[Note from Frolic: We are so excited to have blogger/Instagrammer Bex Skoog guest post on the site today. Take it away Bex!]
Essentials for the perfect movie night at home: your coziest blanket, a bowl of fresh-popped popcorn, something fizzy to drink, and a box of your favorite candy. But what movie should you watch? Sometimes you crave more than the modern rom-com. Sometimes you want a movie that feels like a true escape, something that will transport you to a world long gone where old-fashioned romance still reigns supreme. When the mood strikes, mark a title off this list. Get ready to be taken away by daring heroines and dashing love interests.
#1 Gone with the Wind
This story is not only one of my favorite classic books, but also one of my favorite classic films. Released just a few years after the novel, Gone with the Wind features stunning Old Hollywood star Vivien Leigh as southern belle Scarlett O’Hara, a fiery femme fatale who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Scarlett soon meets her match in Rhett Butler (played by Clark Gable), a tall, dark, and rebellious businessman with a penchant for loose women and even looser morals. Gone with the Wind is a sweeping epic in every sense of the term. You’ll witness the drama of a changing world set against the startling backdrop of the Civil War and experience all the vivid charm of the Old South. Gorgeous cinematography and perfect casting made for a blockbuster film in 1939, one that remains the favorite of many fans today.
Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote:
“You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.”
Based on the book by Margaret Mitchell (published 1936)
Movie Adaptation Released in 1939
Film Length: 3h 58m
#2 Jane Eyre
Who doesn’t love a good gothic romance? No one does it better than a Brontë sister. Orphaned Jane Eyre grows up in squalor with little to keep her warm at night except the fire in her own heart. She comes into womanhood self-reliant and alone in the world. When a governess position becomes available at a sprawling English estate Jane chooses to accept. It’s among the towering, whispering walls of Thornfield Hall that she meets its dark, brooding master, Edward Rochester. Jane and Edward fall more and more in love with one another, but the bounds of society threaten to keep them apart. Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender play our ill-fated lovers in the 2011 film adaptation where stunning cinematic visuals perfectly match the somber tones of the original novel. Whether by film or by book, Jane Eyre is a moody, tragic story that will break your heart and weave it back together again.
Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote:
“I’ve a strange feeling with regard to you, as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly knotted to a similar string in you. And if you were to leave, I’m afraid that cord of communion would snap.”
Based on the book by Charlotte Brontë (published 1847)
Movie Adaptation Released in 2011
Film Length: 2h
#3 Pride & Prejudice
Jane Austen is the queen of Georgian-era romance novels, a title proven by generations of fans that have fueled at least nine film adaptations of her most popular work, Pride and Prejudice. Protagonist Elizabeth Bennett, an imaginative bibliophile, is not willing to sacrifice her adventurous spirit for a suffocating high-society marriage. Elizabeth soon meets Mr. Darcy, an aloof, unapproachable man who simultaneously attracts and repels her attention. Due to strict social hierarchies and, yes, a bit of pride and prejudice from both parties, our two lovers are forced to cross many hurdles within and without in order to find one another at last. There are plenty of adaptations to choose from, though my favorite stars Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen in 2005. This version captures the graceful style and playful notes of the 1813 classic.
Favorite Swoon-worthy Quote:
“You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”
Based on the book by Jane Austen (published 1813)
Movie Adaptation Released in 2005
Film Length: 2h 15m
Do you love a film based on classic literature? Tell us your favorite on twitter @onfrolic!
About the Author:
Bex Skoog (formerly Bex Gorsuch) is a Book Blogger and Instagram Influencer who strives to connect readers with their next favorite book. When not reading, Bex encourages bibliophiles to make use of the inspiration found in fiction by implementing story into their day-to-day lives. You can find her at outofthebex.com or on Instagram at @outofthebex.
