Titanic (1953)

With the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic rapidly approaching, I wanted to take the opportunity to revisit the history of that unfathomable disaster and some of the films inspired by it. Particularly the "other" Titanic films, beginning with the 1953 classic Titanic starring Barbara Stanwyck and Clifton Webb. While this film lacks the gloss, spectacle, and budget of its more famous 1997 counterpart, actually I prefer it. Yes, it lacks the more impressive special effects and spectacle of the James Cameron film, and one can take issue with various historical liberties (particularly common in Hollywood's "Golden Age"). But I think at least one of the many reasons a general public fascination with the Titanic has endured is that it is in many ways a cross-section of humanity. On that ill-fated liner were some of the richest and most privileged individuals in the world (i.e. John Jacob Astor) alongside the poorest of immigrants, and in the face of that iceberg all men and women were equalized. And that is the greatest strength of this 1953 classic -- bringing a human face to the tragedy.

At the centerpiece of this film (which won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay) is the strained relationship between Julia Sturges (Barbara Stanwyck) and her husband Richard (Clifton Webb). As the film opens Julia is fleeing her society-obsessed husband with her two children, Annette (Audrey Dalton) and Norman (Harper Carter) for a more humble, grounded life in her home state of Michigan. She almost makes a clean "getaway," if you will, but Richard foils her plans by purchasing a steerage passenger's ticket and coming aboard. Webb and Stanwyck are two of classic Hollywood's brightest stars, and they positively shine in their roles as the estranged couple. The tension and genuine sense of heartbreak in their scenes -- particularly evident in Stanwyck's expressions (Webb is much more stoic), as she throws herself whole-heartedly into the role of Julia -- is practically palpable. The emotion and the history and the heart-wrenching sense of lost opportunity between these two characters makes their road toward the film's inevitable conclusion -- the sinking -- that much more wrenching, driving home the human toll of the tragedy in a brilliant, heartfelt fashion.

There's a youthful love story here as well, one that crosses class boundaries and foreshadows the changing and loosening societal standards and norms of the still-young 20th-century. Annette Sturges is a daughter of privileged, raised (in particular by her father) with an eye to making a brilliant marriage. In only his tenth film appearance, a very youthful Robert Wagner plays the very middle-class Gifford Rogers, a Purdue student who determines to pursue an acquaintance with the lovely Annette despite her initial disdain of his distinct lack of antecedents. Their budding romance is a joy to watch, principally because one cannot help but like the energetic and determined Giff. And while some may argue Giff's eventual survival is contrived (he falls from the Titanic while attempting to cut a lifeboat free & is subsequently rescued), personally I like the fact that the sweet Giff and Annette romance has a chance of surviving post-sinking.

One of the biggest sticking points between Julia and Richard is her view of his general uselessness outside of transient social obligations. The biggest blow to Richard prior to the sinking isn't the dissolution of his marriage -- it's the discovery that his beloved son, the "prize" who will carry on his name, is actually the product of an affair. Norman idolizes his father, and seeing Richard shut the child is an extraordinarily painful moment. However, when it becomes clear that the ship is going down and that many will not survive thanks to an appalling lack of lifeboats, Richard steps up in an extraodinary fashion. In large part the reason this film works so well for me is the character of Richard and his actions during the ship's final moments. Watching Richard realize that family, not social trappings, are the only things that matter is just one way in which this film serves as a powerful reminder of the best that humanity is capable of in the worst of times. And I defy you not to shed a tear during Richard and Norman's final moments. That, people, is why Clifton Webb is a classic.

I can't go without mentioning Thelma Ritter's performance as Maude Young, her character one of the nouveau riche who is Margaret Brown (the "unsinkable Molly Brown") in all but name. Her no-nonsense, unflappable attitude towards, well, everything and everyone is an absolute joy to watch. She takes a particular interest in George Healey (Richard Baseheart) a former priest suspended for his reliance on alcohol. Healey is an absolutely heart-breaking character, completely lost and without purpose until during the sinking he resolves to try and rescue crewmen trapped in the engine room. Both Healey and Richard become unexpectedly heroic during the sinking, providing two of the film's best performances.

Clocking in at a relatively short ninety-eight minutes, Titanic is a well-paced, smartly executed film that holds up extraordinarily well over fifty years after its release. This is not a big, glossy epic by today's standards -- and even by the standards of Hollywood's classic era this film feels remarkably understated. By focusing on the Sturges and a handful of other passengers for the first half of the film, this becomes a remarkably intimate viewing experience -- so by the time of the collison and sinking, we as viewers are well-invested in the lives of this handful of players caught up in a horror beyond their imagination.

