Movie Quote Monday – Enchanted April
If I could only use one word to describe this movie, it would be “lovely”.
It is a movie full of nooks and crannies, with the story gently bubbling up to fill all those spaces.
Every now and then, it fills in a spot I hadn’t realized was there. And I am surprised and delighted. And I am also filled.
It’s the story of four women, strangers living in a cold and rainy and dreary London. They come together through newspaper advertisements to rent a castle in Italy for the month of April. Each lady is looking for a temporary escape from her London life, and in one way or another, they are running from their loneliness and unhappiness.
In one of my favorite little scenes, it’s raining when two of the women get off the train in Italy. Rose asks, “How is this different?” Lottie answers, “Well…this is Italian rain.”
On the one hand, wherever you go, there you are.
On the other, sometimes we do need the illusion of distance between ourselves and our problems in order to get a better perspective on both.
But there’s one scene that stops me in my tracks every single time. It’s a moment in which Lottie and her husband Mellersh have finally come together as a couple. Mellersh brushes Lottie’s hair as he talks to her, a loving gesture that conveys the intimacy bourgenouing between them.
Mellersh: In my profession…a man is always helped by having a clever and attractive wife. Lady Caroline thinks you’re attractive…so do I.
—Lottie: Do you think I’m attractive, Mellersh?
Mellersh: Yes I do. One thing puzzles me though…why weren’t you attractive sooner?
Why?
This always makes me think about the relationships in my life and how I value and nurture them.
And how I don’t.
Am I seeing the beauty that’s right in front of my eyes? Or do I need to adjust my perspective?
♦
steadily skipping stones 
Oh, I love this movie too. You pick some great scenes to comment on. Recognizing what is right there in front of us is never as easy as it should be.
It really isn’t! I love how these people do love each other, but they’ve somehow got into the habit of not seeing each other the same way anymore. Lottie’s husband sees her as an accessory. And Rose’s husband sees her as only disapproving and distant. And then, as Lottie says, they “got well”. One of my favorite movies of all time! Just so good 🙂
Oh, that sounds wonderful. I haven’t heard of it, but am going to track it down. Thanks.
I hope you do and I hope you like it! It really is so delightful, and as I was watching it the other week, I realized it’s one of the handful of movies that I would not change a single thing about it. And the dialogue is just so magnificently written! But only have moderate hopes for it – I don’t want to oversell it and then for you to be disappointed. But it really is sweet and gentle and beautiful and funny. 🙂
Boots,
It can be difficult to see other dimensions in others until you take off your “at home hat” that’s why small outings with people – a hike, a visit to a neighboring town can open you to seeing new sides of someone you may have inadvertently compartmentalized in your little sphere of things familiar.
Great post, I really enjoyed the movie, although its been years since I’ve seen it.
RR
That is so true! I certainly have done that to people – compartmentalize them and only allowed them to be one or two things. Definitely that happened in the movie, in Rose and Lottie’s marriages, as I was commenting to Patti above. But it’s a very real life thing. And the worst part is sometimes we put our loved ones in these little boxes, and then we blame them for not being more. Really, we have to change ourselves and look at ourselves with clear eyes. And I agree that getting out of the ordinary rut can help us clear our vision. 🙂
So glad you wrote about this movie. I have not seen it and I’m sort of desperate for some good movies. I have seen only three movies this year. And not by choice. I’m not having an anti-movie thing. I’m not sure how this happened!!!
What?! 🙂
I don’t have tv reception at my house, so I watch a lot of movies (or partial movies sometimes, haha). This is an older one, maybe 20 years I think, though it doesn’t feel old to me at all. It’s one of those ones that gets better every time I see it, instead of less relatable. If you end up watching it, I hope you like it!!