Pretending in Real Life

I am reading Pride and Prejudice again. This is approximately my 5th time trying to read it. Before, I would get very frustrated with the characters' dialogue and just stop reading it. Now, I SO hate to admit this, since I've seen the Pride and Prejudice movie with Kierra Knightly, I understand the gist of the book and am following along nicely. I feel slightly moronic (even more so since I have admitted my ineptness on here), but I get it and am enjoying the reading of it immensely. Last night we went to dine with our friends, Lincoln and Melinda, and she loaned me the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth (yes, Crissy, I know he's your favorite), as well as some other movies. She also lent me Persuasion (BBC version of Jane Austin's novel), Emma (with Gyneth Paltrow-which I've seen and loved), and Sense and Sensibility (with Emma Thompson-which I've seen bits of). I'm very excited. Melinda told me that before she and Lincoln married, she would have Jane Austin days, where she would play Jane Austin movies all day. Different people would stop by throughout the day to watch with her. I think that is brilliant and want to have one as soon as possible. Except that, for me, it would be "Kim Hill's Movie Extravaganza", followed by the tagline, "movies that Kim loves, has seen a gazillion times, and wants to watch with you. Come on by for some chocolate cake and coffee." Perhaps I would even print up a schedule of events:

8am: Coffee and croissants with Phantom of the Opera (I would do this one first, since I know that I've exhausted this one with all of my friends, and only the truly dedicated would come at 8am)

10:30: Fresh coffee made and snacky foods set out, in lieu of lunch, for a loooong movie.

11am: Jane Eyre (oh yeah, baby-four hours of chicky-flickiness)

3pm: A quick jaunt to the mailbox and fifty jumping jacks to stretch my bones.

3:30: Emma or Sense and Sensibility or Persuasion (I will generously allow my guests to choose)

5:30: Set out new snacky foods for dinner, a big, fat triple chocolate bundt cake, and make some kind of delicious, drinky concoction.

6pm: Pride and Prejudice (with Kierra Knightly). I know that this is the more concise rendition, but it's my pretend movie day and I want it. I love it. I've watched it twice this past week and I'm suppressing the urge to watch it again until after I finish the book.

8pm: Open for discussion.... I want to see Becoming Jane (with Jane Hathaway, but I've not seen it, so I cannot justly choose it to put on my schedule until AFTER I've seen it).

10:30: You all may be laughing at me for thinking I can stay up this late, but, again, it's my pretend movie day, so perhaps I'll do what I wish. Oh, and the movie is Clue. Yes, it does not make sense with the preceding movies, but I love it and it's SOOOOO funny. I'll also admit to you that I like to quote this movie while the movie is running, so be prepared. Melissa will come and we will quote the movie together. And annoy the crap out of everybody else. This, of course, pending that I have not fallen asleep on the couch.

Doesn't that sound like fun? Maybe I could even do a "Favorite Musicals" day. And a "Favorite Shakespeare Movie Day". Can you say Mel Gibson in Hamlet? Or Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo and Juliet (LOVE that movie)? How about a "Charles Dickens Day"? So many ideas, one tiny post. I'll spare you the schedules.

Thank you, Melinda, for the idea. We had loads of fun last night; Melinda keeps me in stitches. And she is a good, good friend. I'm so glad I've met her.