Christmas Short Story Contest at Regency Delight

My very dear friend Melody is having a Christmas Short Story Contest over at her blog Regency Delight! Entries must be sent by December 26th so get working on your short story inspired by a Christmas carol now!

The Nativity Story (2006)

The Nativity Story (2006) is a lovely visual adaptation of the Biblical account of Christ's birth and although it does slip up in a couple places overall it is very nicely done. I'm writing this review on my second viewing of this film and I have enjoyed it quite a lot both times I've seen it. It of course in no way replaces scripture but it does help to give food for thought by showing what the events may have looked like. This is a nice film to view at Christmas time and helps me focus my mind and heart on the birth of my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

Story: Powerful, timeless and visually magnificent, The Nativity Story is "a beautiful telling of one of the world's most familiar stories". It was the cruelest of times. Under Herod's torturous reign, families struggled to survive and yet, in the midst of utter turmoil, a young woman's faith was put to the test. Join Mary and Joseph on an incredible journey of hope and discovery. Epic in its scope, yet intimate in its portrayal of this historical family, this "wonderful film" is a family feature that will be cherished for years to come.

Costumes: Show the contrast between the hard working folks like Mary and Joseph and the rich ruling folks like King Herod and the Magi. 

Music: Combines traditional carols with music that fits the actions of each scene. Just a nice soundtrack to listen to!

Inappropriate Content: There is no language or sexual content in this film but there are some scary scenes and thematic elements. Shows some scarier scenes such as soldiers killing toddler boys under Herod's order, Roman soldiers collecting people and animals as payment for taxes. Elisabeth giving birth to John the Baptist is shown briefly and the ceremony of his circumcision is also shown from a distance. Crucifixion of Jewish zealots are shown. Mary is also shown giving birth to Jesus and Joseph helping her. Nothing horrible, this film is rated PG but would be appropriate for most ages.

Biblical Accuracy: Sets the story of Christ's birth in it's historical content, Israel under Roman rule. Does combine events from the accounts in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Does put some emphasis on Mary's life but I do appreciate that it shows her as a sinful human chosen by God. Kind of shortens some of the accounts but does a fairly good job staying true to the scriptures. But there was no a choir of angels announcing the birth to the shepherds and the wisemen are incorrectly shown arriving at the time of Christ's birth instead of two years after, as the scriptures say. The wisemen decide on their own not to go back to King Herod instead of seeing it in a dream. Joseph is told in a dream to leave Bethlehem for Egypt but it is very shortly after Jesus is born instead of two years after as the gospel of Matthew says. Film does have some characters jumping to conclusions about the birth of Christ, things they probably wouldn't have known yet, but it is neat to hear those connections that we know now because we have the complete scriptures.

Character Portrayals:

• Mary - Has a quiet, thoughtful and gentle spirit but is still portrayed as a sinful human who also needs to trust Christ as her savior.  
• Joseph - Portrayed as an extremely kind and honorable man who loves Mary greatly. His great disappointment, confusion and anger when he finds out Mary is with child was very convincing. I like how it shows him sacrificing for his wife and even the donkey on their journey to Bethlehem.
• Mary's Parents - Kind and try to be understanding but have a difficult time accepting the Lord working in Mary and Joseph's lives.
• King Herod - Cruel and cunning man who craves power. His paranoia and menace are just creepy!
• Gabriel - Mysterious but not too terrify, he appears three times in the story. Nice that he is portrayed as looking ethnically the same as those he is appearing too only with a glow about him.
• Three Wisemen - Quirky and add some humor to the story as they journey from Persia to Bethlehem. They are placed coming sooner than they should but they are shown having great faith which is interesting.
• Zachariah & Elisabeth - Elisabeth is portrayed as a quite understanding and inspiring woman, a good mentor for Mary. Zachariah is an interesting character and it was neat when he got his voice back. 

Have you seen The Nativity Story (2006)?

Do you have any other favorite film versions of the birth of Christ?

Belle (2013)

Trailers for Belle (2013) looked very interesting when I first saw them so I bought a DVD copy hoping it would be good but I actually didn't open the DVD for a couple months. I ended up watching Belle with my family over my Christmas break. A friend of mine actually mentioned he had watched it and that he thought I would really like it and he was right, we all enjoyed it. Belle (2013) is a beautiful film with a lot of heart sweet romance and history of slavery. If you like Amazing Grace (2005) then you will probably enjoy this film!

Story: Belle (2013) is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Captain. Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield and his wife, Belle's lineage affords her certain privileges, yet the color of her skin prevents her from fully participating in the traditions of her social standing. Left to wonder if she will ever find love, Belle falls for an idealistic young vicar's son bent on change who, with her help, shapes Lord Mansfield's role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.

