Share Your Gems
Jan 20th 2010
Madeline HunterGoddess Readers Speak Out & Madeline Hunter
The recent rerelease of a book got me thinking about my private collection of little gems. These are books or films or even television shows that are not necessarily famous, but that impressed me either for their emotional content or because they were beautifully crafted. Often they are quiet stories, or are told in a different way from others of their ilk. Sometimes they defy conventions, or seem out of the mainstream. On occasion they are stories that are not especially unique, but the artistry of the writer or director made them special.
The film Chocolat is in my gem box. It stars Johnny Depp. He is actually a secondary character and he shows up late in the story. The main character is a woman who breezes into a French town one day with her young daughter in tow, and sets up a shop where she makes incredible chocolat candies, cakes, etc.
Here is the thing about gems. Often when you explain what they are about, people look back blankly. A one line description or the blurb on a DVD or book cover never does them justice. So my description of Chocolat does not convey the magical realism of the movie, or the neatly delineated relationships that develop.
Another film gem is the Victorian- set Angels and Insects, which tells the story of a naturalist who enters the rarified world and home of a wealthy patron impressed with his work, eventually marrying his daughter, only to discover that the family is not quite what it seems.
From farther back in time, Diner was one of the first gems I collected, but it is better known. It launched the careers of several actors, and was Micky Rourke’s “break out” film. In it, friends from high school, now out in the world, still meet at the diner of their youth as they find their ways to their next stages in life. Not a new story, but it was told with heart and optimism. I think Dangerous Liaisons can be called a gem too, even though it received considerable attention and critical acclaim. I mean the one with Glen Close and John Malcovich (who may have found his perfect role in this movie.) It also starred Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman very 
early in their careers.
So what was the little gem of a book that got me thinking about this? Mary Balogh’s Precious Jewel. I read it when it first came out and to say that it turned Regency romance expectations on their head is an understatement. A heroine who is a prostitute (no prettying it up, either), a hero so ordinary he is almost an anti-hero—- there were scenes from this gem that rang so true that I still hear the bell.
Share your gems, if you have some. Are there any movies or books in your jewel box that were not bestsellers or must-sees when they were released? Any oldies but goodies that you want to point us toward?
71 Comments »
71 Responses to “Share Your Gems”
Archer on 20 Jan 2010 at 6:51 am #
If you like Chocolat you have to watch Like Water for Chocolate.
LoriHandeland on 20 Jan 2010 at 6:52 am #
I have one very old movie in my box that I love to watch to cheer me up. Yours, Mine and Ours with Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball. It’s cute and sweet and funny and I’ve always loved it.
There’s also Memento, which is a real brain twisters, and something my kids brought home called Boondock Saints. The latter is extremely violent and dark, but it’s also funny and thought provoking and it has Willem Defoe, who I love. There was supposed to be a sequel out recently but it never showed up.
LisaK on 20 Jan 2010 at 7:11 am #
One of my gems is the movie The AristoCats by Walt Disney. It’s actually for children but I love it dearly and my sister surprised the heck out of me this Christmas when she gave me the DVD. I just love it! The drawings are so beautiful – I wish they’d still make animated cartoons like that nowadays – and the story is so sweet and lovely; the funny songs only add to that. It always makes me feel good.
Another gem is Die unendliche Geschichte (”The neverending story”) by Michael Ende. It was the first fantasy book I read as a kid and it opened up a whole new world to me. I don’t think I’d look at that genre the way I do today if I had never read that book. As with fairytales, there’s so much more behind that story, so many layers and messages, and I love deciphering all of them because it gives me so much.
Karen Rose on 20 Jan 2010 at 7:51 am #
Madeline – we watch a lot of movies in my house as hubby’s hobby is reviewing them for IMDB. He is the most prolific IMDB reviewer on the planet, so we watch a LOT of movies.
Many of them are duds and I usually find something else to do while he tortures himself. Sometimes, though, he finds the most amazing gems.
“The Color of Paradise” is an Iranian movie that has haunted me since the final credits rolled by. I saw it a few years ago and the thought of it still makes me go all quiet inside. The movie itself is remarkable, about a blind boy growing up in Iran. It is so beautifully done, so heartwrenching. And it opened my eyes to myself. I think I didn’t expect such a remarkable, beautiful film from a culture that is depicted so often in a negative light.
See the movie. You will not be sorry.
Other gems – Babette’s Feast (Danish, I think), The Children are Watching Us (Italian, it will break your heart).
A fun, lighthearted, crazy, wacko flick – The Happiness of the Katakuris (not sure I spelled it right, it’s Japanese.)
Pesky on 20 Jan 2010 at 8:01 am #
I would recommend a Steve Martin movie that kept me interested from start to finish, A Simple Twist of Fate (called Mathilda overseas). It’s about a man (Steve Martin) who retreats from the world after everything he had was taken from him, and a man (Gabriel Byrne) who has everything and gives it away due to his political greed including his own child. It’s just a really interesting movie and very well written.
Amy on 20 Jan 2010 at 8:14 am #
One movie I have in my box is Moulin Rouge. Ewan Mcgregor is one of my favourites, and I thought he was so adroable in this movie. It is full of great music, and also great secondary characters. Nicle Kidman isn’t one of my favourites, but I really liked her in this movie. Another movie in my box is Trainspotting. I loved the book, and it’s one of those rare movies where I have read the book and didn’t hate the movie made of it.
