Inklings // March 2026

 Hello, friends!

I know it's not March. And I know I've not been around a lot. But deadlines do get me going and really quickly I wanted to participate in Heidi's monthly link-up, Inklings!

How it works:

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back to Heidi's blog in your post.

2. Make sure to come back and leave a link to your entry in the box on that month's post: Heidi's post for January 2026.

This month's prompt is:

A scene in a heavy rainstorm in book or film

Heidi already has the prompt up for April 2026, too, but the musical nerd in me couldn't let this one go by without a ballad.

"In the rain, the pavement shines like silver."

My choice for this month is a scene from Les Misérables (2012) which features the song "On My Own" as performed by Samantha Barks.

No spoilers because if you've seen this movie you know what's happening, and if you haven't, you don't. This scene is also the perfect place to pause the movie to take a break. While things are still hopeful. This or "One Day More," where an intermission would happen if it wasn't a movie.

And that's what I love about the interpretation of this scene! It's hard to portray weather on the stage, so let's make this film special by making it rain. It's peak. It's gorgeous.

What are some of your favorite rain scenes? What are some of your favorite musical ballads? Have you ever sung a musical ballad in the rain?

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Inklings // January 2026

Hello, friends!

Today the Olympics are ending, which is super sad, but to console myself I'm participating in Heidi's monthly link-up, Inklings!

How it works:

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back to Heidi's blog in your post.

2. Make sure to come back and leave a link to your entry in the box on that month's post: Heidi's post for January 2026.

This month's prompt is:

A scene with a horse in book or film

I struggled a lot with filling this prompt! That's because I've seen a lot of "horse movies"---which is a genre in and of itself---so would start thinking of a scene with a horse, but then it would devolve in me thinking about the entire movie.

I had to keep reminding myself that it doesn't have to be a movie, even though that tends to be my focus here at Movies Meet Their Match. 

AND THEN, just like for the October 2025 Inklings, the audiobook that I am currently listening to supplied the answer. 

The scene that I'm looking at is from Return of the Thief - by Megan Whalen Turner, the 6th book in the Queen's Thief series.

There are even a couple of horses on the cover!

Some of the fans would say one shouldn't say ANYTHING about any of the books to someone who hasn't read them. And that's fair! I just thought it was an amusing little episode that could be enjoyed both by those who have read it and those who haven't. I've made this as spoiler-free on my end as possible, but if you don't want to know a single scene beforehand, I get it! This scene is about 3 hours in to an 11 hour long audiobook and is kind of its own thing, not needing the context of the previous books.

Also, apologies for misspellings of names and odd paragraph formatting. I'm typing this up going off of what I can hear the audiobook saying and am doing my best to guess where one sentence/paragraph ends and a new one begins.

 

"The beautiful war horse...was as indolent as he was handsome...naming him Frist, after the Braile god of winter and Frist appeared determined not to live up to fierceness of his name. Built like a marble temple on legs, he was as placid as the king was excitable and preferred going around obstacles instead of over them. Or, better yet, not going at all. Given any opportunity to stand still, he did. 

'Faster, your Majesty!' called the stable master. 'Faster!'

Too late.

Frist balks at the fence the king wanted him to jump. When he stops dead, the king sailed over the fence into the dirt on the other side of it. The queen looked up briefly before returning to her embroidery.

Lying on the ground, the king shouted, "I think I've broken something!"

"Nothing important, I'm sure," she called back.

"My pride!"

She laughed.

He got very nimbly back to his feet to glare over the fence. When he leapt back onto Frist, the king drove him in a circle to try the jump again. This time, when the horse balked the king flew even higher into the air. Frist's head went down and the king went up, rotating in mid-air to land upright, flourishing his arms like an acrobat jumping a bull.

The queen clapped, the king bowed, and Frist flicked his ears, looking interested for the first time that day."

I just love the description of Frist as "built like a marble temple on legs!" 

