North and South

If you're a fan of Pride and Prejudice, especially the BBC version, you'll like this movie. A friend lent it to me this week and I stayed up watching until 1 a.m. last night to find out how it ends. My initial impression from the title was that it was set in Civil War times, but it's really about two people during the Industrial Revolution from Northern and Southern England. Margaret is a well-bred clergyman's daughter from genteel southern England who moves up to a dirty, coarse mill town in Northern England where she is initially dismissive of the people and their ways. A mill owner, the brooding Mr. Thornton, falls in love with her, despite her disdain for him, and from there we go on a journey of starcrossed lovers.

Not only are the charachters and storyline engrossing, but I loved the historical setting of the strife between millworkers and masters. In some ways, it's even better than P&P (heresy, I know). The relationship between Thornton and his mother is touching and Mrs. Thornton isn't so one-dimensional as Mrs. Bennett or Lady Catherine DeBourgh. She is proud, but able to admit when she is wrong.

So if you're in the market for something new, check it out at your local library. There's a whole world of BBC period dramas out there waiting for me.