A book in my gem box is Iris Johansen’s The Wind Dancer. I had read all of her suspense novels, and I just happened upon this book in a UBS, and I picked it up. I loved it and the 2 others in the series, they are full of great romance and adventure, and they converted me into a romance reader.
I wasn’t on the computer yesterday, so I just want to wish Sabrina a happy belated release day!!
Julia London on 20 Jan 2010 at 8:22 am #
My number one gem is Pride and prejudice with Colin Firth, followed by any other version. I watch that miniseries every year.
A book that really sparked my love of historical fiction is Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman. A saga, a love story, a real history — it was and is to die for.
Claudia Dain on 20 Jan 2010 at 8:32 am #
The Importance of Being Earnest, the original British film of this Oscar Wilde play. It stars Michael Redgrave and many other well-recognized British acting stars of the 30s and 40s. The movie was remade in Hollywood with Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon, but the Brit version—all that beautifully rendered snark—is my favorite. No one can do dry wit like the British.
Dear Frankie, a quiet British film about love, is just fabulous. I can’t recommend it enough.
Memento is a movie that I loved from start to finish. I loved what it had to say about the lies we tell to get the result we want. Just mesmerizing.
For books, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society just blew me away. It’s not exactly unknown, but I still think not enough people have read it. I’ve read it three times in the past 4 months! It’s a story that crawls under your skin and you’re happy to have it there.
Aly on 20 Jan 2010 at 8:34 am #
I don’t watch that many movies but the few that I do are those that a lot of people haven’t seen!
I love For the Love of the Game. It is a good love story but it is also a movie that DH will watch b/c it has baseball in it
Up Close and Personal is another favorite of mine and for the life of me I can’t understand why b/c I hate the ending. I think it may have something to do with the fact that it is one of the few movies that DH took me to when we were dating!
And then of course there is Undercover Blues. Both DH and I love this movie and we certainly have no clue why since it is such an absurd movie but whenever we see Stanley Tucci we say “My name is Muerte, my name is death!” and start cracking up!
kay on 20 Jan 2010 at 8:50 am #
Don’t you just love the costumes in Angels and Insects? Anyway, my movie jewels get awfully close to guilty pleasures. I love Don Juan Demarco, another Johnny Depp movie. There is an Italian movie called The Gold of Naples with Sophia Loren, Silvano Mangana, Toto and directed by Victoria DeSica. It’s six different stories told in one movie.
Another one is really hokey and filled with ham, but I love it: When Ladies Meet, with Joan Crawford, Greer Garson, Herbert Marshall and Robert Taylor. Joan Crawford plays a romance writer and wears long garden dresses and glasses to look intelligent. Anyway, she’s having an affair with married Herbert Marshall. The interesting part is when she meets his wife Greer Garson. There are some cringe worthy moments in this movie, but it is still one of my favorites.
My book gems are: I, Claudius and Claudius the God. I’ve read those over and over.
Lisa H on 20 Jan 2010 at 8:56 am #
Well my favorite movies are also kind of popular: Under The Tuscan Sun, Twilight, Moonstruck and Pirates of the Caribbean I.
I am a sucker for the happy ending and love the romance in all of the above. Under The Tuscan Sun always makes me cry when at the end the water starts flowing out of the faucet, a metaphor for her life. Twilight totally gets me, Edward just radiates whenever he and Bella are together, the sexual tension is so strong, and Moonstruck makes me laugh from the first scene to the last.
Julia – I am with you on Pride and Prejudice. I love all the versions and could watch it weekly and never tire of it.
Madeline – I am finally reading “The Sins of Lord Easterbrook” Wow! I am so enjoying it!
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 9:01 am #
Archer, I’ll give that a try. Thanks!
Lori H, I love Yours Mind and Ours. I even read the book it was based on long ago. Memento shows up on lots of lists, and I really need to see it.
Lisa K, I remember The Aristocats! Wow, that brings back memories. I did not realize it was on DVD now.
Karen R, I’m picturing your hubby watching films that don’t work for you and you sitting there with a book, glancing over with that look in your eyes that say I’m dying here.
Margaret on 20 Jan 2010 at 9:02 am #
I have 3 gems at the top of my movie list. Quiet & off-beat, they just appeal to something in me.
“Local Hero” – Upwardly mobile yuppie exec is sent to Scotland to buy up an entire village where his company wants to build a refinery. The locals are keen to sell at top dollar. Yuppie slowly changes as time goes on. The scenery is beautiful and so is the story. Northern lights are featured. Peter Riegart, Burt Lancaster
“Harold & Maude” – Young guy obsessed with death keeps faking his own suicide. Becomes friends with old woman at the end of her years. A one-line description can’t describe this movie. Bud Cort and the wonderful Ruth Gordon
“The Gods Must Be Crazy” – Coke bottle is thrown from airplane almost hitting a native. He thinks it’s a gift from the gods. Villagers begin to fight over it. So, he decides to throw it off the ends of the earth. This movie is so bizarre and funny. I never watch God 2 because I didn’t want this gem spoiled for me. Seconds movies seem to ruin the first sometimes. No famous or future famous people in it.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 9:05 am #
Pesky, I’ve seen a Simple Twist of Fate and I agree it is a gem.