Thanks to Heidi for hosting and thanks to all of you for reading! What are some of your favorite "horse movies?" Do you have a scene you can pinpoint as a favorite or do you just think of the whole film? Has an audiobook ever solved a problem for you? Have any of you read The Queen's Thief series? It's taken me almost 3 years to get through them all, but I'm so close!

Until next time, don't get thrown from any horses!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Inklings // December 2025

Hello, dear readers!

I hope you're all having a good MLK day today! Most of my posts this month have been wrapping up 2025 and that continues today as participate in the December 2025 addition of Heidi's monthly link-up, Inklings!

How it works:

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back to Heidi's blog in your post.

2. Make sure to come back and leave a link to your entry in the box on that month's post: Heidi's post for December 2025.

This month's prompt is:

A party scene in book or film

This one took me a while to come up with because as an introvert, party scenes usually seem loud and overwhelming. But then I remembered my love for Barbie (2023). One day I'll get around to writing my thoughts about it, but for today I'll talk about the party scene!

There aren't spoilers in this post as this scene happens within the first 20 minutes of the movie. In fact, if you watch the trailer, this scene features pretty heavily. 

"Hey Barbie, can I come to your house tonight?"

Time to dance the night away. Planned choreography to a bespoke song ensues.

It's a real rager, but no party is complete with thinking deep dark thoughts.

*record scratch*

Barbie, perfect as ever, has a way to make up for it though.

But then the dancing seems to be controlling her more than she's controlling it.

I love this scene for several reasons, and the first is because, as my mom pointed out, the dancing is just what one thinks the Barbies one is playing with look like when having a party. Next, this world has been established as being a utopia, but this is a vital scene that reveals something else is going on. Such an abrupt tone shift is a masterpiece in storytelling and I love it.

What to all of you think of this scene? Anyone else have Dua Lipa stuck in their head now? Who would you be in this scene (I'd probably be Alan)?

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Inklings // November 2025

Hello, friends and happy winter!

As I'm inside from cold weather, that means it's time for me to participate in  Heidi's monthly link-up, Inklings!

How it works:

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back to Heidi's blog in your post.

2. Make sure to come back and leave a link to your entry in the box on that month's post: Heidi's post for November 2025.

This month's prompt is:

A scene with a feast in book or film

As it has been a while since I did a movie scene, I'm going to talk about The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

Heidi had mentioned this film in her post, too, and it's in such delightful Technicolor that it's a feast for the eyes. There are actually two different scenes that involve feasts, but I'll be talking about the merry meal in the forest.

This post won't have spoilers, as this happens about halfway through and there are lots more adventures in this film to fill the legends.

A band of nobles and knights have been caught in the forest by Robin Hood's men and escorted to join the rebels in a banquet.

"To the tables, everybody, and stuff yourselves!" 

Robin has an unconventional use of knives.

Everyone is dressed up in an assortment of flower crowns, rags, and riches. 

"May I serve you, my lady?"

"I'm afraid the company has spoiled my appetite."

"Misfortune. Now, mine is excellent."

Marian does look hungry...

As with typical manners, Robin just throws the bones over his shoulder when he's done with them.

"A little mutton, my lady?"

"I said I'm not hungry."

"Why, so you did. I'd forgotten. Well, you will let me know if you regain your appetite, won't you?"

Once she notices Robin watching she just slams the food down then Robin laughs at her.

How many pictures of their faces can I get away with?

Every feast needs someone jumping up on the table, and Robin fills that role in order to credit Gisborne with providing the tasty supper.

Marian prompts Robin about what he's going to do with this stolen money, and Robin shows how big the hearts of the outlaws are as they yell to give it to save King Richard.

That's the biggest chalice I've ever seen in my life.

The production techniques on this film are WILD. Like, they actually shot people (with padding, but STILL). Then how they couldn't quite get Errol to be where they wanted him to be with a sword talent-wise (Rathbone should've been Robin in that case) so they just sped the scenes up. If you want a fight breakdown, I recommend the video "Robin Hood But Make it ICONIC." 

