Eclipse and "Wicked" Men: Anne Shirley Had It Right

There are no spoilers here...FYI. I'm keeping this general and safe. It would be wrong to the code of Twilight to ruin your experience in the theater AT ALL:)

I've always loved, understood and been pleasantly haunted by a line in Anne of Green Gables. Marilla asks Anne as they are walking through the pasture "would you want to marry a wicked man?" and Anne replies in her clever, potently witty way "No, but I'd like it if he COULD be wicked, and wouldn't".

And THAT ladies and gents is why women love Edward Cullen. I realized it this morning waking up out of my "got in at 3am" stooper after the six hour Cullen viewing last night. Not only is he a being that by nature, is supposed to be "wicked", he also has the strength to carry that out if he wanted to. Still, on a character level, Edward is fully capable to give into not only his Vampire instincts but his passions for Bella as well. He really COULD be wicked in every way and on every level, and on EVERY level he restrains himself and won't because of his love for virtue and for Bella (as well as Bella's virtue).

This phase of the story, in Eclipse I mean, there is more revealing about this part of Edward and frankly I loved it and I loved that Hollywood showed it. It's frankly not a popular view in entertainment today at all. Part of the reason Anne enjoys that thought in her head of a man who COULD be wicked but wouldn't is because the level of resisting all you COULD do reveals the level of character and in some cases, love you have for others. It's the revelation of the level of self-sacrifice and unselfishness. Isn't that what all women want, a man who could completely give into his instincts but doesn't for the deeper character quality of virtue? It's a strength we identify as stronger than his physical capabilities.

Ironically Anne Shirley is an Edwardian character, as is Edward (thus probably, his name choice). I can't help but think that Anne would have had something for him had they ever met:) Still, I love Gilbert so my brain won't let me imagine too far into that one.

I realized too that I do have an Edward type husband. Not only is he handsome, he is so self-sacrificing. Yes, he has his struggles but his heart is pure gold to do what is best by me and my kids. He strives well for virtue and faithful love for me. Sometimes I feel like the undeserving Bella wondering why this man loves me so much. I guess that's normal. Oddly, my husband could not be mean if he wanted to so there is no correlation there, but on the level of character and selflessness, he is totally my Edward. And as I came home at 3am and snuggled next to him I wished he was awake enough for me to tell him that. I just listened to the fan and his breathing, and wished I'd not drank so much Diet Pepsi at the theater, thinking how blessed I am to have him. Unfortunately, when he took off for work early this morning the shoe was on the other foot and I have some vague dreamlike memory of him hovering over me and saying goodbye followed by some affirmative groan out of myself.

In conclusion, I loved the movie for many reasons. They followed the book well, they put in some great humor, and they are building the story to my satisfaction. Twilight is famous for is cheesiness (high levels in the first movie...my friend and I literally laugh out loud when Edward runs up the mountain side with his "spider monkey" and it seriously looks like his legs and dangling in mid air) and there are one or two in this one too but they are getting few and far between by now (whew!). I felt especially on the topic of virtue, virginity and marriage, with our culture today they could have really fuzzed over Edward's convictions on those points but instead they make it obvious. I'm still thrilled by that.

The fact too is that any man is capable of selfishness and "wickedness" and though the norm of today may be a myriad of those who just give into every whim of that, I like that we are reminded of the truly sexy man who reigns it all in for (in reality) God (referred more to as "virtue" and "the soul" in general in the story) and the woman and children he loves.

So, go smooch your wicked warrior today. I know I will ;)

Letters To Juliet: A Sensory Packed Delight

I went to see this flick with a girlfriend last night. I've not got out for a while so my excitement was more for that than the movie. Sadly a lot of chick flicks have bored me the past few years to the point where I've stopped bothering and I'm surprised when one is good. This one was predictable but still delightful in every way.

Of course, I adore everything about Italy so if they had even left out the plot, and showed the footage I'd have loved it still. The aerial shots soaring over Verona are enough to get your heart thumping inside. You would think that that many dwellings packed in together, under the Italian sun, would give a feeling of claustrophobic cracker box living. Yet it doesn't, it's delightful! How do they pull that off? If the buildings were modern, symmetrical, sleek and straight, the city would not have the amazing charm that it does. The old architecture plays a character role itself in this movie. The balconys of romantic ironwork, the potted plants and flowers everywhere, the uneven stone work, the arched doorways and windows, it's all appealing to the romantic senses. It's amazing how the city plays a part to awaken the magic of love in the movie.

