Pride and Prejudice

Recently I watched the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice for the very first time. I have been aware for quite some time the strong preference many people (mostly female I will admit) have for the BBC version of the film over the newer Focus Features version starring Kiera Knightley. I am a fan of the Focus Features version, but after actually reading the novel this fall I wanted to see the other version and form my own assessment.

Since it is on 2 DVDs, I watched it over 2 nights. The first night I watched the first disc and the second night I watched the second. Not sure that needed to be said.. oh well. After the first night I was still favoring the Focus Features version of the film, but after the second night I found myself favoring the BBC version as well.

As a movie buff, I watched the two movies and was determined to compare them based on their appeal as movies and not their faithfulness to the books. It is a difficult task, but I think that is only fair because the Focus Features version has no choice but to leave out certain parts in the book lest the movie be 5 hours long like the BBC version.

What I like about the BBC version:
- Portrayal of Mr. Darcy. Colin Firth really makes you dislike Darcy. His first proposal was fantastically rude and arrogant and you completely understand why Elizabeth can refuse him. But, Firth also does a wonderful job of the transformation of Darcy that is more evident in this version of the film. By the end he is truly desirable and the Darcy all Austen fans know and love.

- The extended Wickam storyline. I don't blame focus features for leaving this out, but this film makes it more understandable as to why Wickam and Lydia run away together. It is not quite clear in the focus features version.

- The inclusion of Charolotte's younger sister. This is so minor that I probably shouldn't mention it, but whenever this character was on the screen I found myself laughing out loud. Also, it should be mentioned that the actress portrayed Dawn (Pam's counterpart) on the British version of the Office.

What I liked about the Focus Features version:
- Lady Catherine played by Dame Judy Dench. Frankly, you just cannot have a better Lady Catherine. She just oozes condemnation - love it.

- Mr. Darcy's profession of love. I really do enjoy MacFadyen when he just blurts out how he loves Elizabeth. It is like he is surprized by his statement as much as he is about his feelings toward her.

- I much prefer Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennett. He is just more subtle in his portrayal. The actor in the BBC version is by no means bad, but he gave me the impression of being on stage rather than in a movie.

Things I liked about both:

- I enjoyed both portrayals of Mr. Collins. Tom Hollander especially is just fantastic, but the BBC is quite good as well. The character itself is just comic gold.

- The overbearing and dramatic mothers are quite good in both.

- The portrayal of Jane in both is quite good. I think that the BBC version does a better job of giving Jane some depth, but the Focus Features version really does a great job of making us understand how someone could believe her indifference.

I am sure there is more I could say, but I need to get going. Feel free to disagree with me, if you must.

Strawberry Picking

These strawberries were picked by me.

Proof that I was actually picking the strawberries.

This past Sunday a group of girls went to an orchard in Ipswich in MA to go strawberry picking. It was a fun afternoon full of walking, nature, and strawberries! The orchard had a festival going on, so they had all kinds of fun things happening. Besides the strawberries that I picked, I also got some homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam and some strawberry ice cream. I ate the ice cream while listening to a local bluegrass group play.

Later that night I talked to my dad on the phone and it turned out that he also picked strawberries that day. We bonded without even knowing it!

This coming weekend I am planning to go up to Gloucester for another festival. Hopefully it works out!

Books...

This last week I had a conversation with an old friend about books. I read a lot for school, but I also try to always have a book to read for fun. I thought it might be fun to keep track of the books I've read for fun this past year. Also, it might be helpful for me sometime to have a record somewhere.

Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

I have wanted to read this book since I watched the movie Conspiracy Theory with Mel Gibson. His character buys a copy whenever he sees it because it makes him feel normal. Something about how everyone has read that book. I hadn't read that book, so I thought I better so I could be "normal" too. It was a well-written book, but it made me very apathetic. The main character is restless and I felt the same when I read the book. That is a mark of good writing because I was drawn into the world of the book, but bad because it took me forever to finish the book. Like the main character, I would stop caring about stuff - including finishing the book.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I own the newer version of this movie and I had seen the Wishbone episode featuring this story way back in the day, but I had never read the book before now. The only Austen book I had read prior to this was Northanger Abbey. This is a great book. It is no wonder Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett are beloved literature characters.

