!
The photo of the woman in the mill took me back to my childhood in the late 60s, early 70s in Oldham, Lancashire. It had been a mill town but this was the tail end of the mill era (I remember several chimneys being demolished). In our church there were a few older ladies who had worked on the looms – all deaf from the noise, a few of them were bow legged, and one or two had been blinded by flying shuttles coming out of a loom. It was a tough life. They were fabulous characters.
It is really true, the book is wildly different from the '04 BBC. I will admit I saw BBC years before ever reading the book, and loved it; I still really enjoy it when I go back and watch now, admitting the (at times vast) discrepancies.
I do wish Thornton's "Look back at me" line had actually been in the book, because it is swoonworthy, lol--and the more I watch it, the more I agree that "Miss Hale" (she said, channeling Armitage's voice) is miscast. She's fine as an actress, but she's not at her best here, especially in some of the glazed-over looks she delivers.
Yes, Meagan — if the ‘04 BBC version were a stand-alone production, I agree that it would be great. But since it pales in comparison to the source material, I cannot recommend it. It’s common to say that the book is always better — but I have a shocking admission to make: I like Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility screenplay more than Austen’s original book! The men’s characters are written in greater depth in the screenplay, which made the story much more engaging to me. What do you think?
For sure, I totes get it! I think BBC is going to become like LOTR has for me--I enjoyed the movies when they first came out, and a lot of elements are great fun, but the more I re-read the books (20+ and counting), the more I have a hard time with the films--especially those elements that wildly and fundamentally change the characters (::cough:: Faramir ::cough:: Aragorn ::cough::).
Emma's S&S is an amazing film, and I don't think I'd've gotten through the book a couple years ago if it hadn't been for the film being what it is. One thing that stood out to me in the book is how Elinor could nearly have done just as well with Colonel Brandon as she did with Edward. We see a light version of that in the film. It's a great adaptation of a great book--and probably one of the few I'd say you'd be (more or less) equally well off watching the movie--aaaaaaaand...I still think it's a worthy effort to read the book haha!
We won't talk about the Keira Knightley "Pride and Prejudice"... :D
True. Not worth discussing that. About LOTR, I’m very impressed with their production value and cinematography — but I will never forgive Peter Jackson for leaving out the Houses of Healing scene with Eowyn and Faramir in Return of the King. It’s the best part of the entire trilogy — in which a proud and capable woman recognizes that her worth does not rest in her status. It was a formative passage for me — and Peter Jackson cut it!!
I got scared off of the 2004 BBC production a while ago, and I've yet to return to North and South. But your pitch here has me intrigued--I may have to revisit my (admittedly rather uneducated) distaste for this story. 😂 Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Karissa! I would love for you to join the discussion!
https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/6d3e6f27-681d-4a35-91a6-c8872084761a?utm_source=share There it is! Hope to chat with you soon.
The photo of the woman in the mill took me back to my childhood in the late 60s, early 70s in Oldham, Lancashire. It had been a mill town but this was the tail end of the mill era (I remember several chimneys being demolished). In our church there were a few older ladies who had worked on the looms – all deaf from the noise, a few of them were bow legged, and one or two had been blinded by flying shuttles coming out of a loom. It was a tough life. They were fabulous characters.
Incredible that you have a connection to that history — thank you for this story, Tony!
It is really true, the book is wildly different from the '04 BBC. I will admit I saw BBC years before ever reading the book, and loved it; I still really enjoy it when I go back and watch now, admitting the (at times vast) discrepancies.
I do wish Thornton's "Look back at me" line had actually been in the book, because it is swoonworthy, lol--and the more I watch it, the more I agree that "Miss Hale" (she said, channeling Armitage's voice) is miscast. She's fine as an actress, but she's not at her best here, especially in some of the glazed-over looks she delivers.
Yes, Meagan — if the ‘04 BBC version were a stand-alone production, I agree that it would be great. But since it pales in comparison to the source material, I cannot recommend it. It’s common to say that the book is always better — but I have a shocking admission to make: I like Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility screenplay more than Austen’s original book! The men’s characters are written in greater depth in the screenplay, which made the story much more engaging to me. What do you think?
For sure, I totes get it! I think BBC is going to become like LOTR has for me--I enjoyed the movies when they first came out, and a lot of elements are great fun, but the more I re-read the books (20+ and counting), the more I have a hard time with the films--especially those elements that wildly and fundamentally change the characters (::cough:: Faramir ::cough:: Aragorn ::cough::).
Emma's S&S is an amazing film, and I don't think I'd've gotten through the book a couple years ago if it hadn't been for the film being what it is. One thing that stood out to me in the book is how Elinor could nearly have done just as well with Colonel Brandon as she did with Edward. We see a light version of that in the film. It's a great adaptation of a great book--and probably one of the few I'd say you'd be (more or less) equally well off watching the movie--aaaaaaaand...I still think it's a worthy effort to read the book haha!
We won't talk about the Keira Knightley "Pride and Prejudice"... :D
True. Not worth discussing that. About LOTR, I’m very impressed with their production value and cinematography — but I will never forgive Peter Jackson for leaving out the Houses of Healing scene with Eowyn and Faramir in Return of the King. It’s the best part of the entire trilogy — in which a proud and capable woman recognizes that her worth does not rest in her status. It was a formative passage for me — and Peter Jackson cut it!!
Yeppp. Eowyn/Faramir is the great love story of LOTR and I will die on that hill. ;) I feel your pain on that!