As if that were not enough, the other setting in the movie is the gorgeous country side. This we are more familiar with here, the rolling hills with vineyards under the sunshine. The only thing we lack here in Cali is the stone villa here and there to make it perfecto! The little roads winding through to little places unknown feed our sense of adventure and spontaneity. We North Americans are more accustom to freeways and straight roads with right angle turns leading to predictable destinations. There is no romantic mystery to our transient traditions. Even the roads in the Verona are small and winding making them mysterious and in a world where you are not in a hurry all the time to get where you are going. This makes travel much more fun! Unfortunately we here have cut the straightest most efficient path to everyplace to get us there as quickly as possible. We measure success with efficiency rather than pleasure of the experience.

The wine was more noticeable than the food in the movie! I hardly noticed what they were eating most of the time, though I 'm sure it was good but more noticed the customary glass of vino. Red, white, it didn't matter. The glasses graced the table everywhere and they spoke of sitting and delighting in conversation and food. They were never full, always about low to mid level. In our culture, many people fill their wine glasses to drink as much as they can as fast as they can. True enjoyment of wine is done in small amounts over long conversations about life and not for the purpose to forget your life entirely. It's another element of slowing down and enjoying rather than hurry up and forget. Eating slowly, drinking slowly, sitting long, letting the sun sink, eating out doors, all of these are packed with sensory delights meant to highlight life rather than smudge it out.

The letters, ah, the letters! The letters and the room where they wrote back to them highlighted a relational aspect of culture that our new generation is missing out entirely on. It really made me miss my stationary sets I had as a teen. Rick bought me a letter "A" wax seal when we were dating that is one of my treasures. He and I use to write love letters and I'd seal mine with that. What has happened to me!? I've been reduced to the occasional sweet nothing on his Facebook page! Life and sentiment, love and heart, are meant to be written with our hands! Something flows out of that that we miss in our high-tech age. The smell and look of the paper, the folding and tucking in the envelopes, the choosing of the perfect stamp, and the piling of the letters in an outgoing basket were delightful to see. It oozed with humanity and heart, and romance.

I could not help but notice the skirts and dresses in the movie as well. They were simple, and light for the weather, but they were so lovely. The women in the movie pretty much all wore skirts except for our main character who put her occasional pair of skinny jeans on. The choice of fabrics fed the femininity of the movie. The guys looked like guys and allowed them to take on their romantic rolls in our minds even better. Lorenzo's robust manly attire added EVERYTHING to his character. Vanessa Redgrave's character Claire wore the most graceful flowing fabrics that made even this elderly grandma full of feminine beauty. The secretaries of Juliet all had their own fashion statement but it was all skirts, florals, simple necklaces, vibrant colors and expressive hair styles filling out the variant feminine elements of their personalities. The clear definition and even highlighting of male and female characters intensified the romance of the film because it fed the core of what we are made to delight in.

We are a people made to fill our rolls and meant to be drawn to the opposite sex for every element God made in them down to their square shoulders hiding under their masculine Polo shirts. They speak strength, security and protection to us. Women in their feminine attire (though I'm admitting I'm a bit of a tomboy and love my jeans!) speak delicate beauty with inner strength but outer need for nurture and care but more than anything appreciation for the beauty God has given her. The costuming in the movie just really adds to the romance in these ways.

We are relational people, meant to be close to those we love and share the beauty of life with them. If we are close but stark and distant, the beauty fades and are just clusters of miserable humanity. The closeness with beauty feeds our desire for bonds to others. The unpredictable passage ways feed our sense of adventure and the tables set with food and beverage invite us to sit and share our lives. The letters invite us to pour out the secrets of our hearts and the longing for human connection. The filming speaks many unspoken truths from the Italian culture.

The story is simple, even predictable, it's true. However, this movie spoke to so many inbred human senses that it was just delightful to watch. I enjoyed the storyline between the two main characters for sure, but there was so much more character play that was not even done by actors at all. We in modern America are missing out on so much life with our fast pace and efficient methods. Who says life has to be efficient all the time!? Who says you have to eat dinner in 30 minutes or less? Who says you can't dress up just because you look darn pretty!? Who says you can't enjoy a small glass of wine with those you love over a well balanced and lovely meal!? Who says you have to eat inside all the time!? Who says you only have time to send an email or Facebook note!? Who says your home should look sleek and modern!? Who says there is no room in the budget for a Sunday drive on a country road leading to who knows where!?

We should take a lesson from these old ways and stop getting wrapped up in modern patterns of efficiency. Besides, my husband is a mailman and he'd appreciate the business of you sending a real letter now and then!:) Summer is coming ladies! Clean up your outdoor seating and use it! Pull out your light floral skirts and wear them! Pick up some lovely stationary and write a heartfelt letter. Let the dishes sit till tomorrow and sit way after dinner to talk. Bring some potted nature to your doorstep. Take a moment to notice your husbands broad shoulders and how romantically alluring they are. More than anything, slow down and notice life's beauty around you and bring it into your life in anyway you can.