Amy, Iris’s romances were incredible. Big stories and strong writing. I remember when she moved to suspense, and of course I am happy for her success, but the romance reader in me was sad about it. Up until these next books we shared a publisher, and I am glad they are rereleasing more of her historicals.
Sabrina Jeffries on 20 Jan 2010 at 9:05 am #
Ooh, ooh, so glad you mentioned Angels and Insects!!! I saw it in the theater years ago, and have wanted to see it again. I really loved that movie. In fact, I would say one of my gems is Possession, by the same author as who wrote Angels and Insects–A.S. Byatt. I also loved Chocolat and Dangerous Liaisons.
But one of my gems is a movie everyone else probably thought was stupid–Chasing Liberty. Matthew Goode plays a Secret Service agent, and he is SO sexy! When he says to the heroine that when he’s around her, he gets so “un-bloody-hinged” I just swoon. I also love How to Steal a Million with Peter O’Toole. I just find it charming and clever, and I love both Peter O’Toole and Audrey Hepburn in it.
Other books I find to be gems:
a little known title by Jayne Ann Krentz called Shield’s Lady–it was a futuristic, and I loved the world she created. I also adored her Gift of Gold. Both of those got me interested in paranormal romance.
one of Linda Barlow’s Silhouette’s Hold Back the Night. Just reread parts of it the other day.
And too many more to list here!
Margaret on 20 Jan 2010 at 9:07 am #
I think Colin’s P&P has to be at the top of anyone’s list, of course. I don’t care for the newer movie version.
Lisa H, “Moonstruck” goes right along with the quiet, quirky movies I mentioned above. I loved the scene where a disgusted Cher tells her mom “I love him something awful, Ma”. Olympia Dukakis was marvelous. So was everybody else for that matter.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 9:11 am #
Julia, I think many of Penman’s books are gems.
Claudia, I love your way of describing how something becomes a gem– “it craws under your skin.” That is perfect, and conveys just how I feel about them.
Aly, my dh will watch baseball movies too. He has sold me on A League of Their Own as a gem. It is one of the few movies I will watch over and over. It is just very well done in every way.
Kay, I have some older foreign films in my gem box. One is Marriage, Italian Style. It is about a man who is trying to kill off his wife so he can remarry in a country with no divorce. It is a comedy, and very Italian in its humor. Hard to find, and in black and white no less.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 9:15 am #
Lisa H, I think Moonstruck is a gem, even if it was popular. I hope with time it is not forgotten. IMO it doesn’t miss a beat, and it has that peculiar/wonderful sense of being both a period piece and a contem setting at the same time. I love how it ends with the shot of the old photograph and the background voice saying a la famiglia.
Margaret, Yes! to Harold and Maude. very quirky, but memorable. Certainly not a same old same old, huh? And funny, in its quiet way.
And antoher vote for Moonstruck, I see.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 9:22 am #
Sabrina, you may be the first person I have ‘met’ who has seen Angels and Insects. I saw it on DVD –I rented it because it looked period and would at least have those cool costumes—-and even wondered if it had been released in the U.S., it was so unknown.
Elizabeth Amber on 20 Jan 2010 at 9:29 am #
I agree with Julia and Margaret–P&P with Colin Firth is in my top 20. I recently saw 500 Days of Summer. I was a little skeptical after seeing the trailer, but it turned out to be a WONDERFUL movie.
B on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:10 am #
Well, I’m the queen of “No one likes it but me.” I have a weird taste, so, I don’t know if I’m qualified to identify a gem, but let me try. I absolutely LOVE M. Night Shayamalan’s “Lady In the Water”. Most people I know haven’t even heard of it. You mention Shayamalan, they go like: “Who?” and you say “The guy who wrote The Sixth Sense.”
I think “Lady In the Water” is just brilliant. The whole idea is fantastic and it’s amazing storytelling. The message is strong and touching. But most people just don’t like it. They think it’s weird and nonsense. (personally, I just tell myself they just don’t get the movie. Makes me feel better
)
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:22 am #
Sabrina, is Possession about a man who pays a young woman to bear his child because his wife is in a vegatative state? (Guys, I know that sounds like a terrible film I just described, but it had its moments, although I thought the casting of the young woman was flawed and the ending is. . .controversial.) I can’t remember the title of the one I mean, but I thought it might be the one you named because it had a very similar feel to it in all kinds of ways to Angels and Insects.
Karen Rose on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:22 am #
Another great foreign film I really enjoyed – Eat Drink Man Woman, a Taiwanese film. Sweet, sweet romance with an adorable child actress.
Madeline, the same guy that directed Marriage Italian Style directed The Children are Watching Us. He’s a great director.
I also loved How to Steal a Million with O’Toole and Hepburn! Classic.
I really like the foreign films as a) they give insight into cultures we rarely see firsthand and b) they have subtitles. Can’t do movies or TV without subtitles.
Freshechelle on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:28 am #
OK, I really have to sign up for Netflix today. I’m drawing blanks on these gems…. gems, gems, gems, let me think:
Random Harvest with Greer Garson & Ronald Coleman
Cynthia Wright’s historicals from the 80s. They were the only books I read for a few years and my link to keeping me interested in the genre all these years later.
