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Sunday, June 6, 2010

Under The Tuscan Sun


I saw this movie last night........so beautiful.....another beautiful film on channel 413 Star Movies, Astro.  It's a must see movie!! When I saw it last night, it had already started about 15 minutes I think........so I didn't see it from the beginning. Immediately when I saw Diane Lane starring in it as the main character.....I got stuck and stayed till the end  of the movie because I knew if she was starring in it, it must be a great movie to watch! It usually is! :)

Only after the movie was over that I realized the movie was based on a memoir of the same name. Written by Frances Mayes.....the character acted by Diane Lane. She was perfect for the part....just perfect! I would love to read the memoir....I'm sure it's more beautiful than watching the movie itself. :)

Read about the plot below (taken from Wikipedia):
"Frances Mayes (Diane Lane) is a San Francisco writer whose seemingly perfect life has just taken an unexpected detour. She finds out at a party that she's hosting, from a writer to whom she had given a bad review of his book, that her husband has been cheating on her. Her recent divorce has left her depressed and with terminal writer's block, and her best friend Patti (Sandra Oh), a lesbian who is expecting a child, is beginning to think Frances might never recover. Patti convinces her to take an Italian vacation, to Tuscany, but it's on a gay tour (Patti and her partner Grace (Kate Walsh) had booked it for themselves, but changed plans after Patti became pregnant). At first she refuses, but then after being in her new, gloomy apartment, she decides that it is a good idea to get away for a little while after all. In Tuscany, while stopping in a small town she sees a notice about a villa for sale, in Cortona. Then while the passengers are back on the tour bus, the bus has to stop to let a herd of sheep pass, and Frances realizes that they've stopped in front of the very villa that she had seen for sale, something she believes is a sign. She asks the driver to stop and she gets off the bus. In a series of serendipitous events she becomes the owner of a lovely yet dilapidated villa in beautiful Tuscany. From this point her life begins anew with a variety of interesting characters and unusual but gentle Polish immigrants to renovate the house. Over time, Frances also befriends her Italian neighbors and develops relationships with her Polish workers, the realtor who sold her the villa, and Katherine, an eccentric, aging, British actress. Later, she is visited by the now very pregnant Patti, whose partner Grace has left her. Frances does meet a romantic interest, Marcello, but it does not last, and she is about to give up on happiness when two young lovers come to her for help. Eventually, she finds the fulfillment she was searching for in a wedding at the villa, where she also meets an American writer who is traveling in Tuscany. The movie ends with a new love in her life."

There were a few lines in the movie that captured my heart.......it made perfect sense to me. Mostly I love what character Katherine said in the movie, played by Lindsay Duncan....her quotes from the movie are the best. I also love quotes from Frances herself.... :)

Katherine: 
- "Regrets are a waste of time. They're the past crippling you in the present."

- "No matter what happens, always keep your childish innocence. It's the most important thing."

- "Grow in every direction you can and things will come your way. Experiment where you want."

 Frances:
 - "I looked for it and I didn't find it — but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

- "What is it about love that makes us so stupid?"

- Do you know the most surprising thing about divorce? It doesn't actually kill you. Like a bullet to the heart or a head-on car wreck. It should. When someone you've promised to cherish till death do you part says "I never loved you," it should kill you instantly. You shouldn't have to wake up day after day after that, trying to understand how in the world you didn't know. The light just never went on, you know. I must have known, of course, but I was too scared to see the truth. Then fear just makes you so stupid.

I also love this tag line from the movie: 
- "Life offers you a thousand chances... all you have to do is take one."

I would love to watch this movie again.....and again .....and again.... :)
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2 comments:

Grace to You said...

What Frances said about divorce is a great quote, and so true...waking up day after day, wondering how you are even still alive, feeling so stupid. Definitely written by someone whose been there.

Azlina Abdul said...

Yes...it's so true...that's what I love about true stories...and even though I've never been married, I can understand what she's talking about. It makes sense...