Thursday Movie Picks: Bookish Films

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This week's theme from Wandering Through The Shelves is bookish movies. I feel like this theme could go a few ways, but I'm interpreting it as films where books play a huge role to central characters. Here's what I came up with.

1) Matilda

Neglected Matilda's imagination comes to live when she reads. This is such a sweet movie and I've had a soft spot for it since I was a kid myself. 

2) Little Women

Jo March dreams of being a writer and I love how Greta Gerwig left Jo's romance subplot open to interpretation. Did it happen? Was that just Jo's imagination as she pitches her book? You can have it either way.

3) Stranger Than Fiction 

Even if Will Ferrell is not your cup of tea, you absolutely have to see this film about a man who wakes up one day hearing narration, and it turns out he's the lead in an author notorious for killing her main character's new book. It's lovely and I still cannot get over the moment where Harold gives Ana, his baker friend "flours." It's beautiful, damn it.

Comments

  1. SJHoneywellNovember 5, 2020 at 9:07 AM

    I can take or leave Will Ferrell, but the "flours" moment is pretty great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 5, 2020 at 2:34 PM

      Its so cute!

      Delete
    2. Otis YoungNovember 6, 2020 at 2:28 PM

      Will Ferrell is merely a clone of Chevy Chase, and the ONLY thing they have in common is that they're both murderously and excruciatingly unfunny and embarrassingly unendurable.

      Delete
    3. Brittani BurnhamNovember 7, 2020 at 7:03 AM

      I disagree with Ferrell being unfunny. He's been hilarious plenty of times. Chase was never for me.

      Delete
  2. joel65913November 5, 2020 at 9:09 AM

    Nice choices and I've sort of seen all three.

    Matilda was something I put off for years because it looked like a kiddy film but I caught the beginning one day and decided to give it a try. It was better than I expected but I doubt I'll watch again.

    I'm one of those non Will Ferrell fans but Stranger Than Fiction was a decent film and he was much less unctuous in it than is his norm.

    This is where the sort of comes in I've seen all the other extant versions of Little Women but this one. I plan on catching up with it just hasn't happened yet. The best of the three I've seen is the Winona Ryder one though I have a soft spot for the MGM one from the 40's with Elizabeth Taylor as Amy though having the 35 year old June Allyson as Jo is stretching it.

    I'm having computer issues this week so while I have three I'm relying on the Google synopsis for clarity.

    The Book Club (2018)-Four friends' (Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Diane Keaton and Mary Steenburgen) lives are turned upside down when their book club tackles the infamous "50 Shades of Grey." From discovering new romance to rekindling old flames, they inspire each other to make their next chapter the best chapter.

    The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)-Quirky dog-lover Jocelyn and many-time married Bernadette decide to start a book club exclusively dedicated to Jane Austen, primarily to help distract their friend Sylvia from the fact that her husband has just dumped her. Frustrated French teacher Prudie, Sylvia's daughter Allegra and sci-fi fan Grigg join up as well.

    The Pillow Book (1996)-Nagito has a fetish for calligraphy on the human body and meets ideal soul-mate Jerome, an English translator sent to Japan. However, once Nagiko's father's gay publisher rejoins the scene, the story is overtaken by treachery and bloodlust.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 5, 2020 at 2:34 PM

      The 1994 version of Little Women is my favorite too, though I liked Gerwig's. The casting of Emma Watson is the film's biggest problem though.

      I haven't seen any of your picks, but I'm familiar with the first two. Pillow Book I'm going to have to look up, that sounds interesting.

      Delete
    2. joel65913November 5, 2020 at 6:18 PM

      It is interesting but also strange and a little unsettling. If you're an Ewan MacGregor fan it will have an extra allure....you see ALOT of him!!

      Delete
    3. Brittani BurnhamNovember 6, 2020 at 7:28 AM

      Ewan always blessing us with that full frontal lmao

      Delete
  3. BirgitNovember 5, 2020 at 9:49 AM

    I have to see lol these films. It just shows how many films I need to see. One day I have to see Matilda and I still want to se all the Little Women films. I need to rewatch the Katherine Hepburn film and the June Allyson version.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 5, 2020 at 2:33 PM

      I've only seen the 2019 and 1994 versions. I should watch the Hepburn one some day. I just struggle with ever thinking of her as a teenager lol

      Delete
  4. Often Off TopicNovember 5, 2020 at 9:57 AM

    So many people (including you!) recommended Stranger Than Fiction to me after I made a Will Ferrell list. I've got a copy of it ready and waiting for hopefully next week!
    Loooooove Matilda - that was one of my choices for this week too :)

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 5, 2020 at 2:32 PM

      I really hope you like Stranger Than Fiction, I just think it's so fun. Sad at times, but fun.

      Delete
  5. Ronyell (a.k.a. Rabbitearsblog)November 5, 2020 at 11:13 AM

    Great list! We match on Matilda!

    ReplyDelete
  6. thevoid99November 5, 2020 at 3:32 PM

    3 great films. Will Ferrell is hit/miss lately but this is a film where he shows he can be so much more than being funny. I love that film.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 6, 2020 at 7:28 AM

      I do too. I feel like he's had so many misses lately, I'm ready for him to be back on his game.

      Delete
  7. RuthNovember 5, 2020 at 5:16 PM

    Great picks! I love Little Women and Stranger Than Fiction. I also went with movies where books play a huge role to central characters.

    ReplyDelete
  8. DellNovember 5, 2020 at 8:56 PM

    Stranger Than Fiction is sooooo good. Love that pick. I still need to see Little Women...I guess.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 6, 2020 at 7:27 AM

      It is! Happy to see so much love for Stranger Than Fiction today.

      Delete
  9. KatyNovember 10, 2020 at 10:14 AM

    Nice picks! Love Matilda and Little Women. I still need to see Stranger Than Fiction.

    ReplyDelete
  10. WandererNovember 12, 2020 at 4:12 PM

    I was waiting for someone to pick Mathilda. I don't remember much of it just that she likes to read and I always see gifs of the movie on bookish related sites and blogs because it is such a bookish fan favourite.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 13, 2020 at 6:20 AM

      I was expecting it to be very popular. It fit so well.

      Delete
  11. Sonia CercaNovember 26, 2020 at 5:53 AM

    I haven't seen your first pick but Little Women was good and Stranger Than Fiction was quite a pleasant surprise considering it has Ferrell.

    ReplyDelete

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