I found this quote by Stanwyck, on filming the scenes where the lucky passengers to acquire spots in lifeboats flee the doomed liner --

"It was bitter cold. I was 47 feet up in the air in a lifeboat...the water below was agitated. We were re-creating an actual tragedy and I burst into tears. I shook with great racking sobs and couldn't stop."

That sense of responsibility, if you will, towards the material and the history is glaringly apparent in Stanwyck's performance. Leaving the lifeboat this is a woman eviscerated. It is a brilliant showcase for Stanwyck's considerable acting talent and a testimony to the enduring power of a little film with a lot of heart. Worthwhile viewing, especially as we approach the 100th anniversary of that infamous weekend in April that saw the loss of so many lives.

Once Upon a Time 1.13: "What Happened to Frederick"

This was an interesting episode of Once Upon a Time because it finally gave me a reason to see Kathryn as more than the Storybrooke curse's annoying obstacle to David and Mary Margaret's long-term happiness. From the moment we were first introduced to Midas's daughter Abigail (Anastasia Griffith) in Fairy Tale Land, I took an instant dislike to her -- she was so, so very cold. Turns out there's a reason for that, hmm? :) This episode opens shortly after Charming (Josh Dallas) has ditched his forced engagement to Abigail and is on the run from his faux-father (Alan Dale), in search of Snow White. First of all, WHY ON EARTH is Charming wearing a scarf/shawl/table cloth around his neck? Is this supposed to be a disguise? I mean REALLY??? Lame. Ditch the plush cloak first. :P I don't need Charming trying (and failing) to wear shawls and thus distracting from his FTL awesomeness. That aside, there's lots of Charming on horseback here which is always a win until he's trapped by random soldiers who, it turns out, work for Abigail. News flash: SHE DOESN'T WANT TO MARRY YOU. Like, AT ALL. Yay!

This is obviously a huge relief for Charming since it removes the biggest obstacle to his happiness with Snow (except for the whole her claiming not to love him to save him thing). Of course he has to know WHY she wants to help him escape his crazy fake father (he is a guy, after all *wink*), and Abigail explains that she hopes by helping him find happiness with his one true love that she can gain some consolation from having lost hers. She was in love with a knight named Frederick who was turned to GOLD while defending her father (we all knew this was going to be a problem when Midas was introduced, right?). Charming's all like LET ME FIX THIS because he is so RELIEVED she doesn't want to marry him, and she's all well if you get me this magic water Freddy will return to me, but there's a problem -- you have to get past the Lady of the Lake and she LIKES TO KILL PEOPLE (the L of the L of Arthurian legend fame is rolling over in her watery grave). Anyways, this is awesome because if you're like me you instinctively realize that Charming is GOOD AT QUESTING -- 1) he looks good on a horse 2) he can wield a sword and 3) I MELT INTO A PUDDLE OF GOO every time he looks at Snow. WIN.

Back in Storybrooke, David is still slogging through his marriage to Kathryn AND carryong on with Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) on the side because apparently the curse made him all wishy-washy and he lost his ability to be DECISIVE. *sigh* Mary Margaret upps the pressure to come clean about the whole thing so everyone can move on with their lives, and that he has to make a choice -- David agrees because little does Mary know, Kathryn wants him to move to Boston with her so they can try the whole fresh start in a new town thing. OH THE PRESSURE. At the last minute poor David caves, and only tells Kathryn he won't leave with her and they just "can't connect." She's devastated because she's forgotten the whole Freddy factor, and goes running to her B.F.F. (little does she know) Regina (Lana Parrilla), who spills the beans about David's affair with Mary Margaret (of course it is ALL Mary's fault, like David had nothing to do with it *sigh*).

Back in FTL, Charming meets the infamous Lady of the Lake/Siren (Aria Pullman), and boy does she have him pegged -- promising she can be his true love, and transforming into Snow White. The ruse almost works -- but I guess the whole point of this excerise to drive home the point that Charming can recognize true love because he's experienced it with Snow -- and NO FAKES are going to cut it. This guy has it in him to go the distance -- I need to remember that when I want to smack some sense into his Storybrooke self. So witchy siren tries to kill him, and he stabs her, and it's all very exciting and I'm thinking "ooohh, UNDERWATER SCENES...wonder what they are gonna do when Ariel is introduced?" Needless to say Charming's water works on Freddy, and Abigail is ecstatic -- so we know she has a happy ending out there somewhere (if E.Queen doesn't CRUSH IT first!).

