So, in the interest of "sharing interests", the date movie this week featured absolutely no beheadings, explosions, or disembowelments. We went to see "
Amazing Grace" at one of the local second-run theatres. This movie, which one reviewer correctly quipped was "coming to a social studies class near you", was about
William Wilberforce, one of the leaders of the Abolitionist movement in England, and his struggles to convince Parliament to abolish slavery. It was interesting in that sort of dry way historical costume dramas are. Lots of men in powdered wigs, lots of women in low-cut blouses, the usual. I was slightly distracted by the fact that the actor looked a lot like "
Q", and, as it turns out, played
Reed Richards in
the Fantastic Four movie of a few years back, which I avoided on the grounds it was blasphemous. I guess when you make umpty-zillion dollars doing summer blockbusters, you can take on jobs just because you want to, so I presume he really wanted to make this movie.
The movie reveals well what most sane people already know -- nothing ever really changes. Politics is politics. If you want to attack someone's ideas, accuse them of lacking patriotism. Money talks. Good causes attract crowds of colorful characters.
It was sort of interesting in that I know this period mostly from Black Adder, it was hard to accept Pitt The Younger as 20-something, not, erm, 13-something. This is what happens when you learn history from sitcoms.
Overall, a good movie, and a nice change of pace from my usual summer fare. Would only recommend to people who want to get some edjimmication from their films.
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