As I was rewatching this scene I learned that my DVD for this film has TONS of special features that I am now stoked to watch!

Thanks to Heidi for giving me a chance to talk about this scene, which was a childhood favorite! Thank you to all of you for reading! What is your favorite version of Robin Hood? (this actual is my SECOND favorite *gasp* Probably not a surprise if you readers have been around long enough...) Would you be like Marian and finally cave to such a feast?

Chloe the MovieCritic

Inklings // October 2025 + Autumn Tag Challenge

Hello and happy fall, friends!

I know it has been autumn for a couple of months, but now it feels like we are on the edge of winter so I'm feeling autumn for the last fragments that it is. Which today involves participating in Heidi's monthly link-up, Inklings!

How it works:

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back to Heidi's blog in your post.

2. Make sure to come back and leave a link to your entry in the box on that month's post: Heidi's post for October 2025.

This month's prompt is:

A scene with a fountain in book or film

I'm going to choose the thirteenth book of A Series of Unfortunate Events, which is The End - by Lemony Snicket. 

I'm currently ending my huge re-listen of all of these books for the first time since I was young and I had been pondering what to do for a fountain scene when the very book that I was listening to provided the answer. Even though this scene comes from the last book in the series, this particular instance is spoiler-free as it is talking about something that happened before the first book, The Bad Beginning, even started. That timeline may seem strange, but trust me, it makes sense in the context! But here, even if you don't know the context, just relax and enjoy reading this scene.

     "...What about you, Sunny? What do you miss?"

     "Fountain," Sunny said.

     "The Fowl Fountain, at the Village of Fowl Devotees?" Klaus asked.

     "No," Sunny said, shaking her head. "In city."

     "The Fountain of Victorious Finance?" Violet asked. "Why on earth would you miss that?"

     "First swim," Sunny said and her siblings gasped.

     "You can't remember that," Klaus said.

     "You were just a few weeks old," Violet said.

     "I remember," Sunny said firmly, and the elder Baudelaires shook their heads in wonder. Sunny was talking about an afternoon long ago, during an unusually hot autumn in the city. The Baudelaire parents had some business to attend to, and brought along the children, promising to stop at the ice cream store on the way home. The family had arrived at the banking district, pausing to rest at the Fountain of Victorious Finance, and the Baudelaires' mother had hurried into a building with tall, curved towers poking out in all directions, while their father waited outside with the children. The hot weather made Sunny very cranky, and she began to fuss. To quiet her, the Baudelaires' father dipped her bare feet in the water, and Sunny had smiled so enthusiastically that he had begun to dunk Sunny's body, clothes and all, into the foutain, until the youngest Baudelaire was screaming with laughter. As you may know, the laughter of babies is often very contagious, and before long not only were Violet and Klaus also jumping into the fountain, but the Baudelaires' father, too, all of them laughing and laughing as Sunny grew more and more delighted. Soon the Baudelaires' mother came out of the building, and looked in astonishment for a moment at her soaking and giggling family, before putting down her pocketbook, kicking off her shoes, and joining them in the refreshing water."

The Baudelaires need more scenes where they're happy like this!

As this is a short post, there's room for me to add my answers to the Autumn Tag Challenge which Olivia just tagged me for! Thank you, Olivia! 

The Rules

1. Download the cover photo and use it for your post

2. Acknowledge the person who tagged you

3. Tag others and comment on their blog to let them know! (I am notorious for not following this rule so we'll see if I do or not...)

4. Slip into autumn vibes (which for Chloe involves Gilmore Girls as she was recently sick and one watches Gilmore Girls when one is sick. I don't make the rules.)