Back in Storybrooke Kathryn goes postal all over Mary Margaret for breaking up her miserable marriage, and Mary is devasted when she realizes that David didn't have the guts to tell Kathryn the truth about why he wants to leave her. Once Kathryn cools down, though, she starts to flex her own muscles against the curse, realizing that she wants to be loved for herself because clearly, CLEARLY David is over the moon for Mary Margaret (girl, I HEAR you...the LOOKS he gives her kill me too). She leaves him a letter setting him free and resolves to go to Boston to attend law school and OF COURSE SHE HAS TO TELL HER ONLY FRIEND REGINA EVERTHING. *sigh* Regina of course burns said letter (probably muttering curses all the while -- and how creepy were her skull keys to every house in Storybrooke?!), so we know this is not going to end well, right... *double sigh*

Meanwhile things are finally starting to get really interesting as far as The Stranger (Eion Bailey) is concerned. First of all, his real name is August W. Booth. AUGUST. I love that. He finagles an agreement to take Emma (Jennifer Morrison) for a drink, which is not at ALL what you expect -- he takes her to a WISHING WELL where he gives her this whole speech about the water being magical and if you drink it something lost will be found (EEEP!!! So many possibilities!). When he's not flirting with Emma (I LOVE THEIR SCENES by the way) he's rebinding Henry's missing book -- and after this episode aired it was confirmed that he's adding pages. This seems to support my theory that he's the book's author -- but I've also been wondering, do you think it's possible he could be Rumple's missing son? Just throwing that out there (mainly because I want more Mr. Gold-centric storylines!). :)

Conveniently enough Emma discovers Henry's freshly rebound book shortly after her "date" with August -- and Henry (Jared Gilmore) is thrilled to have it returned to him. (Side note: I died inside a little when Regina gave him a friggin' VIDEO GAME as a replacement for his book, ergh!! This kid is a born reader if ever there was one!) I cannot wait to see how the show peels back the layers of August's character and his true purpose in Storybrooke -- the slow pace is maddening but the sparks between him & Emma, oh it makes the wait worthwhile. :)

ANYWAYS...wrapping things up here...poor Mary Margaret has been branded the town tramp. And seriously I love how everyone is giving her the cold shoulder and David seems strangely ignored. But whatevs...she finds David trying to remove graffitti from her car and rips him over the coals for not being forthright as he'd promised with Kathryn. This is yet another opportunity for Dallas to EMOTE and he does it so well -- and when Mary Margaret tells him they have no future together he cries. HE CRIES, PEOPLE! I seriously can barely handle it. *sobs*

BUT THERE'S HOPE, because back in FTL Charming is back on his horse, riding through the woods, yelling his head off for Snow. THIS IS COMMITMENT, PEOPLE. He runs into Red (Meghan Ory) who drops the surprise that she refused him to save his life, and he gives the whole "I'll find her, I'll ALWAYS FIND HER" speech which is so cliched but oh so INSPIRING when it's said with conviction like Dallas lends the lines. Excuse me while I swoon. :)

Back in Storybrooke, the episode ends with the high school gym teacher (Greyston Holt) discovering Kathryn's car...probably drawn there because he looks a heckuvalot like Freddy the former Gold Knight. Question: do we think Kathryn is dead, or has Regina spirited her off to some hidden prison? We're only on episode 13 of season one, personally I don't think we need to start killing characters off willy-nilly. Thoughts?

BONUS PICTURE OF CHARMING QUESTING:

BONUS PICTURE OF AUGUST LOOKING ADORABLE:

You're welcome. :)

Review: The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

The Lady of Bolton Hill

By: Elizabeth Camden

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 978-0-7642-0894-2

About the book:

When Clara Endicott and Daniel Tremain's worlds collide after twelve years apart, the spark that was once between them immediately reignites into a romance neither of them thought possible.

But time has changed them both.

Daniel is an industrial titan with powerful enemies. Clara is an idealistic journalist determined to defend underprivileged workers.

Can they withstand the cost of their convictions while their hearts -- and lives -- hang in the balance?

Review:

United by a passion for music, Clara Endicott and Daniel Tremain were the best of friends despite their wildly disparate backgrounds. Clara, the daughter of an influential minister, is a glittering but refreshingly unpretentious child of Baltimore's elite, while Daniel is a native of the tenements, destined for a future in the steel mills but with a drive to escape his upbringing and prove worthy Clara's affection. After a tragic accident derails his youthful dreams, Clara is shipped to England with the hope of discovering her passion and purpose in life, leaving Daniel to transform his family's tragedy into a springboard for advancement, marrying his thirst for vengeance with the drive to exceed his antecedents and prove worthy Clara's world. While in England Clara discovers her passion -- illuminating the darkest struggles of the working classes with the power of her pen -- and when her expose see her unceremoniously sent back to America, she and Daniel are reunited. After more than a decade apart, Daniel and Clara couldn't be more different -- but the connection and passion that simmered between them as teens remains unchanged, flaring to life once again after their first encounter. But as much as Clara would love to rekindle her relationship with her oldest friend, Daniel's stubborn, unrelenting obsession with revenge no matter the cost threatens to derail her most cherished hope. While Clara's passion for justice collides with Daniel's pride, an unseen enemy emerges, ready to strike. Can Daniel relinquish his hunger for revenge before he loses his truest friend, or will the hope of a future with Clara be ripped from his grasp forever?