Claudia, my book group did “Guernsey” last month. I loved it so much I gave it to my aunts for Christmas. Drove through Normandy recently and really wanted more time to go to Guernsey because of that book.
TrishD on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:35 am #
I used to be a movie buff but now I can’t find the time to watch anything that’s not animated!
Here are my movie gems…
“Cinema Paradiso”. Fabulous!! The story of the relationship is so touching. I cry every time I watch it.
“Heathers”. Early Christian Slater and Winona Ryder. There is no way this movie would be made today due to the subject matter but it is still a great movie. The comedy is very dark and not for everyone.
“Sliding Doors”. Great movie about how something as simple as missing a train can change your life. Fell in love with John Hannah in this movie.
“The Usual Suspects”. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Bryne… need I say more???
“LA Confidential”. Kevin Spacey again, Russell Crow and Guy Pearce… good cops and bad cops… all taking place in the 1950’s. It’s great!
For books it’s hard to pick just one or two. I loved Wally Lamb’s “She’s Come Undone”. Such a wonderful story of someone trying to find their place in the world and it just not happening. “The Inn at Lake Devine” by Elinor Lipman is another old favorite.
SheridanLA on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:36 am #
I agree with Chocolat… I watched it for the first time not long ago and really enjoyed it.
Some of my favorite gems are: Strictly Ballroom and Muriel’s Wedding. Both are Aussie films and I have watched them over and over again (along with Moulin Rouge). I also loved The Matchmaker, a little film with Janeane Garafolo set in a little Irish town during the matchmaking festival. Very cute.
Books.. hrmm… There is one I have mentioned here before that I have kept forever called Dazzling Brightness by Roberta Gellis. It is the story of Hades and Persephone told as a love story. I have always loved it and wish there were more like it
Kayte Vayne on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:44 am #
Oh Karen I absolutely LOVE foreign films!! Another Italian movie Life is Beautiful is one of my favorites, though I think this one is more well known. I also adored Bella Martha, the movie that No Reservations was based on (except it’s ten times better than No Reservations); and every Bollywood fan has seen and worships Devdas!! Netflix this one if you can, it’s long, but it’s an absolutely gorgeous film (sometimes it might be a little hard to understand if you’re not familiar with Indian culture, like the “sex scene”).
Miss Potter is another movie which didn’t get as much respect as it deserved, though I think it might be more well known. It stars Renee Zellweger and Ewan MacGregor. Joel Schumaker’s (speeling?) version of Phantom of the Opera also underrated, I think. Gerard Butler is such a rock god in that movie!! Soldier’s Girl is another movie which is fantastic, and the ending scenes still haunt me to this day.
As for books, C.S. Lewis’s Til We HAve Faces is a real gem. Most people are familiar with his other works, like Narnia, but this book is a wonderful take on the Cupid and Psyche myth. I also absolutely adored Lamb by Christopher Moore, but that one’s infamous
Jamie on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:48 am #
Here is the IMDB for the movie Possession — it stars Jeremy Northam. It is one of those movies that is set in two different time periods. It is a REALLY COOL movie!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0256276/
Pesky on 20 Jan 2010 at 11:35 am #
Oh, how about gem music, those tunes that just throw you into a certain frame of mind? It always seems to be the lesser known song on the album that catches and holds my attention:
Hush Now (Stella’s Tarentella) by Over The Rhine, Furr by Blitzen Trapper, Delicate by Damien Rice, Home by Marc Broussard, Jealous of the Moon by Nickel Creek, Nyman’s The Heart Asks and Sparrow by Scattered Trees, just to name a few.
I sat down with friends and did a “Favorites” with the girls, and it’s always so interesting what you hear in regard to favorites as each one of us released our “gems” it really told a lot more about us than just chit chatting about what was going on in the world.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 12:02 pm #
Freshechell, I confess I don’t know about Cynthia Wright
Do you have any title to recommend when I go looking?
Trish D, I remember being impressed with L.A. Confidential. I also remembered I had to pay attention to what was going on. It is not a movie you can slack off on when watching or the details will get away from you.
Sheriden, another Moulin Roughe rec. I am going to rent it now. For some reason I have hesitated, and I don’t remember why, but if two goddesses love it then it is on the list.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 12:04 pm #
Kayte, What is Miss Potter about? I don’t think I have ever heard of it (feeling out of it now, which is not unusual.)
Jamie, thanks for the list!
Pesky, your “favorites” get together sounds cool. I think something like that would give some interesting insights into friends.
Nicole Jordan on 20 Jan 2010 at 12:08 pm #
I’m totally with everyone on P&P Firth version being a gem! Watch it at least once a year.
As for gem books, I’m a big Carla Kelly fan — she writes the most gut-wrenching wonderful Regencies about common folk and doesn’t get nearly the notice she should.
Also love Marilyn Pappano’s Silhouette Romantic Suspenses (used to be Intimate Momments.) She’s written so many gems, I’ve lost count!
And I’ve been reading a new Blaze author, Sarah Mayberry. She’s just started writing family stories with Harl SuperRomance. Love her stuff.
I’m so glad you mentioned music, Pesky! I just downloaded a song from the 80’s I loved by Gordon Lightfoot, Anything for Love. Not sure if anyone else thought it a gem, but it’s one of mine.