The Questions:

1. If autumn isn't your favourite season, what is? And if autumn is your favourite season, why?

WINTER. I love it. I adore it. You will never see me happier than when it is snowing. I just loooooooove the snow. I find it absolutely magically and never get tired of it. I have in recent years come to appreciate autumn as my second favorite season and in the peak of the colors I sometimes consider making it my favorite season. And I love Halloween, so...

2. What is your favourite thing that you do each autumn?

Go on walks and take pictures of all the miraculous colors. I've never been much into photography but I got into it last fall for this exact reason because I was missing my sister (the photography expert) and it felt wrong to not try to capture the glorious hues.

3. What are a couple of your favourite autumn memories?

Weirdly enough for fall I don't have as many distinct memories unlike the other seasons, but more just the images of glorious leaves blot out all other thoughts. Experiencing fall almost seems to take precedence over other things that are happening? I mean, I have many memories of things that happen in the fall, but I don't associate them as being FALL unless I am staring in wonder at a tree.

4. What book most reminds you of the autumn? Movie?

Besides Gilmore Girls, I talked about this a little on my last Inklings post. And to add to those I would say all Kate DiCamillo book, Ella Enchanted, and Don Quijote de la Mancha. As for movies themselves, here's a list of 10 Movies That Give Me Autumnal Vibes. In short, you can't get me to stop thinking of books and movies that remind me of autumn.

5. What is your favourite drink for the season?

I'm not allowed to have coffee. Because I get waaaaaaay too into coffee and never sleep. I think the first time I had coffee was in fall and if wasn't pumpkin spice it was some other fall-themed drink. Now tea, I can handle tea. Occasionally apple cider.

6. What is one new thing you want to do this autumn?

I've been getting into drawing, but that's not specifically autumnal. I have a few cards I want to make for a cozy fall vibe, I just have been stumped halfway with inspiration. Last year I wrote a poem about fall for extra credit in my Hispanic Literature class so maybe it's time I wrote another one.

7. Do you decorate for the autumn? If so, how soon? If not, why?

Not really? It just doesn't occur to me as something to do. I think the most autumnal decor in my room right now is the calendar. My roommates last year would, though, and I loved coming home the leaves on the windowsill or festive signs on the door.

8. What is your favourite way to celebrate Thanksgiving?

With my family. But also, sophomore year of college I was part of this program where if you were staying on campus they would find a place for you to go for Thanksgiving. And I ended up at this massive party of 50 or more people in this couple's garage. It was so much fun and I have friends that I met there who I am still close with today! I also felt useful because they had us college kids set up shrimp appetizers. Cuz' that's my least favorite thing about Thanksgiving: feeling useless.

9. What colour makes you think most of autumn?

A golden yellow. It's the colors that we get here when it's fall due to all the aspens. This lead to me being absolutely ASTONISHED these last four years in my college town when the colors were also red and bright orange.

10. Type up a list of ten words or names that encapsulate the season of autumn for you.

leaves // chill // rustling // falling // Halloween // lingering // golden // rusty // sleeping // dreaming //

And I tag: 

miranda at from nie

Amaris at The Storybook Journal

Katherine and Grace at The Maidens of Green Gables

Here's a clean copy of the questions:

1. If autumn isn't your favourite season, what is? And if autumn is your favourite season, why?

2. What is your favourite thing that you do each autumn?

3. What are a couple of your favourite autumn memories?

4. What book most reminds you of the autumn? Movie?

5. What is your favourite drink for the season?

6. What is one new thing you want to do this autumn?

7. Do you decorate for the autumn? If so, how soon? If not, why?

8. What is your favourite way to celebrate Thanksgiving?

9. What colour makes you think most of autumn?

10. Type up a list of ten words or names that encapsulate the season of autumn for you.

If you haven't already, I would love for all of you to go hanker some guesses on my Guess Movie From the Drawing Game! I've loved seeing the guesses so far and I would be honored if those of you reading this would also give it a try! There are no bad guesses, only a fun time. 