Perhaps the best way to describe Camden's debut effort is intense. From the heady days of Clara and Daniel's early friendship to Clara's unceremonious deportation from England, Camden hits the ground running from the novel's opening pages. I loved the fact that Clara and Daniel's romance grew out of a childhood friendship. The intensity of their relationship, the way in which they "click" lends their budding romance an intensity and spark rarely seen in fiction of this ilk. Daniel is very much a hero cut from the same cloth as Darcy and Thornton of classic literature fame. Speaking of Thornton, this novel bears a striking resemblance in subject matter and romance to Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. Much like the mill owner John Thornton, Daniel rises to society's highest levels with a hard-edged grace, consumed with validating his newly-acquired position. And like Thornton, Daniel meets his match in the form of a social-justice minded, independent and unconventional woman who refuses to surrender to a love built on a foundation of vengeance and anger.

Bolton Hill's greatest strength lies in its insistence on pushing the boundaries of historical romance -- this is a novel infused with heated romance, weighty social issues, and high adventure. And therein also lies the novel's biggest weakness. Clocking in at a relatively slim 320-odd pages, there's almost too much going on to do any of the multiple, and equally potentially strong, storylines the justice they deserve. Roughly half the novel focuses on everything from the challenges facing female journalists in the Gilded Age and workers' rights, labor riots, and industrial rivalry while the second half features an expansive opium smuggling operation headed by a sinister Professor Moriarty-type figure whose brilliant, teen-aged lieutenant (think a 19th-century James Bond type) has Daniel's downfall in his sights. Camden has a appealing voice and intelligent, articulate prose that kept me rapidly turning pages. And while I appreciate the novel's reach it simply isn't long enough to do full justice to its characters or the multiple storylines.

Don't let Bolton Hill's gorgeously-rendered cover fool you -- yes, there's a romance (and oh, some of the moments Daniel & Clara share!), but there's adventure, danger, and an organic spiritual thread wrapped up in the pages of Camden's debut. In particular I liked the character of Daniel -- his strength, intensity, loyalty to his family, and whole-hearted adoration of Clara, though his spiritual arc felt a bit truncated (again, due to length limitations). With the promise of a tighter storyline, Camden's crisp prose and fearlessly fast pace mark her as an author to watch. And that teen-aged, villainous protege I mentioned earlier? He makes a most welcome return later this year in Camden's third novel, Against the Tide.

Once Upon a Time 1.12: "Skin Deep"

"Skin Deep" is probably my favorite episode of Once Upon a Time to date. Not only does it introduce the Beauty and the Beast story to this world, which is a close second (if not tied for first) to Sleeping Beauty for all-time favorite fairy tale in my book, but it adds tremendous, fascinating layers to one of the show's most intriguing characters -- Rumplestiltskin the master trickster and deal-maker. I freely admit, when I learned that the show wasn't introducing a Prince/Beast character, instead using the whily Rumple to fill the Beast role, I was terribly concerned -- and honestly a bit disappointed. But all of my worries proved unfounded as this chapter of the enigmatic Mr. Gold's backstory is one of the show's most captivating hours of television.

The episode opens in Fairy Tale Land, where the master of yet another castle (seriously I would love to know if FTL is one big kingdom, because sometimes everything in Fairy Tale Land seems curiously disconnected) -- the aptly named Sir Maurice (Eric Keenleyside) -- receives the news that a nearby town as fallen to an Ogre attack (which brings up another question, is this a widespread problem in FTL?). Anyways, Maurice is pinning his hopes for deliverance on, of all people, Rumplestiltskin (I'm guessing Rumple's rep hasn't gotten around yet?). Rumple's price is Maurice's daughter, the lovely Belle (Emilie de Ravin), as he claims to need a housekeeper for his estate (REALLY?? Kinda lame reasoning but whatever...). In a nod to the fiesty, noble origins of her literary and filmic predecessors, Belle overrides all objections to the deal and agrees to go willingly with Rumple, because she and only she is the mistress of her fate.

Speaking of this story's antecedents, I loved seeing a "real-life" version of the gold gown made famous by the ball scene in the animated film. However, seeing Belle so exquisitely attired makes me wonder where exactly she ranks in FTL...a princess? a high-born lady? Also lifting the name of Maurice was a nice touch -- and his Storybrooke counterpart, a hapless rose seller in debt to Mr. Gold, shares a lot of personality characteristics with his scatter-brained animated counterpart. And I loved seeing Sage Brocklebank, better known as Buzz McNabb on Psych, as Belle's suitor Gaston -- but his appearance on the show was woefully underused (though I did like the no-nonsense way Rumple went about dispatching his "rival" ha!).

