The Duchess and other historic weepies

[Bonsoir]

DD (5) and I are fairly addicted to a good romantic historical film or television series on DVD. We have been feasting on BBC Austen adaptations and are currently addicted enjoying The Duchess.

Any recommendations for more in the same vein?

Goodness that's quite young to be watching The Duchess? Afai remember there's some quite explicit scenes in that no?

Could recomment Young Victoria.

Oh yes, we saw Young Victoria at the cinema - I'll get the DVD. Thanks

Have you tried Dickens adaptations? The Derek Jacobi film of Little Dorrit is great, or BBC Our Mutual Friend. Though it might all be a bit dark and scary for a 5 yo.

Oh yes - we've got Polanski's Oliver Twist and she loves it. I shall try your two recommendations, thank you .

the recent BBC Cranford?

Perhaps - I'd probably enjoy it more than DD (I saw a couple of episodes on the TV in England) because it is urban/industrial as opposed to rural/aristocratic drama. I'll get in for me!

Have you seen the Pride and Prejudice film with La Keira? It is very good - Matthew McFadyen makes a good Darcy.

Also SEnse and Sensbibility with Emma Thomposn and Kate Winslet is very good.

The Importnace of Being Earnest with Reese Witherspoon, Judi Dench and Rupert Everett.

Vanity Fair is a good one, again has Reese Witherspoon in it.

I have not seen the Sofia Coppola Marie Antionette but that may be worth a look, I haveheard it is a beatifully realised film.

I have both P&P with Keira, and the Sofia Coppola Marie Antoinette, which is odd but lovely. I think I prefer the BBC Sense & Sensibility to Emma and Kate.

I don't have either The Importance of Being Earnest or Vanity Fair - sounds great!

I'd beware of Cranford - it's surprisingly gory in places. In the first episode someone breaks an arm and there's blood everywhere - I couldn't watch it!

Marie Antoinette is dire as a film but undemanding and very pretty to watch.

I love the BBC film of Persuasion - it's probably about 15 years old now but is still very good. Have you tried any Shakespeare? Ok, so the language might be a bit advanced but something like Much Ado About Nothing (with Emma Thompson) or Twelfth Night (with Helena Bonham-Carter) fit most of the "period" criteria and are really good films to boot.

Oh, and what about Jane Eyre? Either the recent TV adaptation or the recent(ish) film, I thought both were good.

How about The Aristocrats? It's based on the biography of the Lennox Sisters. The book is fab and from what I remember the TV series was great too.

You may want to check content cos I wouldn't 100% swear that it's suitable for a 5yo.

I have a newer BBC Persuasion than that, which I only quite liked. I will try to unearth the earlier one.

I remember liking the Emma Thompson Much Ado About Nothing. Good idea.

Jane Eyre also a good idea - is that the one with Charlotte Gainsbourg?

Yes, that's the one!

Was the more recent Persuasion the one with Rupert Penry-Jones? I watched that last week and thought it was dreadful. The old one (have just checked, it's from 1995) is much more true to the book, IIRC.

How about some Merchant Ivory? A Room with View might be a good place to start. And have you tried Little Women? The version with Winona Ryder was one of my favourites when I was little.

Have you seen the Scarlet Pimpernel? The one with Anthony Andrews is (unintentionally) hilarious, but good fun. And have you tried Shakespeare in Love?

OK, will stop now...

Oh I know, how about Nancy Mitford's Pursuit of Love/Love in a Cold Climate? There was an ok-ish tv adaptation a few years ago.

Or Cold Comfort Farm, the Kate Beckinsale one. Even a 5 year old would find that one funny, I think.

I take it you have already got the recentish Northanger Abbey, with Carey Mulligan as Isabella (can't remember who played Catherine Morland)?

Thank you for your further suggestions, BadGardener. I am very well set up with recent Jane Austen BBC and Granada adaptations.

I should love to see Cold Comfort Farm - and my DD is called Flora, so she will be very interested indeed!

Flora Poste is an excellent role model for any young lady!

I must say that I loathed the most recent Nancy Mitford adaptation, which I thought was nasty, brutish and short. Scrub round that one in my opinion.

The 1995 Persuasion with Amanda Root is a must.

Not exactly historical, and the subtitles might be a trial for a 5-year-old, but I LOVED Three Gifts for Cinderella which was shown on TV when I was perhaps 6. Most beautiful and magical.

How about Anne of the Thousand Days with Genevieve Bujold? I must say I have never actually seen this but I do love GB... am dressing up as Anne Boleyn for a party in a couple of weeks

There was a rather lovely Tenant of Wildfell Hall from the BBC in 2006 with Tara Fitzgerald.

Another one I have only seen clips of, but IMO you can't get much more romantic than Errol Flynn and Olivia De Havilland in Robin Hood!

Thanks choosy!

and everyone else - lots of very good ideas! Now off to give my credit card a spot of exercise on amazon!

39 Steps with Rupert Penry Jones or Robert Powell.

Scarlet Pimpernel with Richard E Grant

Yhe Emperor's New Clothes (Ian Holme, channel 4 movie) (to be watched behind shuttered Windows in France)

North and South - Richard Armitage and the lovely Brendan Coyle aka Mr Timmins in Larkrise to Candleford