A Room with a View (1985)
It’s very funny: no matter how much my brother and I put up a fight and tried to beg or bargain our way out of it, our parents forced us to watch A Room with a View over and over again. Thankfully, we were able to (mostly) remember when to cover our eyes. Anyone out there, when he says, “Come, have a bathe,” that’s your cue to look away unless you want to look at way too much male nudity.
The sweet, young Helena Bonham Carter stars as a young woman whose passions betray the constraints of her time period. Back in those days, it wasn’t socially acceptable to kiss man before you were betrothed. Men walked on the inside of the sidewalk, to save a woman’s dress in case a puddle splashed up from a carriage wheel. Tennis matches and piano concertos were approved forms of entertainment – not deep talks about philosophy and feelings. But what to do if you don’t fit in? You could take a vacation to Florence with your old maid aunt as a chaperone, look at nude paintings and statues, and get kissed by a total stranger in a field of wild flowers.
My brother never liked this movie because he believed Julian Sands had forced the kiss upon the innocent Helena (on whom he harbored a massive crush). I never liked it because I thought Helena needed to grow up. Couldn’t she just suck it up and marry Daniel Day Lewis? Was it really all that important to talk about your feelings and smooch in the warm Italian sunshine?
To each his own, and if you like romantic period pieces like The Age of Innocence, you’ll probably love this one. At least you’ll get to see Judi Dench and Maggie Smith looking young. Judi is like a Katharine Hepburn-esque feminist pioneer, and Denholm Elliott has some fun lines and smirks. Although why was Maggie Smith supposed to be so insufferable? I liked her character!
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to graphic nudity, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it.
More Judi Dench movies here!
More Maggie Smith movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of the original novel here!
The sweet, young Helena Bonham Carter stars as a young woman whose passions betray the constraints of her time period. Back in those days, it wasn’t socially acceptable to kiss man before you were betrothed. Men walked on the inside of the sidewalk, to save a woman’s dress in case a puddle splashed up from a carriage wheel. Tennis matches and piano concertos were approved forms of entertainment – not deep talks about philosophy and feelings. But what to do if you don’t fit in? You could take a vacation to Florence with your old maid aunt as a chaperone, look at nude paintings and statues, and get kissed by a total stranger in a field of wild flowers.
My brother never liked this movie because he believed Julian Sands had forced the kiss upon the innocent Helena (on whom he harbored a massive crush). I never liked it because I thought Helena needed to grow up. Couldn’t she just suck it up and marry Daniel Day Lewis? Was it really all that important to talk about your feelings and smooch in the warm Italian sunshine?
To each his own, and if you like romantic period pieces like The Age of Innocence, you’ll probably love this one. At least you’ll get to see Judi Dench and Maggie Smith looking young. Judi is like a Katharine Hepburn-esque feminist pioneer, and Denholm Elliott has some fun lines and smirks. Although why was Maggie Smith supposed to be so insufferable? I liked her character!
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to graphic nudity, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it.
More Judi Dench movies here!
More Maggie Smith movies here!
Be sure to check out Hot Toasty Rag's review of the original novel here!