I'm going to try and cover the Storybrooke developments in this episode for everyone except Mr. Gold relatively quickly, since I'm all about Mr. Gold as far as this hour is concerned. :) Valentine's Day is fast approaching, which makes things sticky for Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) and David (Josh Dallas) since they want to be together openly but can't, all thanks to that pesky issue of his wife. Ashley (Jessy Schram), a.k.a. Cinderella, makes a welcome return appearance -- she's happier now that she's reunited with her baby's father, Sean (Tim Phillipps), but he's so busy picking up extra shifts that they hardly have any time together, much less plan a wedding (side note: factory work is quite a come-down from a prince gig, hmm?). In an attempt to get over the romance blues, Ruby (Meghan Ory) suggests that she, Mary Margaret, and Ashley enjoy a girls' night out.

The girls' night really only ends well for Ashley, as Sean unexpectedly shows up and proposes (will a rift in the earth open up to swallow the couple if they try to tie the knot, and make their happy ending official? only time will tell!). Ashley and Sean's commitment to work at their relationship has Mary Margaret distinctly dissatisfied with carrying on with David in secret -- a point that is driven home by David accidentally giving her the wrong Valentine's card, the one intended for Kathryn. Note to David: YOU CANNOT MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. The biggest effect of the curse on Charming appears to be wishy-washiness! :P

While all of these Valentine's Day shenanigans are going on, Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle) returns to his home to find out that he's been robbed, and in response to Emma's (Jennifer Morrison) attempt to be ironic, he replies "Yeah well, I'm a difficult man to love." ANGST! OHMYGOSH I LOVE ANGST! Back in FTL, which let's remember is the best thing about this episode (gah! so good!), Belle has been settling into life at Rumple's castle. While I miss Belle's bookish tendencies, the show more than compensates for it by the way in which Belle refuses to be cowed by Rumple's manner (or lack thereof). While attempting to rip open some curtains (which Rumple had nailed shut, gotta love his thoroughness), Belle falls from a ladder and Rumple catches her AND THEY HAVE THIS MOMENT and this is the point where I just DIE because I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

So I have no idea how long, exactly, Belle was at Rumple's castle, but the point is it was long enough for them to build a wonderful little rapport and, perhaps most critically, for Rumple to not do the creepy psychotic laughing thing he does so often that drives me INSANE. So Rumple, because he has a boatload of issues and because he will look a gift horse in the mouth if you'll excuse the expression, reaches the point where he'll test Belle, sending her on an errand to fetch more straw for his spinning wheel, all the while fully expecting she won't return. And perhaps she would've run -- but seriously who is going to run from a guy like Rumple who is so CLEARLY REPRESSING A HEART, right? En route to the straw store (ha!) Belle meets the Queen (Lana Parrilla) -- and seriously does this woman get around or what? -- or else FTL is the size of Rhode Island. I can't decide. The Queen gets all chummy and plants the idea in the love-conflicted Belle that perhaps her employer is cursed, and OF COURSE all curses can be broken by true love's kiss.

And this is where things get heart-breaking. Filled with hope Belle returns to the castle and Rumple is absolutely adorable in how he WON'T admit he's happy she came back. *swoons* She kisses him and HE STARTS TO TRANSFORM! And I love this because I'm all about redemption stories! But this of course freaks the heck out of Rumple because if he becomes a normal man again he loses his powers. He goes completely off the rails then, accusing Belle of being in league with the Queen in a plot to destroy him and throws her in a prison cell. Oh the DRAMA, I can't TAKE IT PEOPLE!

Rumple ends up kicking Belle out into dark cold FTL, because power means more to him than love ever could. And this is why we love Belle, people, because she is so freaking NOBLE throughout the whole ordeal, leaving Rumple to his tortured aloneness. *sigh* A few days (weeks? who knows with this show) later, the Queen shows up and starts needling Rumple about Belle, dropping the bomb that her father kicked her out and she committed suicide. WHAT THE HECK, right?! This sends Rumple over the edge (again), and he throws a fit which is just HEART-BREAKING and then he sets a tea cup that Belle chipped (hellloooo CHIP!) as a memorial on a pedestal, his most treasured possession.