Costumes: Lovely Georgian styles! The ladies dresses are often a bit low as was the fashion but the materials and trimmings are lovely. Very rich and textured.

Scenes: A gorgeous film, the house and grounds where Dido grows up is amazing! Also the London house is lovely.

Music: Soundtrack composed by Rachel Portman (Emma 1996, Nicholas Nickleby 2002) but there's also pieces from Bach and Handel used in the film.

Inappropriate Content: It is mentioned briefly that Dido's parents were not married. Some slightly crude language and names are used. One gentlemen makes advances toward Dido proving his bad character. Talk of the hardships of slaves treated like cargo on board a ship.

Characters & Actors:

• Matthew Goode as Captain Sir John Lindsay - Plays Dido's father and he's really only in the beginning of the film. Neat to see him in Belle (2013) and then watching Death Comes To Pemberley with my family (my second viewing, their first) and seeing him as George Wickham. 
• Penelope Wilton as Lady Mary Murray - Dido's silly great-aunt. You'll recognize her from Pride & Prejudice (2005), Downton Abbey (TV series), Wives and Daughters.
• Emily Watson as Lady Mansfield - Dido's aunt who cares for her as a mother. You'd recognize her from Miss Potter, The Book Thief and War Horse among others. 
• Tom Wilkinson as Lord Mansfield - Dido's uncle who acts as her father since her own father died when she was young. He's played some creepy characters in the past so it's nice to seem him as a good although conflicted character. You'll recognize him from The Importance Of Being Earnest (2002), The Patriot, Sense & Sensibility (1995) and Martin Chuzzlewit (1994) among many others.
• Sarah Gadon as Elizabeth Murray - Dido's cousin who she grows up with and is more of a sister. They fight sometimes but are always best friends. I've never seen her in any other period dramas.
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Dido Elizabeth Belle - Our heroine, Dido is not only lovely but smart and of strong character. I've seen Gugu in Lost In Austen, Doctor Who and Marple: Ordeal By Innocence. 
• Miranda Richardson as Lady Ashford - Pushy mother of two aristocratic brothers who are interested in Dido and Elizabeth, not a terribly nice character. You'll recognize her from The Young Victoria, The Phantom Of The Opera (2004) and The Lost Prince. 
• James Norton as Oliver Ashford - He likes Dido quite a bit but it's hard to tell whether he likes her spunk or her money the best. James Norton played a big part in Death Comes To Pemberley, stars in 1950's era murder mystery series Granchester and seems to be popping up in more period dramas lately. I'd like to see him play a Jane Austen character but not sure which one I'd pick. 
• Tom Felton as James Ashford - Elizabeth's love interested who is less than a gentleman. Tom is well known from the popular Harry Potter films.
• Sam Reid as John Davinier - A young lawyer who  sounds a lot like an associate of William Wilberforce and sparks Dido's interest in political matters that have to do with slavery. The only thing I recognize this actor from is Marple: Greenshaw's Folly.
• Alex Jennings as Lord Ashford - Father of the two aristocratic brothers, he's not in the film much but his face and voice are very recognizable! You'll remember him from Cranford and Return To Cranford among many other BBC productions. 

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed Belle (2013) although in some ways it was not what I expected. There wasn't as much tension about the slavery as I thought there would be and there thankfully wasn't much inappropriate content which there very well could have been. The heroine was spunky and her hero was honorable. There wasn't as much depth to the story as I thought there would be, but it was a sweet film overall. It did remind me of Amazing Grace (2006) because of the time period and the slavery aspect. It was interesting to view the world through the eyes of Dido, raised the equal of her aristocratic cousin but shunned by society because of her skin color. Definitely a new addition to my recommended period dramas list!


Have you seen Belle (2013)?
What did you like or dislike about it?
If you haven't seen this film are you planning to watch it?

Jane Austen Festival 2013!

This year was my second time attending the Jane Austen Festival in Louisville, KY. You can read about and see photos of last year's festival here. My father and I drove down together again this year and enjoyed listening to my audiobook of Lady Susan by Jane Austen (such an interesting fun story!).

This year was extra special because I got to meet my dear blogging friend Miss Elizabeth Bennet who authors Elegance Of Fashion! We met by the Visitor's Center and set off to explore the festivities together!

First we went to the Naval Encampment to see the members of the HMS Acasta (a clever reenactment group). This gentleman, who acts as the First Lietenant explained about sextants to us and had a lot of interesting facts about life at sea in the 1700's-1800's. It was fascinating listening to him and meeting the other members of the ships crew.

The tents were all kitted out with many period items.

The ships Doctor with his two oldest daughters Miss Lucy and Miss Molly. I had the privileged of seeing The Doctor demonstrate fencing last year and was delighted to see his family this year too! 