Thanks for reading! Any Lemony Snicket fans out there? Do you know any scenes that are told at the end of a book but are from before a book started? Any Gilmore Girls fans? 

Chloe the MovieCritic

Inklings // September 2025

Hello, friends!

Today's post is brought to you by Heidi's Inklings!

(Haha, I feel like someone talking about a sponsorship but I am not paid to blog in any way.)

How it works:

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back to Heidi's blog in your post.

2. Make sure to come back and leave a link to your entry in the box on that month's post: Heidi's post for September 2025.

To add to my ongoing list of my entries, today's post is filling this month's prompt:

A forest scene in book or film

This is the perfect prompt for fall which comes with beautiful changing colors!

It gets under my skin when I haven't done a book example for a couple of months. It was only back in May that I featured a scene from a book, but I try to alternate books and movies. This month it's a book's turn!

To fill this prompt I'm going to use the opening scene of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - by Stuart Turton. There are no spoilers because this is just what it's like to pick up the book and start reading!

I forget everything between footsteps.

"Anna!" I finish shouting, snapping my mouth shut in surprise.

My mind has gone blank. I don't know who Anna is or why I'm calling her name. I don't even know how I got here. I'm standing in a forest, shielding my eyes from the spitting rain. My heart's thumping, I reek of sweat, and my legs are shaking. I must have been running, but I can't remember why.

"How did--" I'm cut short by the sight of my own hands. They're bony, ugly. A stranger's hands. I don't recognize them at all.

Feeling the first touch of panic, I try to recall something about myself: a family member, my address, age...anything,  but nothing's coming. I do't even have a name. Every memory I had a few seconds ago is gone.

My throat tightens, breaths coming loud and fast. The forest is spinning, black spots inking my sight.

Be calm.

"I can't breathe," I gasp, blood roaring in my ears as I sink to the ground, my fingers digging into the dirt.

You can breathe; you just need to calm down.

There's comfort in this inner voice, cold authority.

Close your eyes. Listen to the forest. Collect yourself.

Obeying the voice, I squeeze my eyes shut, but all I can hear is my own panicked wheezing. For the longest time it crushes every other sound, but slowly, ever so slowly, I work a hole in my fear, allowing other noises to break through. Raindrops are tapping the leaves, branches rustling overhead. There's a stream away to my right and crows in the trees, their wings cracking the air as they take flight. Something's scurrying in the undergrowth, the thump of rabbit feet passing near enough to touch. One by one, I knit these new memories together until I've got five minutes of past to wrap myself in. It's enough to stanch the panic, at least for now.

ACK, I love the mystery of it all. Fall is just the ideal time to read and watch mysteries, so some I'd recommend are Knives Out (2019), Nancy Drew (2007), The Illusionist (2006), And Then There Were None - by Agatha Christie, Moriarty - by Anthony Horowitz, and of course, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle - by Stuart Turton!

What are some of your favorite mysteries perfect for fall? Has anyone else read The 7 1/2 Deaths? Any recommendations for books with numbers in the title?

Enjoy the lovely trees and "forests" where you all live!

Chloe the MovieCritic 

Inklings // July and August 2025

Hello, friends!

This post has twice the fun for Heidi's monthly Inklings because I'm posting my answers to the prompts for both July and August. I'm late for July because I was gone for most of the month, but as the prompt is one of my absolute favorite things, of course I want to be able to ramble about it. 

How it works:

1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back to Heidi's blog in your post.

2. Make sure to come back and leave a link to your entry in the box on that month's post.

HERE are my previous entries; this is one of my favorite link-ups!

July 2025 prompt: 

A sword dueling scene in book or film

Link to the other July entries HERE.

Sword duels are essential to swashbuckling films and I love swashbuckling to my CORE. I would say it's my favorite genre but I don't think I've watched enough to count. But I definitely count The Son of Monte Cristo (1940), which has all kinds of delicious dueling.

There are a couple of scenes here to fulfill the dueling requirement, so I'll just choose the first one, which starts with some formalities.

