The Lovely Blog Party and The Valentine's Day Period Drama Blog Party Tags!

Hello to all of my readers!

Today Iʼll be participating in two blog parties at the same time by answering tags! Usually I would do tags by themselves, but my answers seemed a little dull separately but better together so here we are!

The blog parties are:

The Valentineʼs Day Period Drama Blog Party hosted by Heidi at Along the Brandywine (going until Monday the 15th!). Take a look at the other contributions HERE.

& 

The Lovely Blog Party hosted by Cordy at Any Merry Little Thought (all month!). Check out all of the other contributions HERE.

Iʼll start off with:

Cordyʼs Would You Really Tag!:

1. Would you ever go for a walk in the pouring rain to avoid the company of a gentleman caller?

If Iʼm going out in the rain Iʼm not going to be walking. Iʼm going to be singing and dancing!

Anyway, maybe I would. I definitely would not walk around in the rain to be able to gaze at a manʼs estate only to catch my death of cold.

2. Would you ever, truly, try your hand at matchmaking?

Whoʼs to say that I already havenʼt? Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match!

No, I am afraid I would be terribly obvious, only producing negative results.

3. Would you be comfortable wearing glass slippers for a night out at a ball?

Apparently theyʼre actually really comfy, so maybe I would not mind. Then again, I never wear high heels of any kind because Iʼm already tall so I donʼt have the practice and would most likely fall!

4. Would you ever eat an apple given to you, rather forcibly, by a perfect stranger? 

“Age before beauty.” If there was someone else who needed it more I would share... 

5. Would you ever pretend to be a man's fiancée who you've never actually met?

 Depends. I donʼt see a circumstance where this would ever happen unless I was a spy and the guy was Armie Hammer, like in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015).

6. Would you ever dance with a stranger that sang to you in a forest?

I am rather partial to being serenaded. I like the idea of it. Probably. It also depends on what kind of dancing.

7. Would you ever be the one to propose?

My answer:

8. Would you ever visit the house of a man you refused but is supposedly out of town?

As much as I love that scene in Pride & Prejudice, I donʼt see myself doing this. Unless it was under the cover of darkness or I was disguised. As you can see, Iʼm still thinking that Iʼm a spy for some reason.

For this next tag Iʼm going to to my usual and only use each film that I talk about once. That means that I have to get creative!

SPOILER ALERT! I talk about the endings or important plot points of: Downton Abbey, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018), North & South - by Elisabeth Gaskel, and Sense & Sensibility (1995). If you havenʼt seen those then leave or tread carefully (avoiding questions 3, 6, 9, and 10).

Heidi's Valentine's Day Period Drama Tag:

1. Your current three (or up to five!) favorite period dramas?

Thank you for giving me more options, Heidi! I am terrible at making decisions.

My favorites are: Amazing Grace (2006), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Pride & Prejudice (1995), Little Women (1994) & Little Women (2019).

2. What would you recommend to someone whoʼs never seen a period drama as a starter?

Jane Austen is always a great start! Iʼd recommend Emma (1996) as I think it was my first experience with Jane Austen AND Period Dramas together. (It mightʼve been the 1995 Sense & Sensibility, but Iʼm using that for another answer).

3. A favorite couple that wouldnʼt be included in answer #1 (ʻcause Iʼm figuring those are already top favorites ;)) and/or a favorite secondary character romance?

Iʼm going to go with one from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018) (movie because I liked it better than the book) that is the couple of Juliet and Dawsey. When I was reading the book I was kind of oblivious to them being a couple until the very end which caught me off guard, but I really liked the movie because I shipped them the whole time.

4. What do you consider foundational qualities for a healthy romance? 

Patience. Everything else comes from that.

5. Worst villain/antagonist?

Fernand Mondego from The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). He is terrible! The betrayal of his best friend and treatment of his family make him a horrible person, and he isnʼt sorry! He relishes it and is proud of everything heʼs done.

6. A favorite proposal scene?

In Sense & Sensibility (1995) when Edward Ferris proposes to Elinor Dashwood! It is so cute! Everyone is crying and just so happy! You can watch the clip HERE. I recommend it. I've seen this movie a million times but it never fails to make me smile!

7. Favorite period drama characters based on a real life couple?

The Duke and Duchess of York, who then become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth from The Kingʼs Speech (2010). This is one of my favorite movies of all time! Granted, itʼs rated R but thatʼs the only film that Iʼve liked with that rating. Scratch that, itʼs the only one that Iʼve liked AND loved! Both of these characters are amazing. Bertie is going through hard times but Elizabeth is so caring and does her best to help him while being always incredible.

8. Any classic b/w period dramas you like?

Captain Blood (1935)! I just saw this for the first time the other day and ʻtwas marvelous. Pirates, need I say more? Oh, and Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland because OF COURSE!

Another one is The Son of Monte Cristo (1940)! My younger sister always rolls her eyes when I talk about this because she thinks it is very cringe worthy, but my older sister and I love it. It is so sweet and precious! Epic sword fights, lovable characters, disguises for the sake of a revolution, it is just brilliant.

9. Most mature romance in a period drama? (mature as in age and/or characters who are consciously and wisely ripened by life experience, etc.)

Talking about the famous period drama Downton Abbey, my favorite most mature romance is Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes. They were one of the reasons that I kept watching the show after so many painful and horrible things happened. Their relationship is just adorable in every way.

10. Most excruciatingly long, slow burn romance in a period drama?

North & South - by Elisabeth Gaskell has an excellently drawn out one featuring Margaret Hale and John Thornton. I havenʼt actually seen a version of this as Iʼve only read the book. I am really interested in the 2004 mini series, though! Anyway, it takes the ENTIRE book and it is so wonderful and I love it so much that itʼs my third favorite book of all time.

11. A story that has multiple film adaptations where you love more than one of them?

The legend of Robin Hood! It is one of my favorite things ever. I have seen 9 versions, and while I havenʼt loved all of them, my favorites are both the BBC Robin Hood (2006-2009) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)!

12. A book you think needs to be made into a film (or a new adaptation)?

There are so many period dramas that I havenʼt seen I canʼt even think about making something new. My biggest contenders would be: Agnes Grey - by Anne Brontë (this is a very boring book that is not my favorite, but Iʼd be interested in seeing costumes and sets and whatnot), The Blue Castle - by L. M. Montgomery, Hattie Big Sky - by Kirby Larson, and Wonderland Creek - by Lynn Austin. I canʼt think of anyone good to start in any of these make-believe adaptations, so if any of you have ideas let me know!

Thank you Heidi and thank you Cordy for hosting the events! Be sure to visit The Valentineʼs Day Period Drama Blog Party and The Lovely Blog Party!

Thanks to the rest of you for reading! What do you think of my answers? Where do you agree with me and where do we differ? Did any of you catch any of the non-sequitur references that I was throwing around?

MovieCritic