Half of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

I liked Jane Eyre written by Emily's sister Charlotte, but I did not like Wuthering Heights. In fact, it is the only book that I stopped reading halfway through because I hated it. There is not one character that I like or that I could identify with. Some told me that it would redeem itself in the end, so I watched a movie version of the book. The end did not justify the book for me. In fact, I wanted to shut off the movie at the same point I quit reading the book.

Dakota by Kathleen Norris

This is a nonfictional spiritual book by Kathleen Norris who lives in Lemmon, SD. She talks about what life is like in Western SD from someone who is not a native and combines her experiences with her spiritual growth. It was a fascinating book and she is very insightful into the culture of a small Dakota town.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

I finally finished the Harry Potter series. Great books. Lots of interesting themes to explore within them.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

The prequel to The DaVinci Code which I have also read. I think Dan Brown is a good writer and I liked this book better than the DaVinci Code. However, after reading 4 or 5 of his books, it is easy to see the pattern and predict the outcome. Having said that, they are great travel books.

Pontoon by Garrison Keillor

My first Keillor book. A funny book that utilizes the small northern midwestern quirks for its humor. I found myself laughing hysterically at his portrayal of the different characters because there is a kernel of truth in them. At the same time I felt a little defensive while reading the book thinking that people shouldn't be laughing at my upbringing. But in the end - an enjoyable book.

Emma by Jane Austen

It is my goal to read all of Jane Austen's books. I really liked Emma, but I knew I would. I had seen and liked the movie version with Gwenyth Paltrow and it usually follows that the books are better than the movies. Also, I like Mr. Knightley more than I like Mr. Darcy.

Anne of Green Gables series (Books 1-6) by LM Montgomery

I have decided to take a break from the Anne books before reading the last two. I've been reading these books since the end of March - I need a break. My favorite book was Anne of the Island with Anne's House of Dreams coming in a close second. I also watched the first 2 movies while I was home. I was a little disappointed that they didn't draw more from Anne of the Island for the second movie. It is really too bad they didn't ask me!

Currently reading: Temptation by Diogenes Allen

It is the book all the theology majors received when we graduated from USF. I've been meaning to read it for about a year. It is sort of like a devotional going through the temptations that Christ went through and what we should take from Christ's example in dealing with those temptations.

Planning to read:

My next book will probably be Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I'm ready to dive back into some Austen!

No Longer Father's Day

Some of you may have noticed my allusion to a blog that I was going to write for Father's Day. I had every intention of writing a blog dedicated to my wonderful father yesterday, but that did not happen. I would like to say that I just got too busy and didn't have time for it, but that would not be true. I would like to say that my internet was spotty and I couldn't get online, but again that would be false. The reason that I didn't write a blog yesterday was that I was a little bit (ok - a whole lot) homesick and felt that any blog I tried to write would be way too sentimental and full of self-pity. Even I don't want to read stuff like that. So, my apologies to my dad who completely deserves an awesome blog post. Hopefully this can make up for it a little bit.

So many things come to mind when I think about my dad. His love for motorcycles comes to mind almost immediately, as does his new riding lawnmower (which is a John Deere!) But what I really love about my dad is how wise and sensitive he is. Whenever I have gone through something difficult he has understood and known what to say. Whenever I am unsure about my future - he is there to reassure me.

The first summer that I didn't live at home was the summer after I graduated from high school. I was working at the camp (the first of five summers there). I was home for the day and spent the afternoon pulling up dandelions in the yard. Dad and I made our way around the yard and as we pulled weeds we talked about life. I already knew at that time that I would go to USF and major in theology/philosophy. I remember telling him that I didn't know exactly what I would do with that major. I had thought possibly being a youth minister or something, but I just wasn't sure. My dad, in his wisdom, told me "Katie, it's okay. It's like you've decided to go north. That's a big decision. You just don't know how far north you will go or if you will perhaps go a little northeast or northwest." The analogy may seem a little obscure, but I remember feeling really comforted by that. He understood what I was telling him and in his own way assured me that I was on the right path.