Back in Storybrooke, Mr. Gold has been arrested after Emma finds him beating the living daylights out of Belle's flower-selling Storybrooke father. Here's the thing -- I am not condoning vigilantism -- but holy cow seeing Mr. Gold in a rage over whatever the Storybrooke equivalent of driving Belle to suicide is -- the emotion and passion Carlyle puts in that moment is kinda hot. And here's where I might as well admit on the blog what I had a discussion with my friend Kaye about shortly after this episode aired -- I've always found Mr. Gold/Rumple kind of strangely hot. I have this problem with the random (apparent? assumed?) villain (see Chauvelin from The Scarlet Pimpernel). I think it has something to do with Mr. Gold's penchant for really sharp suits, unflappable (albeit cold) manners -- even in FTL Rumple wears sharp vests and his posture is to die for. Seriously. I really can overlook the scaly skin. Amazing!*

 

In jail Regina buys a few minutes of one-on-one time with Mr. Gold by giving Emma permission to (finally!) spend some time with Henry (Jared Gilmore). And this moment gave me chills -- she returns the chipped tea cup she arranged to have stolen from Gold's house only after he tells her is real name. When he breathes that word, "Rumplestiltskin," and all of their cards were on the table -- oh well-played Once, well-played. (The icing on the cake is, of course, the revelation that Belle is being held prisoner in like the friggin' basement of the Storybrooke hospital. BOOOOO REGINA!!!!)

 

I find it absolutely fascinating that this show has chosen to give viewers such hope for Rumple's character. Frankly after the whole Graham debacle they could reveal that Snow did in fact do something truly horrible to Regina, but I STILL wouldn't care because SHE CRUSHED GRAHAM'S HEART DANGIT. But Rumple -- oh goodness, the possibility that he has a happy ending out there if only he can bring himself to accept it, oh that is a tantalizing hope. Tread carefully, Once writers -- I am extremely emotionally invested in how this storyline turns out. I suspect that this story will be carefully parsed out over the course of the show -- and I hope, oh how I hope that Mr. Gold lives up to the promise hinted at in this episode.

 

Seeing as this is one of my favorite episodes, even though I'm a few weeks late I'd love to discuss. :)

 

*I'm really glad my Robert Carlyle/Rumple/Mr. Gold fascination is out in the open. :P

The Messenger by Siri Mitchell

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Messenger Bethany House Publishers (March 1, 2012) by Siri Mitchell
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.

But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a speaker and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.

Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Hannah Sunderland felt content in her embrace of the Quaker faith...until her twin brother ran off and joined the army and ended up captured and in jail. Suddenly Hannah's world turns on end. She longs to bring her brother some measure of comfort in the squalid, frigid prison where he remains. But the Quakers believe they are not to take sides, not to take up arms. Can she sit by and do nothing while he suffers?

Jeremiah Jones has an enormous task before him. Responsibility for a spy ring is now his, and he desperately needs access to the men in prison, whom they are seeking to free. A possible solution is to garner a pass for Hannah. But while she is fine to the eye, she holds only disdain for him--and agreeing would mean disobeying those she loves and abandoning a bedrock of her faith.

With skill and sensitivity, Mitchell tells a story of two unlikely heroes seeking God's voice, finding the courage to act, and discovering the powerful embrace of love.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Messenger, go HERE.

You can read  my review of The Messenger here.

Titanic miniseries update!

The Julian Fellowes-penned Titanic miniseries has been given a US air date! Parts one through three will air on Saturday, April 14th, followed by part four on Sunday, April 15th. (The three hour Saturday installment is going to be intense, I'm sure!) Thanks to Kaye for the heads up about broadcast dates. Here's a new trailer:

Review: The Messenger by Siri Mitchell

The Messenger

By: Siri Mitchell

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 978-0-7642-0796-9

About the book:

Hannah Sunderland felt content in her embrace of the Quaker faith...until her twin brother joined the Colonial cause and ended up in jail. She longs to bring some measure of comfort to him in the squalid prison, but her faith forbids it. The Friends believe they are not to take sides, not to take up arms. She is not allowed to visit him, even if she were able to secure a pass.

Jeremiah Jones, a Colonial spy, needs access to the jail to help rescue me important to the cause. Upon meeting Hannah, a plan begins to develop. Who would suspect a pious Quaker visiting a loved one?

But Jeremiah is unprepared for Hannah, for her determination to do right, to not lie. How can one be a spy and not lie? Hannah, in turn, is surprised by Jeremiah...for the way he forces her to confront her own beliefs, for the sensitivity and concern he shows her despite the wounds he still carries.

In a time of war, can two unlikely heroes find the courage to act?

Review:

With the city of Philadelphia under British occupation, Hannah Sunderland and her family, devout Quakers, struggle to survive in the midst of a conflict that has seen them disavowed and misused by both sides because of their pacifist beliefs. When a British officer commandeers the family home and news arrives that her twin brother, disowned by his Meeting and family for joining the Colonial army, has been imprisoned, Hannah finds the religious and familial dictates to stay uninvolved in the conflict increasingly untenable. Jeremiah Jones, an embittered ex-soldier who lost an arm in Pontiac's Rebellion fifteen years earlier, is determined to see the British pay for their callous disregard of his service and sacrifice simply by virtue of his being born a colonial. Under the occupation his tavern is a veritable hotbed of potential intelligence from free-drinking British soldiers, and when Jeremiah receives word that Washington wants to organize a prison break the ill-equipped Jeremiah finds himself thrust into the unlikely position of spymaster. Hannah's determination to visit her brother in prison in spite of her family's dictates provides the perfect cover -- but can a woman who refuses to lie, whose religious convictions Jeremiah despises, become a trusted confederate in a daring plot to thwart the British?