My New Moon Review (No Spoilers)

Yes, I stood outside for two and a half hours to see Twilight and New Moon both last night. I did not waste a penny and that is saying something because I'm someone who HATES wasting money at the movies. I was not sure it would be a big thing to see Twilight on the big screen since I had seen it so many times at home. I was so wrong. It was like I had never seen it before. Many people criticized Rob Pattinson's acting in Twilight but when you see it on the big screen you really notice every facial expression and he did an amazing job. Kristen was nothing to scream about but then I have a hard time with the Bella character herself till near the end of the series when she stops wining about everything, and I certainly don't enjoy Kristen's acting. Still, it was so much fun to see it. The baseball scene was great but went to fast!

Now, on to New Moon.

What I loved:

(I will not get into the story so that I don't ruin it for anyone who has not seen it.)

• Yeah to Summit for following the book so closely, even with direct lines that were great in the book.


• Taylor (Jacob)'s acting was so emotionally sound and he allowed us to really get absorbed into the perspective of his character. I was tickled to noticed the poor kid has not fully left puberty as his voice still crackles a bit. That was funny but not annoying. It actually added to it since Jacob is so much a man and yet still a boy in many ways still. The book creates such a long and drawn out pull on your heart strings for Jacob and though the movie did not have the luxury of time they did an excellent job of getting you to make that connection right away and have you feeling so darn bad for Jacob. Those of us who have read the book know that will carry on into Eclipse and I think Taylor has laid some great groundwork for his coming acting. Amazing.


• The wolves were my favorite part of the movie. When I saw the preview I was disappointed that they were not as big as they were in my imagination but on the big screen that all changed. They were overwhelming in sight and sound. Great job.


• Edward is not in the movie much but when he is you feel a maturity in Rob's acting as well as a maturity in the expression of deep love he feels for Bella. You felt his desperation entirely.


• The coloring of the film had a powerful effect. Many of you know Twilight was blue filtered and New Moon was yellow filtered. Their eyes were freakishly more noticeable and made for more intensity in New Moon with every expression. It also mad such a distinction to the Volturi eyes and set the Cullens apart as the different Vampire family they are.


• Kristen's acting got better as the movie went along. This was relief to see as I've been so frustrated with her acting before. Knowing where the Bella character goes in the story, one would hope she could fine tune her acting skills to be able to pull off where she is headed.


• It's cleaner! Twilight bothered me with it's pushing the decency line with Bella on her bed in t-shirt and undies inviting her love to make out with her. Thankfully Edward is all about restraint but it still was more than the book's intensity sexually. New Moon stays more true to the story and we see an appropriate amount of passionate kissing that is very loving and not stepping into sexually explosive.

What I did not like

• I'm sorry but the scene where Bella holds up her finger with the paper cut (which cannot be a spoiler for any who have seen the preview) has bothered me from the beginning. I feel it's VERY bad directing. When an adult gets a paper cut they probably will take their hurt hand into their good hand and look down at it. A toddler would hold it up for all to see and announce it. BEYOND THAT...HELLO! ...how about the fact that you know you are in a room with VAMPIRES! Any smart person would probably try to hide it or pop it in their mouth right away to block the smell. Jasper did not need this dramatic gesture, his senses are heightened enough without it and in the book you don't picture it that way at all. Besides that, the scene was good.


• The movie has to move so fast from one part to another. It does not flow as well as Twilight but Twilight had it's other problems. New Moon as a book is very long and drawn out and although it was fun to see things resolve faster on the screen, there were times I wished it would slow down so I could feel the pull I did in the book. If you had not read the book, I'm not sure you would be able to make the correlations as to what was happening next.


• The music was good but not as good and well placed as Twilight. Twilight got an A+ on score and soundtrack.


• The vision of Alice (I say no more for the sake of some) was ridiculous. I expected a Unicorn to ride in the scene. Please. Gag me. They better be cooking up something much better than that by the time we get to Bella in Breaking Dawn or I'll jump off the wagon entirely.


• Kristen's acting....what can I say? It got better but I would love to see some more emotional reaction out of this girl. Did we see a single tear go down her face? I don't remember one. Bella in the book is sobbing often and heart broken. Kristen acts like her throat is full of cotton when she gets sad but we don't see a normal female love struck reaction to heartbreak. She growls and screams in her dreams but she never weeps. Show me some weeping woman!

In between:

• THE ENDING! Oh, my word. The only part in the movie that played against the rules of the book. BUT! It was not bad. It was astounding. The whole theater had the same reaction "AHHH!"

I'll tell you no more ....go see for yourself.

If Summit follows their pattern of improvement we will be looking for one amazing Breaking Dawn! What a ride!

If you have not read my blog on the Twilight Saga itself as it relates to Christians please click home and scroll down past this post to the next.