I also love how Dad shows his emotions. It is nice to come home to parents who are visibly happy to see their children. To a father who gets excited to play board games on Friday night (a trait that has definitely passed to his daughter.) It is nice to come into a reception and see tears welling up in his eyes because he is so proud of something I've done. It is nice to have a father who when I am in the depths of despair can be right there with me.

Most of all - I love my dad because he is mine. He makes me laugh. He makes me angry. He makes me proud. He makes me love him because he is who he is. Happy belated Father's Day!

Love you Dad!

Laughter

Lately I have noticed that I've been watching a lot of comedies. Netflix keeps track of everything I watch, whether or DVD or instant viewing - and the majority of them have been under the category "comedy". With the notable exception of Jesus Camp. Perhaps it is because I watched Jesus Camp that I have been watching so much comedy lately - to balance things out.

Anyway, I have realized that I don't really laugh out loud at movies very much. In fact, I haven't laughed out loud a whole lot lately. Thinking back on it, the last time I laughed out loud was when I was still in SD. Granted I haven't been here all that long, but a person should laugh out loud frequently - I think.

Two separate episodes that I remember laughing out loud while I was in South Dakota. My apologies for the people involved in these stories because I am not going to ask for your permission nor disguise your identities. These scenarios bring me great joy to think about them and I want you to know that!

The first involves my mother. I love my mother - couldn't even conceive what a better mother would be like because I'm pretty sure none exist. (Yes, I know father's day is coming up, but he'll get his own post soon.) Back to Mom. Whenever we are together - we get a little silly. A couple of years ago - oh I guess about 5 years ago now - we both decided to play in the Arlington All-School reunion band. We tried rehearsing together in the living room only to take one look at each other and start laughing until we were crying. Needless to say it was a good thing French Horns and Trombones don't sit near each other in band!

Not the story I was going to tell. This one is: Mom and I were in the car driving back from my Grandma Henry's house. Dad had driven separately, but he was just ahead of us in the pickup. Grandma Henry lives about 4 or 5 blocks from our house - takes all of 2 minutes to drive the distance. As Mom pulled in the alley she was explaining some construction on the apartment building next to our house. As she approached the garage she turns on her blinker and keeps talking. Finally I asked her as she's about to turn into the garage if she was going to open the door first. She looked down realizing that she had turned on her blinker instead of hitting the garage door opener. The sad thing was - neither of us realized it until that point. Sure enough, by the time we pulled into the garage and met up with Dad again we were in hysterics. The story doesn't sound all that funny - but believe me - every time we came home I asked mom if she signaled before she turned into the garage. :)

My other major laughing memory comes courtesy of my good friend Emily. Emily came to visit me late one night the weekend before I came back to MA. We were sitting on my bed and she was telling me a story of what happened to her that morning. Emily wears contacts, but since she was only home for a short while, she had forgotten her contact solution. Her contacts were giving her some trouble so she took the bottle on the bathroom sink (a bottle she thought to be her sister's contact solution) and doused her contact and put it in her eye. Her eye burned - it turned out that she had put disinfectant on her contact instead of contact solution. I haven't even gotten to the funny part yet. Apparently, at the very moment that she put the contact in her eye her father had asked her a question. Emily, feeling the need to let her father know why she wasn't answering yelled "I'm in distress! I'm in distress!" You know, I still laugh when I think of that. Who says that? Most people just say "Ow."

My encouragement to you this summer is work hard, but let yourself laugh a lot. Watch a funny movie. Here are some suggestions:

Underdog (Unexpected)
The Emperor's New Groove (one of the funniest movies ever.)
Spaceballs (May the schwarz be with you)
Death at a Funeral (British Dark Comedy - but stinkin' hilarious)
License to Wed (It's got Robin Williams and John Krasinski - which means both punchlines and awkward situational humor - pretty good!)

And if movies aren't your thing -

The Office
30 Rock
Seinfeld
Psych

I could go on, but it is really late and I need to get to bed. Have a good night!

