Tag Archives: Film

July 26, 2016 · 11:25 AM

Musings A to Z Challenge: W

Challenge: Write a short paragraph (100 words or less) daily on a topic beginning with the sequential letter of the alphabet.

Wiring

Mark Twain once said, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn’t.” Life is usually smoother than its fictional counterpart; true stories made into film, such as It Could Happen to You (Nicholas Cage, 1994) would be “too boring” if they only told the truth. But wires need to be crossed… relationships gone stale must be electrocuted back to life, communication hampered by misunderstandings, and obstacles placed in the path of the hero/heroine to make it more interesting. Crossed wires are the bedrock of most tales, no matter the genre.

Wiring

Musings A to Z Challenge: L

Challenge: Write a short paragraph (100 words or less) daily on a topic beginning with the sequential letter of the alphabet.

Lackadaisical

Lackadaisical is such a whimsical word compared to what it actually means: “Unenthusiastic, uninterested, and lethargic”. I love the 18^th century definition: “sentimentally woebegone”; it came from a 1748 interjection, “lackadaisy”, which meant alas/alack. It seems to me the type of word that the fairy godmother in the 1955 Cinderella tale (The Glass Slipper, with Leslie Carron) would like to say just for the sound of it: Window sill… Cinderella… meadowlark… lackadaisical. Or a word that should be included in lists such as Mary Poppins’ favourite word, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (which is reminiscent of long German words, though English has them too).

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Filed under A-Z Writing Challenges, Images, Quotes, Writing Exercise

Tagged as A-Z Challenge, Cinderella, Doug Larson, Etymology, Film, Lackadaisical, Leslie Carron, Link, Longest German Words, Mary Poppins, Quote, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, The Glass Slipper

May 31, 2015 · 11:53 PM

Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont

Writers love to read; I think there’s also a bit of a movie buff in each one of us! I like to watch films for the entertainment, but also for the analytical aspects; to see how the plot is built, how characters are developed, how scenes unfold, and which camera angles work best in a particular moment (that translates in writing to the point of view in a given context).

“Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont” (2005) is a beautiful piece of cinematic craft in which characters are explored with a great deal of tenderness, wit and insight. The film is based on the eponymous book by the English writer Elizabeth Taylor (1912-1975), considered one of the greatest British authors of the twentieth century. There are a wide range of characters, from the calm and insightful Mrs Palfrey or the spontaneous and warm-hearted honorary grandson, to a collection of oddball characters all staying together in the same London hotel for better or worse, and the great minor characters such as the “bellboy”, the waitress, the ex-girlfriend or the real grandson.

It’s a gem of a film; if you haven’t seen it, consider getting your hands on it to watch! It’s one to enjoy, and then re-watch and take notes on how it unfolds. Be inspired, and keep writing!

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Filed under Articles, Plot Thots & Profiles

Tagged as arts, Book, British Author, Character Development, Elizabeth Taylor, Film, Films, Movies, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, Relationships