Sabrina Jeffries on 20 Jan 2010 at 12:31 pm #
I can’t believe this, Madeline, I saw that movie, too!! Can’t remember the name, though. Did it also have something to do with photography or is that a different period film I’m remembering?
No, Possession is about a couple who meet in the process of researching an Elizabeth Barrett Browning/Robert Browning type couple. I haven’t seen the movie yet, actually. I have it on tape and kept forgetting about it. It got pretty bad reviews as I recall, and I’ve been reluctant to watch it for that reason, since I loved the book so much.
I saw Angels and Insects (also based on a story by A.S. Byatt) at a small theater in New Orleans when it came out. The theater was so packed hubby and I had to sit on the front row–not the best of viewing experiences. But I was really blown away by it, and have wanted to watch it again ever since. I’ll have to netflix it!
Sabrina Jeffries on 20 Jan 2010 at 12:36 pm #
Madeline, Cynthia Wright was a very popular historical romance writer in her day (late 80’s). I read several of her books, although she wasn’t a favorite of mine. Wonder what she’s doing now?
Sherri Erwin on 20 Jan 2010 at 12:40 pm #
There’s an old Danny Kaye movie, The Court Jester, that I just love to watch. He’s so funny in it. It’s goofy, but there’s romance and a lot of fun (and a young Angela Lansbury). And who doesn’t love that Firth P & P? I also love A Room with a View (the Merchant Ivory film).
I loved Iris Johansen’s historicals, too. If you haven’t read Kathleen Givens, who recently passed away, you’re missing out. Start with Kilgannon or On a Highland Shore. I also love F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Collected Short Stories. I’m not a fan of The Great Gatsby or his novels, but I love his short stories.
Tal on 20 Jan 2010 at 12:47 pm #
My book gem is Keeper of the Dream by Penelope Williamson.. That is the most perfectly written historical .. I Just love it I had to buy 2 copies because I wore out the first copy.. my latest movie is Australia.. it got some bad review but I just loved it … that litttle boy rips my heart out.. it was a great well done movie.. I enjoy Baz Lurman movies .. the story is not original but his version is always awesome… Tal
evlqn on 20 Jan 2010 at 1:01 pm #
My little gem is La cage aux folles, they remade it into The Birdcage, which I liked but the original I LOVED! I hated when they dubbed it into English but the sub-titled French was wonderful. I find dubbed movies too distracting to enjoy properly. AristoCats is really great I love it too, Zsa Zsa is so terrific. I am a big fan of Peter O’Toole A Lion In Winter; The Ruling Class;and My Favorite Year are a few of my secret stash.
I have a couple of little gem books; A Tryst With Mr. Lincoln by Billie Green and Sunshine & Shadow by Sharon & Tom Curtis. And I am always up for Lori’s books.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 1:06 pm #
evlqn, I love the original La cage aux folles. And Sharon and Tom Curtis show up on so many lists of faves
Sabrina, thanks for the info on both the films and the books.
Nicole, I agree that Carla’s books are gems. Each one unique too.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 1:07 pm #
Tal, Penelope has a string of gems. Keeper of the Dream was wonderful.
ladydawgfan on 20 Jan 2010 at 1:09 pm #
One of the movie gems that I can think of right of the top of my head is a little known movie called “Firelight,” with Stephen Dillane and Sophie Marceau. It is a period piece and blew me away so much the first time I saw it that I sent away to Hong Kong for my DVD copy!! Amazing, beautiful film!!
I also prefer the BBC version of Sense and Sensibility to the one with Hugh Grant, et al. It was more true to the book, and MUCH better cast. Definitely on my gem list!!
As for books, all 4 of Lisa Kleypas’ Onyx/NAL books are there, though she won’t even acknowledge them on her website. My absolute favorites are Where Passion Leads and the sequel, Forever My Love. Both are deeply character driven, involving, passionate (of course!), and wonderfully written! I have read both so much that they are literally falling apart, and I rarely handle them any more due to their condition.
evlqn on 20 Jan 2010 at 1:14 pm #
Madeline, isn’t it one of the funniest movies you have ever read?
Janga on 20 Jan 2010 at 1:54 pm #
This topic lured me out of lurkdom. I too love Miss Potter. I’ve seen it half a dozen times, and I find something new to appreciate with each viewing. I also love, love, love a song from the movie–Katie Melua’s ballad “When You Taught Me How to Dance.” Another movie gem I adore is Tim Burton’s Big Fish with Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, and Jessica Lange. And does anyone else remember the French film The red Balloon? I bet some of you saw it in school.
Kathleen Gilles Seidel’s books are underappreciated gems. I love everything she’s ever written, particularly Till the Stars Fall. It’s one of those books of which I never tire. And Pam Morsi’s books–the old historicals and the new women’s fiction! Red’s Hot Honky-Tonk Bar was one of my top ten in 2009, and Last Dance at the Jitterbug Lounge was my favorite book of 2008.
andy on 20 Jan 2010 at 2:12 pm #
MADELINE
the books by CYNTHIA WRIGHT ARE
TOUCH THE SUN
CAROLINE
BRIGHT THEN THE SUN
YOU AND NO OTHER
A BATTLE FOR LOVE
FIREBLOSSON/ WILDBLOSSON
SILVER STORM/ SPRING FIRES
SURRENDER THE STARS
NATALYA/ BARBADOS
I HAVE ALL OF THEM SHE WAS VERY GOOD
Janae on 20 Jan 2010 at 2:29 pm #
In college I saw the movie, Sunrise, which was released in 1927 and won Best Unique and Artistic Film, Best Actress, and Cinematography. I have never been so moved by a film. I saw it with live piano accompaniment the first time, but have watched it since with the original soundtrack and was still blown away.
