Katie, Plain and Tall

So remember how these are two of my favorite books ever?

Well maybe you didn't know that, but they are. I picked up My Ántonia at B&N maybe two years ago, and I'm still not quite sure why I bought it. Here's what the summary on the back cover says: 

Widely recognized as Willa Cathe'rs greatest novel, My Ántonia is a soulful and rich portrait of a pioneer woman's simple yet heroic life. The spirited daughter of Bohemian immigrants, Ántonia must adapt to a hard existence on the desolate prairies of the Midwest. Enduring childhood poverty, teenage seduction, and family tragedy, she eventually becomes a wife and mother on a Nebraska farm. A fictional record of how women helped forge the communities that formed a nation, My Ántonia is also a hauntingly eloquent celebration of the strength, courage, and spirit of America's early pioneers.

You're all dying to go out and read it now, I know. When I read this, I thought "oh, this is exactly what I want to read about - pioneers, feminist immigrants and Nebraska - all of my favorite topics! NOT. Snoozefest! Gag"  but it stayed in my hand and I bought it, took it home and, eventually, read it.

I loved it. LOVED it. Granted, the subject matter isn't on the top of my list for things I like to read about, but it was so brilliantly and beautifully written. I then went on to read O Pioneers! and was not disappointed. It, too, was well written and just fantastic. I wish I didn't have anything to do today or I'd spend the whole day reading them again.

Now this post isn't an advertisement for you to go out and read these books, but rather an introduction to something else. I watched a movie last night on Netflix called Sweet Land:

Here's what Netflix had to say about it:

Norwegian-American farmer Olaf Torvik (Tim Guinee) and his rural Minnesotan community must struggle to overcome years of anti-German propaganda and prejudice when he discovers that his mail-order bride, Inge (Elizabeth Reaser), is not only a German but also an accidental Socialist. Writer Ali Selim also directs this Independent Spirit Award-winning tale of love's ability to triumph over ignorance.


Again. Oh joy.


BUT, a few things interested me - one, that this was an independent film, and those are generally pretty good and two, Elisabeth Reaser was nominated for the 2007 Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead in this film. If the name sounds familiar, it might be because Reaser also plays the vampire mom in the Twilight movies (but I won't hold that against her. She did go to Julliard).


Anyway, I loved this movie! It has a very pensive tone, with focus more on the actions of the characters rather than their dialogue. Most people would probably think it is boring and too slow, but my friends said that about Marie Antoinette (with Kirsten Dunst) and I liked that one a lot, too. But this one was really well done. Poignant without being cheesy. The acting is really stellar, both Reaser and the Tim Guinee as the male lead (he's also pretty babe). Even Alan Cumming didn't manage to annoy me in this movie! That in and of itself is an accomplishment.


I just think it's interesting that these stories about pioneers and farming in the Midwest a hundred plus years ago would all really strike me. I don't know why, they just did. 


I guess I'm just a sucker for a story that is well told.