Babe 
Not only is this film a delight from beginning to end but it is heavily interlarded with Britishness (even though it isn't set anywhere in particular). Watch our taciturn leading man cling to his plucky pig whilst braving personal scorn, social ostracism and wifely disdain.
The Moon for Lavinia has a barn burning. Barn burning? Did someone say barn burning?
The Long , Hot Summer
*The Parent Trap gets more than an honorable mention as two winning scamps team up to make two misguided adults fall in love. I have to choose the Hayley Mills version even though the Lindsay Lohan version has a British angle, not only because it is a classic, but because it makes me too sad to see the once darling Lohan since she became such a hot, ghetto mess. Also, that version has Dennis Quaid after his mouth went wonky and I'd rather see Brian Keith.
Babe is one of my all-time favorite movies. I know this because I went more than once, by myself, to see it in the movie theater.
ReplyDeleteOther films that have that distinction: Pretty Woman (where the hotel might as well be the "Beverly Brighton") and The Killing Fields.
I had a film class in college at the time with the professor who signed up all the films for the International Cinema on campus. When he raved about a pig movie I was so startled that I had to see it for myself. Sheer delight and wonderfully quotable: Pork is a nice, sweet meat.
ReplyDeleteBarbara here--
ReplyDeleteI adore Babe! One of my favorite movies and I always tear up at the end. And of course the Hayley Mills Parent Trap! (This Betty is old enough to have seen it in the theatre(Brit spelling)when it first came out). For all that I loved Paul Newman and thought he was sooo hot, I was never a fan of his 50's angst-y dramas.
I can't resist Angela Landsbury's portrayal as Brighton-resident-wanting-Dorset-cottage when she says (her Southern accent as thick as molasses) to Orson Wells that he can't tell her he's too old and sick for marriage because, quote, "I am in a position to know otherwise..."
ReplyDeleteI recall some interview with an actress (I'll say Kate Winslet, but you can fill in your favorite actress's name if you like) just before the Academy Awards the year that Babe was eligible. When she was asked what acting performance had blown her away that year, she said the Border Collie that played "Rex" in the scene where he's run back to get the "baa ram ewe" password that Babe needs for the sheepherding trials. The dog is clearly focused on the sheep but already sidling backwards, his body language clearly saying, "I'm listening respectfully but it's really urgent that I get back so HURRY UP!"
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I read that, I knew exactly what she was talking about -- it was awesome acting! "Best Performance by a Dog in a Supporting Role."
Making my way through all the posts I missed ...
ReplyDeleteI hated Babe because it beat Apollo 13 for the Oscar for Special Effects, which for some reason I took personally, being a space geek.
As well you should have, so did I! Actors filming lengthy zero-g scenes in 15-second clips on the parabolic airplane (aka vomit comet) are far more impressive than that silly pig!
DeleteMy daughter the future veterinarian astronaut (she wants to take care of the dogs on the moon base) got to meet Bill Nye the Science Guy and join The Planetary Society, promoting All Things Space. Great organization for us space geeks!
That sounds awesome! Betty should have written in at least one aspiring Dutch astronaut (ruimtevaarder?) in place of one of the boring English historians.
DeleteAnd you don't think the folks who worked with dogs, a cat, pigs, sheep (lots of sheep), a horse, and several dogs didn't have to deal with vomit?
DeleteLOL
Wait just one minute, boring English historians? Not possible.
DeleteHey! Be CAREFUL what you say! I happen to be rather fond of the English historian!
DeleteTake a look at the list of Nederlandse ruimtevaarders and there may be a hidden clue why the Great Betty did not see fit to give us a Dutch astronaut.
I can't find the hidden clue, but I am dying to know how to pronounce "Wubbo." Can you picture a RDD named "Wubbo"? Beats RBD "Ralph"? (And, no, I don't care if it pronounced "Rafe.")
DeleteI know, I know. But it would have been interesting anyway. Maybe more likely would be a younger Dutch brother bucking the tradition of generations of doctors to study astrophysics or rocket science.
DeleteDisclaimer: No offence to English historians is intended.
Time for another Speak-Along with Betty A.
DeleteWubbo – Frisian name. (Have you guessed?)
VÜ – bo Ü as in German Glück (short ü sound)
Female speaker pronouncing the name of Professor Dr. Wubbo Ockels
TEDx Amsterdam 2009 (tweeduizend negen) met (0:12) gastspreker Wubbo Ockels, natuurkundige, de eerste Nederlander in de ruimte en nu op zoek naar leven in de ruimte.
(0:22) Wubbo Ockels
(TEDx Amsterdam with guest speaker Wubbo Ockels, scientist, the first Nederlander (Dutchman) in space and now looking for life in space.)
Young man/youth and Wubbo Ockels himself pronouncing the name Wubbo Ockels
Hallo, allemaal, wij staan hier voor de Technische Universiteit Delft. Wij gaan zo meteen de eerste Nederlander in de ruimte interviewen, (0:07) Wubbo Ockels. Hij zit hier in het gebouw en we gaan nu naar hem toe. Loop maar met mij mee.
(Hello everbody, we are standing here in front of the Technische Universiteit Delft. We are about to interview the first Nederlander in space, Wubbo Ockels. He is sitting here in the building and we are now going to him. Come along with me.)
(0:37) Mijn naam is Wubbo Ockels.
(My name is Wubbo Ockels.)
No, I cannot picture an RDD named Wubbo. Sounds like the name of a trusted retainer.
Ralph is a fine name, and, contrary to your belief, mostly pronounced Ralf, even in the UK. My favourite dictionary (Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary) says so, anyway.
Bettys in Great Britain, can you verify this statement?
The hidden clue? Place rather than space.
I would imagine they had different, yet equally icky, bodily fluids and solids to deal with :) Perhaps that would be worse.....
ReplyDeleteI think either would be pretty bad. I don't do with bodily anything very well. ;)
ReplyDelete