She’s the One – written, directed and starring Ed Burns. Love Ed Burns.
Of course, P&P either Colin or Matthew, depending on how much time I have- love the soundtrack to the 2005 version.
I love old movies – nearly any Frank Capra movie from the 30s, especially It Happened One Night, You Can’t Take it with You, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; same story with any Howard Hawkes film from the 30s – Bringing up Baby, My Girl Friday, Only Angels Have Wings, etc.
Two Chaplin flicks – City Lights, which is so beautiful because of the story and cinematography. And The Great Dictator, which is soooo funny!
I agree about Like Water for Chocolate – fabulous film! I liked the movie Chocolat better than the book, maybe because I saw it first. I did love her next book, Blackberry Wine.
Pesky on 20 Jan 2010 at 3:01 pm #
:d Nicole, music is a gem as long as you think it’s a gem.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 3:09 pm #
evlqn, it is a riot in an offbeat, dark way.
thanks for the list of books, Andy!
Eliz Amber, we had a lot of Firth P & P votes here, and I am with them too.
Janae, I am going to look for Sunrise. I love the old vintage films and this one sounds great.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 3:14 pm #
Janga, your second vote has me googling Miss Potter now. It is sounding like a must see.
Ladydawgfan, I’m almost positive I’ve seen Firelight, but I’m going to google that too to make sure I’m thinking of the same movie.
Gwynlyn MacKenzie on 20 Jan 2010 at 3:50 pm #
As usual, when asked this type of question my mind went on hiatus. It should be back soon, but it took most of the good stuff with it—like the name to the Clark Gable/Claudette Colbert movie I love. Against all Flags with Errol Flynn is great. I’m also a sucker for Christmas movies and think everyone needs to see Love Actually and The Holiday. They always make me smile—despite my distaste for some of the language, but Love Actually is British and they spew the F word like we say damn. Everyone should see The Muppet Christmas Carol. Michael Caine plays Scrooge and the music is wonderful.
Books is my “gem” collection are many, but Lion’s Lady by Julie Garwood tops the list. It still makes me laugh out loud. That makes it precious since the written word rarely holds that capacity for me even upon first reading. 10th? A treasure indeed.
Gannon on 20 Jan 2010 at 7:00 pm #
Great blog, Madeline! One of my favorite gems is “Waking Ned Devine”–takes place in a tiny Irish village, where the winner of the lotto died from the shock and all the craziness that follows. It’s funny and touching! One of my go-to movies when I need a laugh.
I also love “Sliding Doors” and “Possession”–great premise for both.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 7:44 pm #
Gwn, I think everyone has a Garwood among their gems.
Gannon—OMG, how could I forget Waking Ned Devine? There are a whole series of charming Irish village movies that are gems. There was the one about measuring the “mountain” with Hugh Grant–name escapes me now. I’m pretty sure that was set in Ireland too.
Gannon on 20 Jan 2010 at 7:50 pm #
The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill, But Came Down A Mountain is the one with Hugh Grant, Madeline. Another fun movie about Ireland is The Matchmaker with Janeane Garofalo.
Barb Chansky on 20 Jan 2010 at 7:58 pm #
Madeline, I think the name of that movie was “A man who went up a hill and came down a mountain”, but I am not sure if it takes place in Ireland or Scotland. As for P&P, there is a slightly “older”BBC version that’s my absolute favorite. As for my gems – ah, where do I begin? I have “Stop, or my mom will shoot” in VHS; I recenlty discovered that Stallone and Estelle Ghetty got “razy” awards for it – why? It’s a fantastic movie, and everyone who has children or exasperating parents would enjoy it. There is also a remake of the French comedy that’s called “just visiting” – about a knight who “gets lost in the corridors of time” and meets his last descendant in a 2001 Chicago- simply wonderful movie! in the end, he unbeds his aristocratic hauter just a tad, and she remembers her heritage, which gives her a new lease on life. I loved Chocholat too, and reading A Precious Jewel always makes me want to cry..
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 8:07 pm #
Barb, I cry when I read Precious Jewel. There is that scene, after they have been to the country and become closer, when he visits and tries to put things back the way they were. I am still devestated when I read that, but it is so understandable and so real, and it fits with the story. Thank goodness it was a romance and I knew it would all work out in the end. But, wow, so many truly touching scenes in that book.
I think they got the razy because it was one of the first movies where Stallone got out of his tough guy character, and it was so identified with him that he did not stand a chance trying comedy. Maybe?
Janae on 20 Jan 2010 at 8:17 pm #
Gwynlyn – that movie would be It Happened One Night. Both Colbert and Gable won Oscars. It was the first movie of sweep the “Big 5″ Oscars – Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay. Only two other movies in Oscar history have done that – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Silence of the Lambs.