I adore Siri Mitchell's writing, but must confess that The Messenger took a few chapters longer than normal before I found myself truly invested in the story. When first introduced to Hannah, I must admit to sharing many of Jeremiah's frustrations with her Quaker beliefs, particularly their refusal to take sides in a conflict, especially when that means turning a blind eye to horrific abuses of power. And therein lies the genius of this novel -- Mitchell is careful to point out that there were those on both sides of this conflict that were imperfect, equally capable of committing heinous acts in the name of their "cause." Through Hannah and Jeremiah's respective struggles to come to terms with their wildly divergent backgrounds and the time in which they lived Mitchell explores the role of faith in a time of war in her trademark compelling fashion. This is historical fiction of the highest order, a novel that brings to brilliant life everything from the excesses of General Howe's occupation to the squalor of the prison housing Hannah's brother. The Messenger is a novel wholly of its time period but also transcending it, stepping out of the realm of its 18th-century trappings to speak to modern readers who live in a politically-charged, 24-hour news cycle and issue a challenge -- why do we believe what we believe, and have we let positions or protests trump the bedrock tenets of the faith to which we claim to adhere?

Mitchell alternates between Hannah and Jeremiah's point-of-view, using first person to immerse readers deep in their fears and struggles as they seek to fight against a system where the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against their success. As is the norm in Mitchell's historical fiction, she doesn't romanticize the past or shy away from the brutal cost of conflict. No matter what time period she chooses to explore, Mitchell's historical fiction shines because it has the ring of authenticity, richly saturated with period detail and customs, populated with characters whose heartbreak and emotions are so raw, fully realized they spring living and breathing from the page, so real you can't help but be impacted by their journey.

For those who favor their historicals with a dash of romance, The Messenger delivers -- though not, perhaps in a typical fashion. Hannah and Jerimiah's relationship develops at a gloriously slow burn, forged out of the fires of unfathomable pressure, all the more memorable because when they're first introduced they are the last people you'd expect to fall in love. But even as Hannah and Jeremiah challenge each other, Mitchell forces the reader to confront prejudices, question beliefs, and to count the cost of acting in faith, particularly when what one may be called to do or say flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Fraught with tension and conflict, Mitchell sheds light in one of our country's darkest, most tumultuous hours, challenging readers to examine why we believe what we believe even as we become invested in Hannah and Jeremiah's story. The Messenger is a rich, meaty, thought-provoking, at times unsettling read, a stellar example of Mitchell at her finest, a story that you'll ponder long after you finish the final pages. Very well done indeed.

Pan Am 1.14: "1964"

Pan Am ended its turbulent (sorry, I couldn't resist the flight-related pun!) first-season run a couple of weeks ago. And while renewal looks like a long-shot, I've got to applaud the showrunners for going big when it came to their final episode this year. "1964" is in my estimation one of the show's strongest episodes, and ratings challenges be hanged, this show didn't care about staying safe or offering resolution, throwing major plot twists and developments for all of the leads on the table in a pretty spectacular fashion. I suppose I'll tackle this final review couple by couple...

First of all I'm going to get Maggie's (Christina Ricci) story out of the way, because she's consistently been the weakest link this season as far as the stewardess storylines have gone in my opinion, and rather unfortunately she's no exception when it comes to this season finale. *sigh* Apparently somewhere between the crew's trip to Moscow and now she did a 180-degree turn and decided to become a smuggler. Seriously, Maggie, what makes you think this is going to end well? She's become Captain Broyles (Darren Pettie) partner in crime. They spar constantly and sparks fly, so of course they jump into bed together after Maggie successfully sells a case full of jewelry to some Portuguese thugs. *eyesroll* The only positive thing to come out of this development -- and that's a stretch -- is that Maggie convinces Broyles to use his stature within the Pan Am corporate heirarchy to positively influence the outcome of Dean's competency hearing (regarding the Haiti/dead passenger drama earlier in the season).

Ted's (Michael Mosley) still trying to come to terms with Amanda's (Ashley Greene) little bombshell that she wants an open marriage. Thankfully as far as my faith in Ted's character goes this concept gives him serious pause, especially after he visits Laura (Margot Robbie) to give her a replacement camera for the one she has confiscated by Russian authorities. I really love Ted and Laura together and I wish, oh how I wish their storyline hadn't been muddied with the Amanda mess this season. Laura's made her own questionable decisions this season but she really does bring out the best in Ted -- good grief Mosley's eyes just shine whenever they share scenes together. I loved the satisfaction of seeing Ted break his engagement and stand up to his overbearing father (Jay O. Sanders) and finally, FINALLY declare his love for Laura. GAH!! That scene was priceless.