On leaving the encampment area one of the crew tipped his hat to us in a gentlemanly manner.

It was delightful to see Miss Emily Waterman, The Doctor's fiancee, who has the most delightful outfits - probably my favorite outfits at the festival! She was accompanied by Lady Caroline Linnington, Dowager Baroness Cranston as they came to meet the naval officers.

Standing very near we were in a way to overhear Miss Waterman introduce The Doctor's brother sailors to Lady Caroline. In a very sweet piece of drama The Doctor took Miss Waterman's hand and kissed it!

On our way toward the Historic House my father captured this picturesque photo of The Commander of the HMS Acasta walking with his lady. They very much remind us of Admiral and Mrs. Croft from Persuasion, some of my dad's favorite JA characters! 

Miss Waterman introduces Lady Caroline to The Commander.

Another fun sight on the way to the Historic House was seeing a sedan chair with a lady inside! Very much reminded me and Miss Elizabeth of Mrs. Jamison in Cranford!

Historic Locust Grove is a lovely spot, perfect for this event! We enjoyed touring the house and enjoying the coolness inside.

Pretty upstairs bedroom.

See the gorgeous shawl on the bedpost? I love the fabric!

 Regency costumes were on display inside the house. The spencer shown here with its tassels reminded us of ones worn by Lucy Steele in Sense & Sensibility (1995) and Elizabeth Elliot in Persuasion (1995). Very smart!

I spotted a reticule with a basket at the bottom. Miss Elizabeth remembered that I had admired this style of reticule last year. They are lovely!

Great room upstairs with costumes on display. Some of these fashions were featured in the Regency Style Show last year. Two or three of these are made using Saris from India!

The talented lady (sorry, your name escapes me!) who made most of the costumes on display and kindly answered our many questions about her gorgeous fashions!

Styles on display in my favorite bedroom with the toile curtains! The cape hung over the chair to the far left is shorter in the back than in the front, has a hood and is made of double layers of silk. It is exactly the same style as one worn by Marianne Dashwood in Sense & Sensiblity (1995) when she goes to Cleveland (the Palmer's home) and stands out in the rain viewing Coumb Magna and calling out for "Willoughby, Willoughby"! When it was described to us I immediately pictured those scenes!

A delightful handmade shawl!

The little parasol has a fold-able handle on it for easy packing.

Love the fabric on this late 1700's dress.

The colors on this outfit are just gorgeous!

Love all the intricate details!

A cape with a military style which was very fashionable in its day.

Love all the colors of the fashions and furniture together!

Love this bed in the young lady's room.

Captured this lovely photo of Miss Elizabeth by an upstairs window. Her outfit was so lovely!

While I was taking pictures of dresses and studying Regency fashions my father was drooling over these antique shield-back chairs! Also of interest, many of the floorboards in this large upstairs room run the length of the long room! Great craftsmanship! 

After visiting the Historic House, Miss Elizabeth and I enjoyed a shop or two but then it was time for my father and I to grab a bite to eat before heading for the big tent to see the shows. It was very warm so Miss Elizabeth and her mother did not stay too much longer.

She showed off her new parasol and we took a few more photos together before she left.

It was so delightful to meet Miss Elizabeth and get to chat with her a while! I wish the weather had permitted a longer time together but I'm so thankful for the time we did have!

The Dressing Mr. Darcy show was presented again this year and then the Regency Fashion Show was quite lovely this year. I will be doing a separate post with photos from that.

A new feature this year was the Regency Promenade where folks in Regency attire parade about the grounds. The goal was to beat the Guinness World Record by having 200 people in costume. Each participant was numbered and dad spotted one lady wearing a tag that said "#300"! 

Here is a 7 minute video of the Regency Promenade. Video stars sideways but changes to the right way round after 30 seconds. Also please forgive my fingers in the way for some of the video. The Promenade was led by a bagpiper! Later they took photos of the whole Promenade group which you can view along with official festival photos here.

Then my dad and I enjoyed browsing through the many Shops Of Meryton. I purchased a pretty reticule and a cute handkerchief (I don't have photos of those right now but promise to post some soon!). 

It was a very warm day so we stopped for iced latte drinks at a local Dairy Queen before starting our trip home. On the drive back we chatted about the Festival and finished listening to the Lady Susan audiobook (well dad did, I fell asleep a few times due to being very tired from a busy busy weekend :).

It was such a wonderful day but the most delightful part was getting to meet Miss Elizabeth (Dearest Lizzy!) and her mother and get to enjoy the Jane Austen Festival with her! 

Thank you Lizzy for greeting me with a hug, smiling and laughing with me, asking questions about naval history, enjoying the picturesque scenes, chatting about Jane Austen, remembering costumes worn in the films, enduring the heat, and being such a dear friend! I'm so glad I got to meet you in person! :)