Jesus Camp

A couple of nights ago I watched a documentary called Jesus Camp. This is the blurb from Netflix that I read prior to watching the film:

This riveting Oscar-nominated documentary offers an unfiltered look at a revivalist subculture where devout Christian youngsters are being primed to deliver the fundamentalist community's religious and political messages. Building an evangelical army of tomorrow, the Kids on Fire summer camp in Devil's Lake, N.D., is dedicated to deepening the preteens' spirituality and sowing the seeds of political activism as they're exhorted to "take back America for Christ."

The film centers around a children's minister, Becky Fischer, from North Dakota who founded and runs the Kids on Fire summer camp as well as three children who attend the camp. We are introduced to their family life prior to and after attending the summer camp. The families are all very committed to their faith as evidenced by their home-school curriculum as well as family traditions such as pledging allegiance to the Christian flag before each meal.

After watching the film I could not stop thinking about it. It took me awhile before I was able to react to everything in the film. This film addresses so many different topics concerning Christianity and culture (especially the relationship between evangelical Christianity and American culture.)

I think one of the primary reasons this documentary was even made was to explore the relationship between a certain group within evangelical Christianity and politics. This particular group of Christians felt that part of expressing their faith was by being politically active. The underlying belief is that America was once a "Christian Country" because it was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs. Therefore, these Christians feel it is their mission to "take back America for Christ" as they say. This belief, one could argue, can be traced back to the puritans who came to America to escape persecution from the Church of England. John Winthrop who was the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony (Boston) believed that their colony would be a "city on a hill" for all the world to see. Many puritans believed that their colonies would be blessed by God, like a new Israel. However, since the beginning America has been a country of religious freedom. The puritans were not the only people who escaped in order to practice their religion freely. The constitution does have Judeo-Christian values (no doubt from the deist author Thomas Jefferson), it has always affirmed the separation of Church and State. So, this group of Evangelical Christians are really wanting to return to this "Golden Era" of our country's history that does not exist (at least outside of a few Puritan colonies.)

As if it isn't clear already, I completely affirm the separation of church and state. I do not think that the state should support any one religion over against another (or any denomination over another for that matter.) I also do not think that politics belongs within the church. Politics do not belong in the pulpit. There was a fair amount of "preaching politics" in this movie. At one point during the camp a pastor came in and gave a sermon about abortion. Please do not get me wrong - I am not in favor of abortions, but I am not in favor of preaching about Roe vs. Wade. Did I miss something or is Roe vs. Wade in the Bible? He concluded his sermon telling these children that it was their Christian duty to work toward overturning Roe vs. Wade. God has risen up their Generation to do this. (Reading in between the lines at this point might look like this: "If you don't support this, you really aren't a Christian.")

Another issue that was quite prominent within the movie had to do with the relationship between Christianity and science. At least one family in this film spent a significant amount of time discrediting science. I was not surprised to see the evolution/creationism/intelligent design debate arise since it has been discussed since the Scopes Trial. What I wasn't expecting was the dismissal of Global Warming. The mother homeschooled her boys and was teaching them that Global Warming is a myth - just a political issue with no merit. That really shocked me. It seems to me that the people who are concerned about global warming are concerned about the earth and protecting it. Isn't that the same concern Christians should have based on the mandate found in Genesis that we are to be stewards of the Earth? To have such a distrust of science to disbelieve something just because science says it is scary.

Okay - so those are really peripheral issues in this documentary - but they were easier to address so they went first. Now on to Becky Fischer and her camp. It should be noted that Becky Fischer and the families in this film are very charismatic. By charismatic I mean that the film shows these children speaking in tongues, being slain in the spirit, etc. The sight can be quite disturbing for someone who has never encountered the spiritual gifts, and frankly, a bit disturbing for those who have. I am of the belief that people can and do have spiritual gifts, but not everyone. I also am convinced that many people who believe they are speaking in tongues are not and are in fact speaking gibberish because they have been told that speaking in tongues is a sign of having the Holy Spirit and being a Christian.