"Who are you?"

*brandishes sword* "My friend here will introduce me!"

"Don't worry, my father was the best swordsman in France!"

The sword fight even gets some action on the stairs (with someone rolling down them in style!). I can't find images from it, so you'll have to go enjoy the scene yourself. Which is very easy to do as this movie is in the public domain!

I started rewatching The Son of Monte Cristo just to watch the swashbuckling bits while writing up this post, but now of course I'm going to watch the rest of it. This used to be my 4th favorite movie of all time and I would say that I could watch it on repeat and never get tired of it. While it's not in my tippy top favorites anymore, I still adore this movie despite the rest of my family thinking I'm crazy. It just scratches a particular itch that I have when it comes to stories.

Now that I've watched it again I'm going to have to say it's back up into my tippy top favorites. It's dorky but it's dorky in my kind of way.

August 2025 prompt: 

A bread-making scene in book or film

Link to the other August entries HERE.

My choice is from the film Support Your Local Sheriff (1969). Prudy is one of my favorite characters and I relate to her based on how many unexpected situations she finds herself in. One of which completes this prompt. 

Let's just say it's full contact baking.

Which leads to fire...

...and frustration because why do these things keep happening to her??

Which is usually how my cooking turns out, too. Just now I'm sporting a cut from doing the dishes, so you can imagine what happens when I get close to the stove.

Me answering this prompt in this way has a second motive because Support Your Local Sheriff is my favorite western and currently Heidi, Olivia, and Rachel (Hamlette) are currently hosting Legends of Western Cinema Week! Go to any of these posts to join the fun: Along the Brandywine, Meanwhile in Rivendell..., and Hamlette's Soliloquy. 

What are movies that scratch an itch for you? What's an ingredient (such as a sword fight) that makes you love a story? How are you when it comes to baking (i.e. how much flour ends up in your face and hair)?

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Inklings // May 2025

Hello, friends!

"The end of May and early June" blend together, and I'm not the only one who thinks so, as Evan Hansen sings the same thing. Today I'm participating in a May event even though it's June because May is such a delightful month!

This is May's Inklings hosted by Heidi who blogs at Along the Brandywine!

How it works:

    1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back to the original post in your post.

    2. Leave a link to your post in the link form in the monthly post so everyone can visit your post.

Click HERE to see all of my past entries, and click HERE to see all of the entries for this month! May had the following prompt:

A stagecoach scene in book or film

While at first I was thinking of all of the Western movies I've seen, it suddenly hit me that it's been a while since I talked about a book for Inklings. All the way back in last May! The title of my blog shows my penchant for movies, but I still love books and should not default to movies all the time.

Therefore my choice is the book Cloaked - by Rachel Kovaciny.

The entire first chapter takes place on a stagecoach, so here are the first couple of paragraphs that open the book!:

"You see? I'll be perfectly fine," Mary Rose O'Brien assured her dutiful chaperone, Mrs. Shaw. She climbed into the stagecoach, took her place on the only empty seat, then smoothed out the skirt of her brown travelling dress to keep it at least somewhat presentable.

In truth, the stagecoach was more cramped than Mary Rose expected. Two people would barely fit on each wooden bench. If you didn't know your neighbor well already, you would by the end of the ride. And yet, a man had contrived to fall asleep on the opposite seat, curled up on his back with his dusty boots tipped up against the side. The stage was so small that she might have leaned forward and touched his shoulder without leaving her own seat.

Mrs. Shaw frowned up at Mary Rose from where she stood in the street, though that didn't mean she was displeased with Mary Rose, the stagecoach, or anything else in particular. Mrs. Shaw rarely found anything pleasant enough to bother changing her expression..."

