Mrs. Darcy

sigh. To be the wife of one of literature's most romantic and unlikely leading men would be divine. A divinity that perhaps does not exist outside of the confines of bound pages. I have found myself on a romantic (comedy) binge recently and I cannot help but ponder why. Is it the atmosphere of the month of February holding us in anticipation of Valentines Day? Is it the slow part of my schedule that give me more free time for leisurely indulgences such as movies? Or does that leisure time give way to more thought into the state of Miss and Mrs. - hood, things I often push aside in favor of less complex things like learning a new language or understanding Emerson?

On this gloriously lazy and dreary Sunday evening I partook in one of my new classic DVD's Pride & Prejudice ('05). The movie is perfectly paced, impeccably shot and wonderfully entertaining. Yet it is Jane Austen's story that takes me by surprise no matter how many times I read/see it. I believe what I enjoy most is the honesty when it comes to our relationships with others and the transcendence into new generations that will enjoy the story. Certainly others like Bridget Jones and a multitude of others have tried to modernize the story and make it more appealing to the popular culture. Indulging in it tonight though I realized it does not need updating because it is still increasingly relevant in modern times.

Young ladies grow up on the fancies of fairy tales. Boy meets girl. ON first look they fall desperately in love. Some third party threatens their eternal bliss. Epic battle in the name of love ensues. Third party defeated. Boy marries girl & they live happily ever after.

I think that is certainly the falsified Utopian version of love as it remains today. Boy meets/falls in love with girl. But I think more often than not there is no third party standing in their way. No the modern adaptation of the fairytale is that they get in their own way. Elizabeth loves Darcy, Darcy is not upfront with her there is a misunderstanding and she rejects him. Elizabeth later realizes despite their differences she loves Darcy. Yet he is unavailable. Their own demeanor and actions keep them apart. This romance is an incredible tale because it gives me hope that differences can be overcome. I am Elizabeth Bennett. Hopelessly stubborn, highly opinionated, fiercely independent. The majority of my days those things work in my favor. They certainly have in love. I have fallen in love at first sight only to later find the object of my affections was not worthy of them. I have slowly fallen into love to find that a combination of third parties and boy vs. girl issues would never allow it to flourish. I have become cynical and bitter towards love very much like Mr. Darcy. And still at the end of the day I see the sunshine over the hill. The dawn of the new love.

I'd like to think we have moved on from the days when I woman had to marry to ensure herself a suitable lifestyle. While perhaps socially and financially we have evolved past that I can't help feel that my heart still wants that. While I am the modern Elizabeth Banks who if no Darcy arrives can succeed completely on her own...I wish to see him one day walk over the field in the mist coming to meld our spirits into one. Criticize Jane Austen for being too romantic or sappy. Criticize me for falling for it time and time again. Yet I keep Darcy's words close to my heart: " I believe you spoke with my aunt last night, and it has taught me to hope as I'd scarcely allowed myself before."

My hope is that this romantic movie binge isn't just for this time of year. That we hold out for great romance pieces because they help us hold out for great romance. They certainly give me hope that one day all of us, myself included, will find that individual who makes us completely, perfectly and incandescently happy and who would walk to the ends of the earth to return the favor

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