Another aspect of very charismatic Christians is the reliance upon contemporary prophecy. This group is no different. When I was in Kansas City for the One Thing Conference connected with the International House of Prayer, the speaker said that prophets were rising up and saying that this was the generation who would see Jesus return. This movie reflects similar beliefs. These children were constantly being told that they were the "key generation" that was to be used by God in a special and unique way in order to bring about Christ's return. Jesus himself said that his return would be like a thief in the night. No one would know the day nor hour. That is why I distrust prophetic words concerning Christ's return. We just cannot know.

I think that the most disturbing sentiment came from Becky Fischer. It was hinted at throughout the movie, but at the end during an interview with a radio talk show host (who was also a Christian and a lawyer) where she became very clear about her mission. Becky looks at the children in the fundamentalist Islamic nations, etc. who are being sent off and trained as soldiers and terrorists. She has not missed the fact that they are motivated by their commitment to Islam - radicals for their faith. She is horrified at the idea of a child shooting a gun, but inspired by their religious commitment. It is her goal/mission in life to see Christian children as radical and committed to their faith as the Muslim children. And the way to do that is to indoctrinate them at a young age.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Okay, I'm all for radical commitment to Christ. I've given my life to serve in the church as a teacher (at least I'm in the process of doing that). But indoctrination? What about the Christian message requires indoctrination? That God loves you? That Christ died for you? I agree with Becky that there is a lack of commitment among most American Christians but indoctrination is not the answer. Discipleship is the answer.

What happens when these kids grow up and something difficult happens in their life? What happens when one of them encounter something in science that they cannot deny? Does their faith crumble? Do they go through life hostile towards others who do not share in their views? Yes, train up a child in the way they should go, but do not cut them off from the world and let them come to Christ freely of their own accord. Set the example as the parents but ultimately it is not up to the parents whether or not their children are Christians. It is up to God to call and the child to answer.

Finally,

Please remember that we do have an obligation as Christians to do what we can to help our neighbor.
We have an obligation to set an example by love.

My apologies for the obscenely long and muddled post. Sometimes Christians just shoot themselves in the foot by the things we say and do in the name of Christ.

Picture Post

I don't have much to say in the way of stories or anything, but I did take some pictures recently that might be interesting enough to share. Enjoy.

New Room:

This is the uninteresting view of my new room.

This is looking the other way. Notice the chair - it is from my former roommate Tina. Very comfortable. I have definitely fallen asleep in it already.

Desk and food area. I hung up some postcards on the wall. On the left are camp postcards - the right has European postcards. Notice also the very cute girl on my computer - my niece Lizzy who turned 1 on May 31st.

An uninteresting photo except to show you that I have some plants in my room. This is my English Ivy that I hope will grow. (I have a notorious reputation for killing plants.)

This is the other plant that I purchased for my room. Not sure what it is, but I like it. It has very cool leaves and looks great whether or not it is blooming.

Hamilton:

This morning I took a walk into Hamilton to go to the bank. It was about a 5 mile walk total. These are pictures I took during that walk. This first one is for Randi because she loves horses.

One of the many beautiful flowers I saw. Looks tropical!

These flowers were everywhere. I don't know what they are but they are so beautiful. More than once I was tempted to pick them to have for my room.

It is always nice to see the sky out here!

So unexpected to see on my walk.

Look at that color! Crazy!

I think I have a lot of pictures of this kind of flower, but I just couldn't help myself. If you look closely, you might notice the butt of a bumble bee in this photo as well.

Pretty Irises. Please correct me if they aren't irises.

Hastas. I like them. Bleeding Hearts are in there too. Reminded me of our front yard at home.

I just liked this flower. It kind of looks like a large purple dandelion sort of.

The Greenhouse in Hamilton. I thought about going in - but decided against it. I still had 4 miles to go on my walk.

Cannons in Patton Park. Patton Park is named for Gen. George Patton who was a native son of Hamilton.

In honor of Gen. Patton. About 2 seconds after I took this, she put her son on the tank to play...

Don't know why I thought this was beautiful...

And I'll end with a far off picture of a swan. There were little swans but they are hiding in this picture.