Friday, February 16, 2007

Blinding Gossip

I’ve got gossip on the brain this morning. I consistently read the columns of my favorite goss guy (cause I can't stand to read real news anymore) and found on a message board a website that keeps track of what they call ‘blind items.’ These are tidbits of gossip that are so juicy, and litigation-worthy, that they’ll tell the story, but not say outright who it is. Then everyone tries to guess. If it’s generally accepted that the answer has been discovered or narrowed down to two or three possibilities, they post the names.

I have to tell you, it’s addictive and mildly disconcerting. If most of this stuff is true – and who really knows – the majority of Hollywood heavyweights are total cokeheads in setup relationships to cover their secret sex lives. The kind of stuff that will either make your toes curl or nauseate you. As Hollywood couple after couple break up, it makes me wonder...is true love even possible in that kind of environment? We go to the movies and watch these larger than life actors in sweeping romances that make us swoon. Maybe we even envision them as we're writting our stories as inspriation. Then we find out later that in real life, the hero’s gay and cheating on his wife in massage parlors and the heroine’s a junkie porn addict.

How depressing.

Thank goodness for books because it looks like the only real heroes left are in the pages of our latest must-read. If we’re lucky, we’ve got our own hero at home too, but for some, the book is as close as we get. There’s definitely an advantage to a paperback hero - the characters don’t have real lives to ruin their images. Our heroes are just that – heroes. They swoop the heroine off her feet, save her from most certain peril, and do so while saying heartfelt things that make us go “awww.”

To add on to Instigator’s post yesterday...I read and write romance for the HEA. While we can never be 100% certain we'll have it in our own lives, we can most certainly have it in our books. Without that ending and the promise that they’ll be together forever and deliriously happy, all we’d have are these Hollywood romances to look to. Not exactly what I’m hoping for.

Regardless of what they do in real life, I'm a sucker for a good romantic movie. Granted, I'm picky, but I do have a slew of DVDs of ones that made the cut. My absolute favorite romance of all time has to be either You've Got Mail or While You Were Sleeping. (I consider Princess Bride to be more comedy than romance, but it's definitely in my top 10 movies of all time, regardless of category.) What's yours?

One commenter today will receive a copy of Return to Me on DVD - another one of my favorite romances with David Duchovny and Minnie Driver. (Also includes Bonnie Hunt, my snarky twin separated at birth...)

SP
Okay - one week down and here's the verdict:

140/350 pages = 40% completed

(zokutou is down again...)

17 comments:

Cheryl said...

I have a couple of favorite romantic movies. My number one is The Big Easy with Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin. Yes, I know, I'm dating myself with that movie. Another absolute favorite is 10 Things I Hate About You. I know, doesn't sound like a romantic movie but it's got a great HEA, which is necessary for me in a romantic movie.

CrystalGB said...

I love While You Were Sleeping too. I also love Dirty Dancing.

traveler said...

My favorite romantic movie is Cinema Paradiso. A lovely, tearjerker which tears at the heartstrings and is memorable and beautiful.

Playground Monitor said...

ROMANCING THE STONE. Hands down my favorite romantic movie. SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE is a close second. And I love RETURN TO ME as well (Bonnie Hunt is a scream -- loved her as the mom in Cheaper by the Dozen). SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION -- aweswome movie!

Great post, SP. I'm so sick of reading about girls with teacup chihuahuas and boob jobs and anorexia. And for heaven's sake, wear underwear! Even in death these people don't escape the gossip columns as in the case of Anna Nicole Smith.

PM

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

I love While You Were Sleeping! It's one of my favorite movies. Another favorite is Notting Hill. And I really liked Catch and Release which is out now.

Instigator

tetewa said...

My favorite romance movie is The Notebook. Watch this movie at least once a month. I also like the new movie out recently called Click. It stars Adam Sandler, sounds like it should be a comedy but it makes me cry every time I watch it.

Problem Child said...

I loved While You Were Sleeping. (But hated You've Got Mail--the grammar alone makes me grit my teeth.)

Keeping the Faith is a keeper for me as is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

Katherine Bone said...

Oh, movies! Love movies! Gone with the Wind, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Calamity Jane, Kismet, Return to Me, Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile, Timeline and POTO (ode to Gerard!), 50 First Dates (Cry every time), Dr. Zhivago, The Way We Were, (Though HEA's don't really happen in these two movies), The Inheritance (watch and cry with joy every time) and my newest love, the newest version of Pride and Prejudice! Wink. The newest version of Jane Eyre was fabulous! Love Rochester. Oh, and who could forget Wuthering Heights with Laurence Olivier or Many Rivers to Cross with Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker (fabulous).

There are many more amazing favorites of mine. Believe me the list is long. What about Angel and the Badman with John Wayne. Oh yes, movies!

I pose a question to cyber space. Which are better? HEA's that make you weep or HEA's that make you laugh? The Notebook makes you cry. 10 Things I Hate About You makes you laugh.

And has anyone seen Step Up? This is not your normal dance movie. The last scene is riveting. Listen to the soundtrack to all the time.

Kathy

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

I looove Anne of Green Gables. I read all the books growing up and still have several of them on my shelf. My sister bought Sweet Pea a green velvet bound copy of Anne that I'm hoping we'll be able to read together in the next year or so. I was so in love with Gilbert...

And of course Gone With the Wind. It's one of my aboslute favorites.

Instigator

Meljprincess said...

My favorite is SARATOGA TRUNK with Ingrid Bergman and Gary Cooper. Based on the book by Edna Ferber.

I also like: THE WEDDING SINGER, SHALLOW HAL, 50 FIRST DATES, THE WEDDING DATE, and MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING.

Playground Monitor said...

I forgot about MAID IN MANHATTAN -- a perfect Cinderella story.

And NEVER BEEN KISSED is good as well as EVER AFTER.

Katherine Bone said...

I forgot to mention Somewhere In Time with Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour. LOVE IT! Was inspired enough to do an art piece in art school from it. The idea that you can go back in time to meet the woman who waited to see you in the future before she died. Woe! Spin your head around that HEA.

Kathy

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

Yes! The Wedding Date, My Best Friend's Wedding, and Ever After are fantastic.

I actually bought the 3rd Anne movie for my sister for Christmas a few years ago. She has them all. Hmm, I need to borrow those from her :-) The used to play the movies on PBS all the time but I haven't seen them lately.

Instigator

principessa said...

My favorite romantic movie is Sabrina. Love the acting and the story.

Carol M said...

My favorite movies are Gone With The Wind, Ghost and Somewhere In Time.

catslady said...

My very favorite of all time is Forever Young! Second would be LadyHawke.

Maureen said...

I like many of the movies listed by my favorite is The Family Man.