Katharine Ashe on 20 Jan 2010 at 8:20 pm #
What a great topic, Madeline!!
Gannon, I adored Waking Ned Devine. Hilarious, warm and wonderful.
Sabrina, the movie Possession was fine, didn’t mess up the book but didn’t do anything for me either. I’d say don’t bother. The book was truly fabulous. Did you know one editor agreed to buy the book on the condition that all the poetry was removed? lol!
Moonstruck… my favorite movie of all time.
Two of my true gems:
- Michael, a Nora Ephron film with big name actors, but such a quirky, warm, goofy, and profound love story (love from many angles). John Travolta is a slovenly and perfect Archangel Michael.
- The Cup, about a few young monks in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in India trying with all their might to figure out a way to watch the final match of a World Cup tournament. It is absolutely beautiful, heartwarming and satisfying, a story of relationships and exile and real love.
Gwynlyn MacKenzie on 20 Jan 2010 at 9:55 pm #
Janae, Thank you. I didn’t know about it’s Oscar sweep, being the furthest thing from a videophile, but I ADORE that move even if, given it’s award studded background, it cannot really be classified as a gem. The only thing that I could recall was the ending, and I knew it wasn’t called Gabriel’s Trumpet!
Sinus days are the pits.
evlqn on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:49 pm #
I loved Stop or my Mom will shoot! I loved Oscar with Stallone too, now that was a beleaguered father. I remember when his assistant would come into the bookstore looking for books for Stallone’s production company, I tried to talk him into doing the Deathlands series but he was in his no more action films phase.
Patricia Barraclough on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:51 pm #
MISS POTTER was about the life of Beatrix Potter. It was a lovely movie, heartbreaking in many ways. I’d never heard of it,but we got it in at our library and I’m so glad I watched it.
My favorite movie gems, but not hidden, are Last of the Mohicans and Collin’s P&P for serious viewing. I love musicals Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Oliver, Beauty And The Beast, and The Little Mermaid.
My hidden gem books are both by Elizabeth Stuart. I’ve only found listing for 6 books written by her and I have 4 of them. BRIDE OF THE LION and WITHOUT HONOR are gritty historical romances. The heroes are flawed men and in some instances not very likable. Both books gave you a very real feeling of being there.
I’ve never heard anything about her, and there is little on the internet about her. I picked up her books at a Salvation Army Thrift store and am so glad I did.
evlqn on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:51 pm #
There are so many films that I haven’t seen in forever that I really really like, now i want to go on a movie binge.
nancyg on 20 Jan 2010 at 10:52 pm #
late blog today – Mr. G & the girls kept me hopping!
My husband makes fun of my “gems” – mostly obscure, but I have crazy & varied tastes
Monty Python’s Holy Grail & Life of Brian
a French film, Le Diner de Cons (The Dinner Game) – rich guys have dinner every month & they have a contest as to who can bring the biggest idiot as their guest. It’s what happens when one guy thinks he has the biggest idiot…which he does….and antics proceed
another vote for A Room With a View & Pride & Prejudice
Much Ado About Nothing & Dead Again with Kenneth Branagh & Emma Thompson
Four Weddings & a Funeral – the supporting cast is outstanding!
Until September
Dangerous Beauty
the original Brideshead Revisited with Anthony Andrews & Jeremy Irons
just finished watching “Return to Cranford” on my DVR – loved it as well as the original
actually, I pretty much like anything PBS Masterpiece puts on – a new version of Emma next Sunday
Cathy S on 20 Jan 2010 at 11:03 pm #
The BBC miniseries called North and South based on the 19th century book by Elizabeth Gaskell, which was highly recommended on your message board.
A Room with a View though I haven’t seen it in years.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being with Daniel Day Lewis and a young Juliette Binoche which made me fall in love with Janacek’s music.
And your book: By Possession, which I have come down at nearly midnight to peruse because I can’t fall asleep. I love the connection Moira and Addis have through years and how his habit of falling asleep cradled on her chest is rooted in that bond.
Madeline Hunter on 20 Jan 2010 at 11:21 pm #
Pat B, a few years ago I looked at one of my keeper shelves, and realized that like 80% of the writers were no longer releasing new titles. There are probably a lot of reasons for that, but it made me sad. These were my keepers! I will have to seach out E.S’s books, because I like gritty historicals.
nancy g, okay if you are late. Just glad you could stop by. I’m always here late. Well, not always, but often. I am right with you thinking the Monty Python movies are gems. And how could I forget Dangerous Beauty! Thanks for the heads up about the new Emma coming so soon.
Cathy S, I have yet to see North and South. I read the book, though, a few years ago and loved it. And thank you so much for naming By Possession as a gem
It has always been a special book to me.
Karen Hawkins on 21 Jan 2010 at 12:17 am #
Oh Madeline, it’s so funny you wrote about this, because my daughter and I had this same conversation not two weeks ago and it’s really made me think about what movies/books/etc are my ‘gems,’ as you so eloquently described them.
For movies:
The Fountain. There were so many layers to that movie that I didn’t really get it until I’d seen it twice. And then it alllll made sense. I just loved the historical v contemporary, fiction v reality. It was all fascinating.
Snatch. It just dazzles. I love the script, the characters, the directing, all of it. Brilliant.
