I have found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said, "Journeys end in lovers meeting." What an extraordinary thought.
~from “The Holiday”
So I saw the movie “The Holiday” over the weekend (dragged my hubby with me because it was my birthday - the fact that he was one of 3 men in the theater didn’t really amuse him).
Very cute movie, not too terribly predictable, and of course since I’m a romance writer I was interested in how they created character and conflict and how believable it all was.
The story, if you haven’t seen the previews, is about two women who switch houses on a home exchange for 2 weeks: one in the English countryside and one in L.A. And of course, both have just broken up with their boyfriends, and both find love (or at least its potential) while they’re away from home. The thing I found hardest to accept was the fact that it all happens in 2 weeks - but of course that’s a nicely built in external conflict, and it’s Hollywood, so…
The best part of the movie, honestly, were the actors: Kate Winslet is matched up with Jack Black (sort of an odd pairing, but it seems to work), and Cameron Diaz is matched up with Jude Law. Now, say what you will about his real-life personal antics, but Jude Law is definitely easy on the eyes. I could look at him for well over 2 hours.
Actually, he has probably one of the more interesting characters to play in the movie. And the way Diaz (and the viewer) discovers the secret he’s hiding works well, I think.
It’s a cute movie, so if you’re looking for something light and entertaining this holiday season, you could definitely do worse.
3 comments:
Allie, I don't know if the movie is based on the novel... but I read a novel recently with the same premise. The book was excellent (now if I could just remember the name and author!)
I wonder, if it is the same book, how close the movie stays to the original? I"ll have to try and find it...
Allie, I looked at the movie page and I don't think it's the same.... at least not in detail. It WAS in England and America... one was a woman who was recently divorced and her children were with their dad (I think) and the other was a woman whose husband taught at the local college and was in California or something for a few weeks... and there is a mystery about a closed, locked room in the American house and a son. Does any of that ring a bell? I wish I could remember the author and title. I really enjoyed the book.
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