OF COURSE it would be too much to expect Ted and Laura's road to happiness to be that easy. I'd love to hear what others think about Amanda's pregnancy bombshell -- personally I think she's lying. The fact that she is so desperate, so determined to marry Ted to give her a "normal" life that she actually thinks she can "buy" Laura as Ted's mistress is just mind-boggling. With her best shot at a husband slipping through her fingers, I don't think it is a stretch to imagine a fake pregnancy ploy to ensnare Ted permanently. So, if this show is in fact not renewed, Ted and Laura live happily ever after in my imagination. Just wanted to get that settled, 'k? *wink*

Kate (Kelli Garner) makes great strides in her spy life this episode. I've got to say once she committed to her work with the CIA she made some really impressive strides, hmm? :) When her New York contact Richard (Jeremy Davidson) shows up wounded from an unknown assailant's attack Kate faces her biggest challenge yet. Richard tasks her with delivering a critical microfilm to headquarters, cautioning her that if anyone asks after his whereabouts they're a double agent. OF COURSE the double agent turns out to be her trusted MI-6 contact Anderson (David Harbour). Kate is the bait in an elaborate sting operation at a train station, and the satisfaction of seeing her own that moment was just priceless -- the girl's got guts! *wink* After the op, while visiting Richard in the hospital on New Year's Eve, he tells her that the CIA wants her to become a real agent -- this would've been huge for a woman in the '60s, which makes Kate's concern about staying with Pan Am seem a little weird, but whatever. :P Anyways -- how sweet was the Richard/Kate moment in the hospital? I am TELLING you in my version of "the rest of the story" Kate and Richard OF COURSE finally admit they have feelings for each other AND they become a swingin' sixties spying power couple. WIN! :)













Colette's (Karine Vanasse) final storyline runs a close second with Kate's for favorite in this episode. Her romance with Omar (Piter Marek), the incognito prince, is progressing at a rapid pace -- much to Dean's (Mike Vogel) chagrin. It seems he's finally seeing the consequences of his inability to say no to women (here's looking at you, Bridget) and is resigned to losing Colette to the prince -- at least he's ceding the field with some grace. *sigh* Colette is on the verge of taking a six-month leave of absence from her beloved job for an official courtship, but all that comes to a screeching halt when the royal investigators uncover some shocking facts about her past. Everything she's known about her family, presumed lost in the war, was a lie -- in order to protect her the orphanage that granted her refuge changed her Jewish surname to a French one, and, best of all, she has a younger brother out there somewhere who was adopted!

This whole storyline just reinforces my belief that Colette is, hands-down, the best, most well-drawn character on this show. I loved the glimpses of her backstory revealed during the crew's earlier trip to Berlin, and this revelation is just the icing on the cake. While I wish more time could've been devoted to her romance with the prince (really he was to die for -- well, up until the break-up over hidden Jewish heritage thing, but at least he didn't cruelly drag it out -- and Colette, thankfully, wasn't overly invested in the relationship, so the news that she has a brother far outshines any might-have-been's with the prince), we all knew that was ultimately doomed because of Dean, right? Let me just add that Dean's offer to spend his six-month grounding period helping Colette find her missing brother was one of my favorite moments of the hour. He's committed to winning her back and frankly I loved seeing that.

The episode ends with the dawn of a new year -- 1964 -- and the beginning of a new era for every member of the Pan Am crew. In the wake of Kennedy's assassination and the developments of this hour, every principle is on the cusp of great change. I've had an admittedly roller-coaster relationship with this show, and while it faltered a bit after a promising first few episodes (most troubling concerning the crazy lack of morals) I loved the show's style and the introduction to promising talent like Vanasse and Garner. Pan Am was something wildy, refreshingly different for network television, and once I came to terms with the show's often over-the-top soap opera tendencies I enjoyed many of the episodes and/or storylines.

Personally here's how I see it playing out -- Maggie is going to crash and burn in a spectacular fashion since out of all of the four female leads she's the one most committed to a terminal case of recurring stupidity. After an extremely rocky period when Laura learns that Ted might be a father, the two reconcile when its proven that Amanda was fabricating fake children. Laura and Ted FINALLY marry and live happily ever after -- he eventually gets a captaincy and Laura becomes a famous photographer. As mentioned earlier Richard and Kate become a CIA power couple, saving freedom and the western way of life one case of microfilm at a time. And Dean and Colette? Well they find her brother of course, and eventually marry and live impossibly idyllic lives. THE END. Thoughts? :)