Pride and Prejudice, the BBC version. It’s like a slow waltz, so romantic and graceful. Just love this movie.
For books:
Arabella by Georgette Heyer.
Arabella was the first romance book I ever read. When I’m down, I often turn to that same book to make me grin. And it always does.
Santa on 21 Jan 2010 at 12:38 am #
Books: FAIR GAME by Diane Farr has one of the BEST scenes between the hero and heroine I’ve ever read. The sexual tension is palpable. It’s on my keeper shelf and each re-read still has me on the edge of my seat.
SAY A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY by John Irving is amazing. The attic scene between Owen and his best friend’s cousins is hysterical. I laugh out loud (you have to spell it out, it’s so funny) every time.
MADALENA is an Italian movie about a daughter of a teacher in a small Sicilian town. She married the town favorite who is MIA during the World War Two. The men are enthralled by her and the women hold her in contempt and,an, are they are malicious. The acting is sublime. The cinematography of this Sicilian coastal village is breathtaking.
FIRST NIGHT starring Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub takes place in Philadelphia during the 1950s. The two play brothers who own a struggling Italian restaurant. No spaghetti and meatballs and wax crusted Chianti candelstick holders are served here. In a desperate effort to save it they prepare a special feast for crooner Louie Primo. It’s just a marvelous feast for the eyes. Stanley and Tony are brilliant!
evlqn on 21 Jan 2010 at 12:41 am #
Georgette Heyer was largely responsible for my love of Regencies, I loved them all and would read and re-read them often.
Jen on 21 Jan 2010 at 3:39 am #
I loved Possession and Angles and Insects as books, I will now have to go in search of the latter on DVD. I agree that the movie version of Possession wasn’t quite as good, but it was worth the watch just to listen to Jeremy Northam reading some of the letters and poetry.
I also second the vote for Dear Frankie- it was very, very good, in a quiet way.
My personal movie gem is The Man from Snowy River, an amazing Australian Epic. It has one of the best ever musical scores, and the scenery is amazing. Think of the visuals of Laurence of Arabia, only horses and lush Australian mountains instead of camels and desert. The leads are virtually unknown outside of Australia, but Kirk Douglas had a lot of fun in dual supporting roles.
I’ve always been a fan of L.M. Montgomery. I always loved Anne (Megan Follows played her perfectly in the Miniseries), but my favorite of her books is the one that reads the most like a romance novel. It’s called The Blue Castle. I also like most of her short stories some of which even have a light touch of the paranormal.
Barb Chansky on 21 Jan 2010 at 11:05 am #
evlqn, I love Oscar too! And that movie is another one of my gems:) “you are an ox and a moron” have become our family’s idiomatic expression.
Madeline, happy ending is one of the reasons I got hooked up on romances – something I was unsuccessfully trying to explain to one of my guy friends. By the way, one of the reasons I love your books is because your characters are very real and not sacharrine or predictable; and studying Nathaniel Knittridge should be a required course in law school – a fantastic course in law ethics!
eileen dreyer on 22 Jan 2010 at 1:51 pm #
So many good suggestions. I heartily third THE MATCHMAKER. It is one of the few movies that really shows what we think about Ireland and what they think about us. Also, I stand firm behind the Colin Firth P&P. I”m afraid I see the Matthew one as more illustrated novel, and I needed those brilliant words.
As for my gems, most are small films. Besides MATCHMAKER, WAKING NED DEVINE, LOVE ACTUALLY(OK, NOT SO SMALL), FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, and a lovely foreign film, the RED VIOLIN. Sumptuous and riveting.
I also give a shout out to the black and white films, with a mostly forgotten Cary Grant getting my top award. Talk of the Town, with Jean Arthur and Ronald Coleman.
eileen dreyer on 22 Jan 2010 at 1:54 pm #
Oh, I just remembered. Patricia, The Man Who Walked Up a Mountain….is about Wales. Also a favorite.
kj coker on 24 Jan 2010 at 8:52 pm #
Had to think awhile on what movies/books etc I consider actual gems as there seems to be sooo many. Finally decided that I would have to go ahead and put in my two cents.
One of the first movies I remember seeing at the theater was What’s Up Doc w/Ryan O’Neal and Barbra Streisand and it still makes me laugh to this day. Can’t say specifically why, but it does.
Have also always had a thing for an old Disney TV special I think originally with Annette Funicello called Escapades in Florence about kids studying art and discover a forgery scam. It sold me on Italy being the place I most wanted to travel to.
Then there is Shirley Valentine and of course always agree with Colin Firth as Mr Darcy…that is a must include.
Love Actually is a favorite for the holidays as well as the Albert Finney version of Scrooge from 70 or 71.
Not really in the romance field but have always loved Young Frankenstein and Rustlers Rapsody.
And How to Steal a Million, Arsenic and Old Lace, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Pillow Talk have forever been the ultimate late night or rainy day movies….since I was a small child watching them with my mom.
Great topic BTW.
Mena on 09 Feb 2010 at 11:42 am #
Hi, My gem is a film “Firelight”, the story stretches the imagination a little,but, acting,music,locale make up for the story…
An oldie but goodie is a film “The Man in Gray” with Stewart Granger and James Mason, it is in black and white, but, romantic and sweet.