I am about to leave on vacation to Edinburgh and London. I've never been to Scotland but I have been to London and absolutely love the city and its people. As I'm sitting on my couch trying to get my internal clock ready for the time change I was looking at my DVD shelf and started to list in my head my favorite movies about the UK. I decided to share my list with everyone:
#8: Atonement (2007) - with James McEvoy and Keira Knightley
This was one of the few instances in which the movie was just as good as the book. There are several London scenes in the middle of the movie with the time period being World War II during Germany's Blitzkrieg. Though I have to admit, one of the scenes towards the end makes me wary of ever wandering into one of London's Tube Stations again.
#7: The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) - with Matt Damon
This movie has scenes from Europe to the U.S. The main London scene takes place at London Waterloo Station. Have you ever been in a European train station? Being able to look up on the board and see destinations like Paris, Rome, and Moscow listed as being only a train ride away is unlike anything you ever experience here in the U.S. Half the world is a simple train ticket away.
#6: Braveheart (1995) - with Mel Gibson and Sophie Marceau
A very attractive Mel Gibson with the Scotland countryside as his backdrop. It definitely didn't hurt the hot scene he had with Sophie Marceau.
#5: Pride and Prejudice (2005) - with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen
I know many are fans of the original extended version but for those of you who aren't interested in hours of Jane Austen yet enjoy her stories, I definitely recommend this chick flick for you. Since the time period for this movie is sometime in the 18th Century much of the background is in the English countryside. There is this one amazing scene of Keira Knightley standing on the edge of enormous cliffs overlooking the coastline. That scene, along with any of the other scenes that included Mr. Darcy, was beautiful.
#4: Love Actually (2003) - with too many good people to list
A love story tied around the lives of several people in London including a writer, a British Prime Minister, a washed up rock star, two porn movie stand-ins, a grieving widower, and a British caterer who finally caught on to the fact that American women will love him for his cute British accent. My favorite scene is the one where Liam Neeson's character is sitting on a bench along the Thames talking to his stepson with St. Paul's Cathedral in the background.
#3: Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) - with Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant, and Colin Firth
A thirty-something woman who is slightly overweight and looking for love in London… absolutely hysterical. Did everyone catch on to the fact that this movie is basically a modern-day version of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice?" This movie has great shots of Millennium Bridge and St. Paul's Cathedral. The office where Bridget Jones worked, the one with the huge windows, actually exists and is in use.
#2: The Queen (2006) - with Helen Mirren
Aside from the fact that Helen Mirren is an amazing and lovely British actress, the Scottish Highlands shown in the background for much of movie were absolutely beautiful. It convinced me to take a trip!
#1: The King's Speech (2010) - with Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter
I recently saw this in the theater. I did not place this at #1 because it was a new release or even because it shows much of London. I chose this one for its depiction of King George VI and the personal challenges that man faced when he suddenly became King and had to overcome his speech impediment so he could be there for his nation during a time of war. Colin Firth's Oscar for his performance was well-deserved.
Sandy O.
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