This was fun for me to visit because I read Cloaked all the way back in 2017! It is the first in Rachel Kovaciny's Once Upon a Western series. I've reviewed book 2 (Dancing and Doughnuts) and book 3 (One Bad Apple), but this post is reminding me that I never got the chance to read her latest in the series, My Rock and My Refuge or her collection of short stories, Prairie Tales Vol. 1. I need to get on that!

You can find Rachel on her author blog, but she also blogs at The Edge of the Precipice and Hamlette's Soliloquy, so you can go check out her thoughts on other stories as well as updates on her own!

A huge thanks to Heidi for hosting this even though I've been behind on joining in! Now that school's done I don't have plans on missing another...

As for you readers, have you ever been on a stagecoach? I was on one once for a tour around my hometown when I was really little and that was long enough! It was fun, but I can't imagine going across the country in that. What are some of your favorite scenes with stagecoaches? Any Western book recommendations for me?

Have a great day!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Inklings // February 2025

Hello, friends!

This is spring break for me so while I've got plans for the actual full week, I thought I'd pop in and write a quick post! February went by unbelievable quickly (very rude!) so we're still catching up, but having fun while we do it. This is therefore my entry in Heidi's February Inklings!

How it works:

    1. At any time during the month, on your own blog post a scene from a book or film that matches the prompt, including a link back to the original post in your post.

    2. Leave a link to your post in the comments section of the monthly post and she'll post all your links with the next prompt.

Click HERE to see all of my past entries, and click HERE to see all of the entries for this month! February has the following prompt:

A scene at the piano

I'm choosing a couple of moments from The Music Man (1962). Because when talking about musicals last month this never really came up, so I'm not throwing away my shot now.

This scene starts about 20 minutes in, and mostly serving to introduce characters so there are no spoilers!

And yes, this is technically two different scenes because there's a scene that splits them, but they take place in the same room at sequential times and one is resolving the other.

If you think I'm indecisive for picking too, then know that there are other piano scenes in this movie, including a "player piano player!", so I have made some decisions.

This scene involves two songs, so here is the first.

Marian Paroo is the librarian of River City and she is coming home to teach piano. We first hear the piano from outside. The little girl, Amaryllis, hits a wrong note, and Marian's mother, Mrs. Paroo, reaches over to correct her. A few seconds later Amaryllis does it again. Hitting the exact same wrong note.

The third time she does it Marian corrects her.

Marian and her mother get into a debate about the stranger who followed Marian home.

Marian turns instead to instructing her pupil.

"Now don't dawdle, Amaryllis."

"Don't get faster, dear."

Mrs. Paroo thinks Marian was too hasty when it came to the stranger and Marian scoffs instead with literary references. Which is her job as a librarian, but how no one will listen to her recommendations.

"I can't help my concern that the ladies of River City
Keep ignoring all my council and advice."

Mrs. Paroo thinks there are other factors involved.

"...Even if you can quote Balzac and Shakespeare
And all them other highfalutin' Greeks."

"Momma, if you don't mind my sayin' so
You have a bad habit of changin' ev'ry subject"

And we're back to talking about the stranger.

"I have my standards where men are concerned."

"There's not a man alive

Who could hope to measure up to that blend'a

Paul Bunyan, Saint Pat and Noah Webster

You've got concocted for yourself outta your Irish imagination,

Your Iowa stubbornness, and your liberry fulla' books."

Marian gasps at her mother's words. Just then Amaryllis stops playing. 

"Well, if that isn't the best I ever heard."

To which Amaryllis cheerily says: "Thank you!"

Skipping ahead a few minutes, the second part of this scene is when Amaryllis asks:

"Can I play my crosshand piece?"

"May I."

"May I play my crosshand piece?"

And it is quite an impressive crosshand.

Amaryllis's notes turn into the song "Goodnight, My Someone."

Thanks to Heidi for giving me a chance to talk about one of my favorite movies! Have any of you seen this? How well do you play piano? I admit that Amaryllis is better than I am. 

Happy March! If you don't have a spring break then I hope you have sunny days!

Chloe the MovieCritic