Abbey, I'm sorry I saw these without you.

But there isn't enough time in the day. :(

Walk the Line: Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherpoon just blew me away in this movie. Their performances are nuanced and full of human frailty and desire. Their singing in the film is amazing as well - I'm by no means an expert on what John or June sounds like, but these two actors captured the soul of their stage presence beautifully. Their chemistry is wonderful. You can feel how they long for each other even when things aren't working out. These are two people who support and care for each other under any circumstances, in the hardest of times. Love is a burning thing, and boy does it look good burning up on screen.

Pride and Prejudice: I am as devoted to the 1995 BBC version as the next Colin-Firth loving female, but I have to admit that ten years later they got it right again. Right, but different, so different that I seldom felt the need to compare the performances or the scenes or much of anything, really. Here's what changed:

1. The setting: The Knightley/MacFadyen version is set earlier, and it shows - the scenes feel more rustic, with livestock running through the set and fireflies dancing in the air. Nature feels more immediate.

2. The dialogue: This is what separates it from the BBC version most of all. Were the lines all the same, it would be too easy to picture them coming out of Jennifer Ehle's mouth and be disappointed. But the dialogue is different, and the characters are even different. Mr. Darcy is shyer, and Lizzie less cynical and world-weary, but both are still as true to their own hearts as in the book. (At least they're both still purdy.)

3. The length: At just over 2 hours, this version is forced to cut a lot of the side stories and minor scenes. It's hard for me to tell how well this works, because I'm so familiar with the backstory that I can just fill in the details in my mind. But I think it succeeds by focusing on the love story and downplaying the family and the social dynamics. It doesn't have all the elements of the book (my favorite book, perhaps), but it's got the soul of it.

And now....there's so much else I want to see! Brokeback Mountain, The Family Stone, Shopgirl, Rumor Has It, and the list goes on. It's hard enough trying to catch up on all the West Wing reruns!