Please welcome J. Marie Croft!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks,
Liz, for allowing me to contribute to your Reading Life.
Like
Liz’s banner up there says, “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not
pleasure in a good novel or film, must be intolerably stupid.”
Okay,
so Jane Austen never mentioned film, but her novels have been adapted to
screens big and small for over 75 years. Clueless (1995) is a romantic
comedy loosely based on Emma. The following year, Gwyneth Paltrow
starred in a theatrical film adaptation of the same novel.
Right
now, you can probably see Pride and Prejudice and Zombies at your local
cinema. Back in 2005, Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen starred in Pride
and Prejudice on the big screen. But it was the 1995 BBC six-episode
television dramatization of that novel that made a huge impact on my life.
My
love of Austen came later than for most other fans of her work, and it came
about in a roundabout way. Namely, curiosity about the fuss over Bridget
Jones’s Diary (2001) starring Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant.
Colin Firth! He’s responsible for sparking my Jane Austen obsession. His
Mark Darcy led me to his Mr. Darcy. Which led to Austen’s novels. Which led to
Jane Austen fan fiction. Which led to writing what I call ‘Regency romantic
comedies’.
According
to Wikipedia, romantic comedies are: … films with
light-hearted, humorous plot lines, centered on romantic ideals such as that
true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typical romantic comedy the
two lovers tend to be young, likable, and apparently meant for each other, yet
they are kept apart by some complicating circumstance (e.g., class differences,
parental interference, a previous girlfriend or boyfriend) until, surmounting
all obstacles, they are finally wed. A wedding-bells, fairy-tale-style happy ending
is practically mandatory.
My
light-hearted novella, A Little Whimsical in His Civilities, takes place
one moonlit night in 1812 and is told from the gentleman’s point of view.
Attempts to dance and talk with his ladylove are foiled by others. Then, when
he does get her alone, he has trouble expressing himself. It all turns out
well, though.
Humour,
complications, and a happily-ever-after ... yep, ‘Regency Rom Com’. That’s my
story, and I’m sticking to it. But, just like Jane Austen’s novels, my stories
have no steamy sex scenes. Sorry to disappoint. Characters may be allowed to
steal a kiss, though, which is further than Austen dared.
I
prefer the old-fashioned kind of romantic comedy – such as those starring Rock
Hudson and Doris Day or Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy or, much later, Meg
Ryan and Tom Hanks.
In
honour of Valentine’s Day, and in no particular order (except the first film,
which is my all-time favourite in the genre), I’ve listed my top five rom coms.
Colin Firth is in three of them. Coincidence? I think not. The other two have
the late Audrey Hepburn in common.
J. Marie Croft’s Top 5 Romantic Comedies
Love
Actually (2003)
The
Importance of Being Earnest (2002)
Algernon
(Rupert Everett): “I really don't see what is so romantic about proposing.
One may be accepted - one usually is, I believe - and then the excitement is
ended. The very essence of romance is uncertainty.”
Bridget
Jones’s Diary (2001)
Sabrina
(1954)
Linus
Larrabee (Humphrey Bogart): How do you say in French my sister has a yellow pencil?
Sabrina
Fairchild (Audrey Hepburn): Ma soeur a un crayon jaune.
Linus: How do you
say my brother has a lovely girl?
Sabrina: Mon frère a
une gentille petite amie.
Linus: And how do
you say I wish I were my brother?
Roman
Holiday (1953)
Princess
Ann (Audrey Hepburn): “At midnight, I'll turn into a pumpkin and drive away in
my glass slipper.”
Joe
Bradley (Gregory Peck): “And that will be the end of the fairy tale.”
So, what are your
favourite rom coms?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A huge thanks to J. Marie Croft for visiting with us today! Those are some fabulous movies, indeed. Personally, I would have to add You've Got Mail and Breakfast At Tiffany's to the list.
Congrats on your new release. I look forward to reading A Little Whimsical In His Civilities!
A Little Whimsical in His Civilities
by J. Marie Croft
by J. Marie Croft
Blurb
Told
entirely from Fitzwilliam Darcy’s point of view, J. Marie Croft’s humorous
novella, A Little Whimsical in His Civilities, spans one moonlit,
autumnal night upon the gentleman’s return to Hertfordshire in pursuit of
Elizabeth Bennet.
“We
take the turning which places us on Meryton’s main road, and—oh, gad! There it
is—the base-court building which passes for an assembly hall in this
godforsaken place. For me, the venue shall be either a heaven or a hell
tonight. My palms grow clammy, my gut churns, and I regret that second helping
of onion-laden vegetable pie forced on me before we left.”
Accompany
Darcy as he, intent on reversing the disastrous first impression he made there,
braves another Meryton assembly and seeks to win his heart’s desire.
Purchase A Little Whimsical in His Civilities
Author Bio
J. Marie
Croft is a
self-proclaimed word nerd and adherent of Jane Austen’s quote “Let other pens
dwell on guilt and misery”. Her light-hearted novel, Love at First
Slight (Meryton Press, 2013), her humorous short story, Spyglasses
and Sunburns, in the Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer anthology
(Meryton Press, 2015), and her novella, A Little Whimsical in His
Civilities (Meryton Press, 2016) bear witness to Joanne’s
fondness for Pride and Prejudice, wordplay, and laughter.
Links
Blog Tour Schedule
2/8:
Excerpt & Giveaway at My Jane Austen Book Club
2/9:
Guest Post & Giveaway at Moonlight Reader
2/10:
Review at Tomorrow is Another Day
2/11:
Guest Post & Giveaway at So Little Time…
2/12:
Excerpt at My Love for Jane Austen
2/13:
Excerpt & Giveaway at More Agreeably Engaged
2/14: Guest
Post & Giveaway at Liz’s Reading Life
2/15:
Guest Post & Giveaway at From Pemberley to Milton
2/17:
Review at Half Agony, Half Hope
2/18:
Review at Margie’s Must Reads
2/19:
Excerpt & Giveaway at Best Sellers and Best Stellars
2/20: Guest Post & Giveaway at Skipping Midnight
2/21:
Guest Post & Giveaway at Babblings of a Bookworm
Hi, Liz, and thanks for making my post look lovely.
ReplyDeleteIn my guest post's first draft, I had included an Honourable Mention for The Shop Around the Corner (1940) -- the film that was later remade as You've Got Mail.
And here's a bit of trivia about The Importance of Being Earnest. The play was first performed at the St. James's Theatre in London on … February 14, 1895.
Oh yes, "The Importance of Being Earnest" is terrific. I love Rupert Everett; he is fantastic. I've always loved the comedic side of Cary Grant, and I see Rupert as the modern version of Cary.
ReplyDeleteOn of my favorite movies is "Bachelor Mother." The romance part is okay, contrived but typical for that era, of course. I really love it for the New Year's Eve scene at the hotel, where Ginger Rogers is pretending to be Swedish. Just kills me!
Thanks for dropping by here, Ginna. Your comments are always very much appreciated … especially those that make me snicker. You know what I mean. ;-)
DeleteNote to self: add 'watch Bachelor Mother' to extensive list of things to do
Thanks for the recommendation, Ginna, and Happy Valentine's Day!
I've seen three of the five movies you mention. I love watching romantic comedies, there nothing more enjoyable then watching two people fall for each other with humor infused.
ReplyDeleteWhich three?
DeleteThe ones with Colin Firth. 😁
Delete