Rainy Days with Pride and Prejudice

Yesterday was the first rain of the season here in Southern California. I had been looking forward to this event for several weeks. I was temporarily satisfied last week when I took a one week trip to the east coast and experienced rain.

Now that autumn has officially started and we are experiencing the season, there is something to be said for sitting in the comfort of your own living room, listening to the rainfall outside and enjoying a cup of tea. I increased my rainy day experience by watching the 2005 version of "Pride and Prejudice". I find it difficult to believe that the movie opened four years ago!

While watching the movie I engaged in other activities such as laundry and checking email. That is really half the fun of watching a movie you know so well. You can get up and do other things and listen to the movie around the house and then scurry back for your favorite scenes.

I like the part where Lydia Bennet has returned home after her patched up marriage to Wickham. I enjoy watching her behave in such a ridiculous fashion. Her sister, Elizabeth Bennet looks at her and her new husband with contempt. As Lydia throws her dishonorable marriage in the face of her unmarried sisters you can not help but be delighted that you know soon Jane and Elizabeth Bennet will marry for love. And it just happens to be that their future husbands Mr. Bingley and Mr.

Darcy are filthy rich. It is amusing to watch Lydia make a fool of herself.

One of my favorite things to

do while watching Jane Austin movies is to match the characters with people I know. It is a fun game to play as you realize that decades may pass, but people and personalities stay the same. Everyone has a Mr. Darcy and Mr. Collins in their life. If you are fortunate, you end up with Mr. Darcy. And hopefully you can avoid conversations in the middle of the night with Lady Catherine de Bourg. If not, remember Elizabeth Bennet who respectfully threw her out of her house (another one of my favorite scenes). I admire her when she says: "You have insulted me in every possible way, and can now have nothing further to say. I must ask you to leave immediately." Only a woman with true grace can tell someone off in such style.

It seems that I can watch Jane Austin movies all day when it is raining outside. I believe I will watch "Emma" next. Watching a Jane Austin movie on a cold rainy day is just another day in my European Style Life.