Neville and The Coat
Two MAJOR sightings in the past 24 hours.
First, at the National Gallery in London today, I saw our friend Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter movies. What a cutey! Tried to stare without staring. I love him. I wasn’t sure if I loved him before, but now I feel a special affinity. We are friends. We are pals. (No, Patrick, I did not lick my lips and grab my bosom–this young man is not eligible for that response from English and American ladies until at least the sixth movie.)
The other major event was going to the huge country estate yesterday where they filmed the Netherfield scenes for Pride and Prejudice (the new version). Netherfield is the house Bingley rents out–the one next to where the Bennets live.
I stood on the balcony where Bingley and his sister stand, watching the Bennets drive away from the ball (you know, when bitchy Miss Bingley says, “You cahn’t be serious.” Bitch. Hate her. Bitch). I went into every room where they filmed, including the drawing room where Darcy sits writing a letter to his sister while Elizabeth and Miss Bingley promenade around the room “to show off their figures.”
What is great about the house is that the National Trust, which manages it, understands the need to totally pander to us, the Pride and Prejudice junkies. They’ve acquired the costumes worn in the Netherfield scenes, and set them up on manequins posed like the actual people. So when you’re in the room where Darcy stood with his left leg slightly bent at the knee (memo to men: standing like this is WAY HOT. You need to practice. It makes women of all ages and nationalities perspire), you get to see his outfit posed just the same way. I was so tempted to jump the ropes and . . . not sure what I would have done from there. Good thing they erected the ropes.
Okay, now here’s the best part: there’s a display standing all by itself near the staircase, with a sign saying, “Although the scene in which Darcy wore this outfit was not filmed on these grounds, we are sure that all of you would like to see this particular outfit!” That exclamation point is theirs, not mine.
And what was the outfit?
The Coat.
You know what The Coat is. It’s what Darcy is wearing in that scene toward the end, when he walks across the foggy heath (if that’s what heath is–not sure) toward Elizabeth, who hasn’t been able to sleep all night because she’s been thinking of him. But who cares about Elizabeth, this is about Darcy. He takes big long strides, and his coat billows open behind him, and he’s so *%^ manly you just want to–of course–lick your lips and grab your bosom. Ahh, double triple sigh.
So the National Trust, in their wisdom, have given the ladies (and maybe some men) this tease of a memento–and I say tease because you can’t actually photograph yourself tackling and making out with it. Bummer. No photos in the whole place. All I have are my memories, and happily, they are vivid.
Afterward we went to the gift shop, where they sell Darcy Jam to slather all over yourself.
Kidding.
But not that much.
Technorati Tags: Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Tour, Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy, England, National Trust, Jam
Did Sue?
The answer is probably yes, but “Did Sue” what?
“No, Patrick, I did not lick my lips and grab my bosom”
And how did you know I was going to ask? (Yes, I was going to ask.)
Sue is more of an observer of other proper English ladies licking and grabbing. Let’s not sully her name or reputation, shall we?
Sue did overhear two elderly English ladies in the Netherfield house discussing how they preferred Colin Firth over the current Darcy. Sue says they tittered and covered their mouths and looked around to see if anyone was listening. But Sue is totally stealth. No one ever suspects her of anything, which is why she gets away with so much.
Jealous much? Well, yeah.
I gotta say the thought picture of you dirtydancing with a costume clad mannequin is not one I would have ever come up with on my own . . .
I’m astounded. Truly.
Ah, BJ, we all know each other too imperfectly, don’t we?
Is Sue listening to me right now? Is she CIA or MI6?
*looks around house for a carefully hidden Sue*
is it just me, or has this post started to become, ummm, uncomfortably weird?
Under English common law, boys can be married at 14. This exists to an extent in America as well, but not where you live, sorry.
Lizzie, thanks for the tip, but Neville is just a boy. It takes a long time for a man to grow into Darcy’s shirt or coat.
Annette, after what you wrote about your obsession with Pippi Longstocking a few days ago, you have no standing to talk about weird. Sorry.
Yeah, sorry about that. I thought he was in his twenties just playing a kid or something. Turns out, today is his 17th birthday. Go figure.
Happy birthday, Neville.
Or is Sue being MI6 the weird uncomfortable part?
On Neville: I didn’t even recognize him in the third movie. So tall and skinny! I wonder what the casting directors thought when their pudgy little Neville shot up like a weed!
(let us not talk about the enormous crush Diana has on little Tommy Riddle in movie two.)
On anything related to the 2005 version of P&P: hate. HATE. Hate. Hate. Hate. I even watched it last night to make sure I wasn’t imagining. yep. Hate. I think Knightley was instructed to play Lizzie as if Lizzie had gone round the bend. She LAUGHS constantly. Like weird hysterical laughter. Hate.
lizzie, your comment does nothing to assuage the weirdness or discomfort. (and by the way, i take issue with MY love of pipi being chacterized as weird. first, i don’t love her “that” way, second, at least she’s real.) and yes whatever that mi6 cult-thing that sue is involved in is also way weird.
Diana, you’re way too harsh. Look, if you have as many teeth as Keira (sometimes it’s like she needs a second mouth to hold them all), you have to laugh and smile all the time, or you’re not getting your money’s worth.
And are you saying you don’t think Matthew Macfayden is hot? Look, no one will ever touch Colin, but I think we have to give Matthew an independent look. And when he’s walking across the moors or the heath or whatever, his own version of the white shirt untied at the top so we can actually see some skin, those long tall boots making him stride so manfully, The Coat fanning out like that–COME ON!!!
But I do have a huge issue with the very last scene. Not necessarily because it wasn’t in the book, but because it’s way too sexual with Keira stroking Darcy’s bare calf–oh no, no, no. NO. The whole point of why we love movies like this is because we get to imagine everything. If you give us skin on skin, might as well go full-out porn. That’s the part I hate.
Otherwise, I found much to love about the current movie. The first time I was lukewarm, but last night I watched it for the fourth time, and it really grows on me with each viewing.
Sorry it’s not doing that for you. Which is why you, I’m sure, as well as I own the 6-hour A & E version.
Oh, for Pete’s sake…(I’m not sure who Pete is, but everyone else seems concerned about him, so why not)
GOOGLE MI6… Some weird cult-thing… Have you heard of Ian Flemming?
I need to have a talk with these wolves. Do you think they could pull a dogsled?
patrick, just checking to see if you’re paying attention. of course i know ian fleming. i’m just so used to reading his works in the original greek i didn’t immediately recognize the english language reference to__6 (i’m sorry i don’t have the greek alphabet on this keyboard).