Period Movies for the Romantic Hearted and Sentimental Soul

“Take away love and our earth is a tomb.” 

~ Robert Browning

I took a day trip to old England last week.  I strolled along the countryside and walked among the peaceful meadows. I took in the lovely landscapes of wild birds and wild flowers. I toured the homes of the rich and the poor, saw how they lived, where they supped and what they ate in their grand castles and cozy cottages. I also witnessed their sweet and sentimental love stories. It was a peek into the past and it was all very romantic!

Though we don't watch television in our home, an old fashioned period movie, on occasion, is a delightful treat. Especially in the cooler months, to curl up in the evenings with a cup of hot chocolate while viewing beautiful, feminine dresses, ivy-covered cottages with breathtaking lush, green scenery. This is "cream" to my coffee! It is a gentle getaway for this romantic-hearted homemaker.

We will begin in the Regency Era. The music and cinematography put me into a trance... walking with a book through the open fields, entering the quaint country property, crossing the shimmering waters, geese gracefully flapping their feathered wings, the clothesline waving its white linens in the fresh spring breeze, and finally the tranquil sound of the black and white piano keys with a rush of swirling skirts... 

                    

“Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her.” 

~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

When one says the Regency Era, one is really saying "Jane Austen". Who could resist either screen depiction of Pride and Prejudice? They both have their own charms (movie and mini-series). Sense and Sensibility is a heart wrenching film but with a satisfying ending (I didn't include the other versions here because this one is by far the best in my opinion). {Note: Pictures of movies are all linked.}

                         

Persuasion is also a gem though I highly suggest that you read the book first in order to really appreciate this movie (BBC version and movie version). The turmoil that is going on in the main character's heart is hard to see and more understood through the words in the actual novel. I had always brushed that title aside but when I finally did read it, it became a favorite! It is the story of an enduring love.

                 

If you are in the mood for a light and sweet comedy, you will appreciate all three adaptions of Emma! I do think the Gwyneth Paltrow version is the finest depiction. However, the BBC mini-series is much more detailed which I also appreciate. I am always impressed by the gentle love and respect that Emma shows toward her father. I think her a nice role model for young ladies because of it.

                       

"...yet, even before he left the room, - and certainly, not five minutes after, the clear conviction dawned upon her, shined bright upon her, that he did love her; that he had loved her; that he would love her."

~ Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South

We have now made our way into the Victorian Era. The Young Victoria is a delightful dessert for the history loving soul. I am smitten with this movie! There is also North and South which is my personal favorite in this time period (I consider it the Victorian Era twin to Pride and Prejudice and I know that is saying a lot). The Cranford Series is quite witty and wonderful. You will appreciate the dialog between these older, eccentric women. Basically, the movies based on the novels by Elizabeth Gaskell are all excellent (and if you are a reader and like old novels, give Mary Barton a try for a poignant tale).

                  

"I hold an old-fashioned notion that a happy marriage
is the crown of a woman's life." 

~ Beatrix Potter, Her Journal, 1894

The Lark Rise to Candleford collection is absolutely exquisite. It was so hard to see this heartwarming series end (excellent, excellent)! I think you would fall in love with it too!  And a movie for those melancholy moments is Jane Eyre. Ah, does it get any more heartbreaking and healing than this classic? I personally like the William Hurt version the best. And finally, there is Miss Potter (which has a bit of everything). This movie is enchanting. Just watching her watercolor paints dance among the parchment is mesmerizing!  

                      

“Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music, perhaps... perhaps... love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.” 

~ L.M. Montgomery

I don't think I can end this Victorian Era list without touching on the Anne of Green Gable series. I think she is everyone's childhood favorite. And to not include her on a "romantic" list would simply break her heart! They have also done a "prequel" movie {Anne of Green Gables, A New Beginning} which hasn't received much popularity because it has strayed so much from the original story, but if you are an Anne fan, you would probably enjoy watching it "just because". {Note: there is an element I don't care for in the third movie though nothing actually happens, I wonder why they even include it! That is Hollywood for you!}

                 

And we must not forget the amazing and romantic stories of life on the American Frontier. The Love Comes Softly Series is still sweet to me. Though there is nothing like the first movie, I still enjoyed the others (I recently bought the 10-DVD collection of this series for $12.49 on Amazon!). Being full time farmers the last four years, the Sarah, Plain and Tall Trilogy has a close place in my heart as well! Oh, the value of rain and a loving and supportive wife! And finally, the newest Hallmark series, When Calls the Heart. I wasn't sure if I liked this at the beginning but after the third episode, I was hooked. Old fashioned, sweet and tender! I am looking forward to the second season now.

             

And finally, I will include these romantic-era period movies that would be suitable for family viewing. Who could forget the tender affection between the Captain and Maria in the Sound of Music? Another favorite is the Masterpiece edition of Pollyanna (just who was Auntie's mystery beau?). The Disney version depicts Pollyanna as a bit too saucy for my liking and this is a much sweeter story which is closer to the book! Lastly, The Adventures of Ociee Nash is a fun and pleasant look into the Edwardian Era with a bit of romance in the air for her aunt. These last three are all family friendly movies that everyone would enjoy. (Note: The Sarah, Plain and Tall Trilogy can also be classified as family-friendly.)

“I was made and meant to look for you and

wait for you and become yours forever.”

~ Robert Browning

This is another joy of being a keeper at home. In those quiet moments when the household is asleep, we can stroll into Candleford for a few moments, breath in the fresh country air and travel to beautiful places in the confines of our comfortable homes. It is quite the romantic little life, to be a homemaker, to have a husband you love, and to be his soulmate, called "wife".

“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made. Our times are in his hand who saith, 'A whole I planned, youth shows but half; Trust God: See all, nor be afraid!” 

~ Robert Browning

What are your favorite period dramas? Is there something I didn't list? I purposely keep away from movies that have scandal, "forbidden" adulterous relationships as the main theme and lust for a married person (so this would exclude classics like Wuthering Heights). I have "seen" adultery work in real life and I am not interested in honoring it on the screen. There is NOTHING romantic about it. The same goes with unnatural relationships (so this would exclude the latest popular period TV drama). I am also looking for G and/or PG ratings for our movies with the main character displaying high moral standards. With that being said, do you have anything to share? I would love to hear from you!

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