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Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Top Ten Five Tuesday: Best Kisses in Austen — guest post from Cecilia Gray!

So, Cecilia realized something. (You remember Cecilia, don't you? Thought so, carry on.) Cecilia realized that we've never really had a good talk about Austen smooches during Austen in August. And that is a travesty. So Cecilia set herself the arduous task of gathering up the finest examples of Austen kissery, and is presenting them here in a Top Ten (ish, and by ish, I mean there are 5) Tuesday of her fave Austen smackers!
. . . with additional commentary from me, which she doesn't know about yet. *waves at Cecilia*
Enjoy! ^_^



Yes, I know, there is no kissing described anywhere in any of Jane Austen's novels blah blah blah blah blah. (Also, some academics would disagree with you.)

Now onto my TOP 5 JANE AUSTEN KISS SCENES (In movies.)

5. Emma (1996): Darkling Friend Kiss

I may be in the minority but I never bought the chemistry between Norton Northam and Paltrow. While I love Emma and am not even weirded out by the big-brother age difference, these two actors didn't do it for me.


Note from Misty: I developed a hardcore crush on Jeremy Northam as a result of this movie. (Well, half this movie and half  The Net. And yes, I know he was the bad guy in that. Don't ask me to explain childhood Misty, I can't.)  But the way he pecks at her in this kiss, like a bird going for a worm, just doesn't do it for me.

4. Persuasion (2007): Kiss at Bath

This is my favorite and most-watched movie adaptation, but not my favorite kiss, probably because I can't help but get fixated on the spittle in her mouth and her tears. Their next kiss, in the final scene, is better, but feels more like an epilogue than a pivotal moment, so I didn't count it here.


Note from Misty: I can't get past the spittle. Or her ever-greasy hair.

3. Pride & Prejudice (2005): Candlelit Kiss

This is also more of an epilogue but the only kiss we get since the previous scene is an almost-kiss. The kissing itself isn't that swoonworthy but the cinematography is!


Note from Misty: The cinematography saves everything in this movie. I've grown to love it because of the cinematography. As an adaptation. . . well, we won't talk about that, but boy, it sure is pretty!

2. Northanger Abbey (2007): Falling Into Bushes

Sorry, you gotta forward to the end of the clip, but it'll be worth it. The two actors make this such a vibrant, eager and energetic scene that captures the giddiness of a first kiss, even after having to get through all the lead-up dialogue first.


Note from Misty: Fave. Hands down fave. I love the bumbling awkwardness, and the fact that she pushes him into the bush. Get it, Catherine.

1. Mansfield Park (1999): The Almost Kiss

I can't even find this clip on youtube which is a TRAVESTY but let me set the scene. Fanny is crying. Edmund is comforting her. They are both seated on the bed. A hand here. A nose graze there. And OMG their lips are so close. Only he draws back and runs away. But Cecilia, you say, this isn't even a real kiss. I KNOW, OKAY! But it's still pretty hot. You can kind of catch it with a score from 1:45-1:58 here.



Note from Misty: Almost-kisses are hot. Anticipation, baby. An-tic-i-pay-ay-tion. . .

* * *


Cecilia Gray writes sweet stories about smart girls and nice guys.

When she isn't writing, she's into books, movies, tv, food, and hanging out with her friends. Subscribe to her newsletter for updates on new releases, sneak peeks, and giveaways.





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16 comments:

  1. I have no idea who Jeremy Norton is, but I'm assuming he has more chemistry with Gwyneth than Northam. ;|

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  2. Yes for #2! It's so adorably first-kiss. And the Mansfield Park almost-kiss tension is delicious. It makes me actually be able to stand Edmund Bertram (well, better in this adaptation than in the book, anyway).

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    1. I think I did the lean-forward-fall-off-the-couch the first time I saw that Mansfield Park almost-kiss. <3<3 :) Glad to know my taste is on the mark!

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  3. Oh yes, this definitely needed to be explored. I favor your top two choices for certain. I love the exuberance of Catherine and Henry.

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    Replies
    1. I wonder if anyone will dissent! We'll have to stay tuned.

      I DO wish the Wenthworth kiss were better.

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  4. The other version of Persuasion always does me in. I love how the the scene holds the tension even longer. They want to be alone so badly but Charles just won't leave! (Spittle is also too distracting)

    I do, however, adore the falling into bushes. It is too cute!

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    1. I kind of want to maneuver my next kiss to be against a set of hedges just so I can get this effect!

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  5. I'm afraid I can't dissent on the Northanger Abbey scene – I love it too! It's just plain adorable how genuinely eager those two are. (Plus I really just am a fan of that entire adaptation – JJ Feild is cast so perfectly as Tilney, when I saw it the first time I remember thinking that it was like Tilney had walked right off the page and onto the screen. And Felicity Jones does such an excellent job as Catherine, playing her charmingly, but not aggravatingly or annoyingly, young and naive.)

    I *will* dissent over the Emma scene, though, because actually I liked the chemistry between those two! *ducks rotten tomatoes* I know many people can't get on board with Paltrow as Emma but I never had an issue with her interpretation of the character... and I *definitely* have no issue with Northam as Knightley ;)

    Totally agree with you on the Persuasion kiss, btw. Not a fan of that one, or particularly of the corresponding scene in the adaptation with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root (although I do prefer that adaptation generally).

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    1. That Northanger Abbey made me so happy, and YES JJ FIELD FOREVER.
      I liked Northam + Paltrow, and the adaptation as a whole, but that may be because it's what got me into Austen to begin with. (I just don't love that kiss. Little awkward)

      There has yet to be a version of Persuasion that gets it right for me, so they need to really up their game on that -- but Rupert Penry-Jones can be in all of them from here on out, and that'd be fine with me. . . ;)

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    2. RUPERT PENRY-JONES IN EVERY PERSUASION. That needs to be a law. Srsly.

      Well, Danya, it will be MY turn to throw rotten tomatoes, because I actually like Emma as Paltrow and like Northam as Knightley, but I think the two of them together are kind of meh. The same way I found Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp weirdly matched in The Tourist. I don't know what it is!!!!!!!!!!! But we can definitely agree the two of them are individually charming.

      And another hurrah for loving the NA kiss. And JJ. Those curls. Those sparkly eyes. Eeek.

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  6. Love this post!! Guess I am in the minority here, because I think Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam have tremendous chemistry in that scene. I think the kiss is perfect for a first-ever kiss, and I love the way he proposes.

    I agree re Felicity Jones and JJ Feild. Love them together.

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    Replies
    1. I will need to rematch that then…maybe I missed something a few years ago that I'll get this time around!

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  7. I love this topic! My favorites are 2 and the almmost kiss in 1. The candlelight in 3 does make the scene romantic....

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  8. I love this topic! My favorites are 2 and the almmost kiss in 1. The candlelight in 3 does make the scene romantic....

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