Cottage Life

 

Before I forget, as I almost always do, yesterday’s Oscar, “Who won”  answer is  Elton John’s song from “Rocketman”, won the Oscar, “Into The Unknown” sung by Idina Menzel was nominated and Beyoncé got Nadda. Apparently, it was a huge snub and, maybe it is, but there ya go  with who won who got nominated and who got nuttin, honey.

Since I’m on a nice vacation, relaxing and eating like a queen, I decided to go the summer cottage route and I came up with these 3..

1. THE ENCHANTED COTTAGE-1945

This is a romance film with a twist. It stars Robert Young and Dorothy Maguire, he disfigured from the war and she is just considered..not good looking. Herbert Marshall is the narrator and friend of both and tells his guests about their love story. The ugly girl hides away with an older lady and takes care of a cottage for people who wish to stay there. Enter Robert Young, handsome and engaged to a beautiful woman but he is not put off of Dorothy and they can laugh. Time goes by, he now wants to rent the cottage alone telling his fiance to leave him be as well as his own mom because he is severely disfigured due to the war. The only contact he has is with Dorothy who feels she, herself, is disfigured. The two can talk and enjoy each other’s company and they one day realize that the cottage has made them both “beautiful”. They no longer hide from people and love going out and enjoying life. The cottage and their love has cured their “ugliness”. It is well acted, sensitive and a gentle film. They can’t really show how a veteran from WW1 or 2 would look like without a nose or jaw but it still gets the point across including that Dorothy Maguire is hardly ugly.

2. MR. HOBBS TAKES A VACATION-1962

Yes, I have spoken about this film more than once but it is just so much fun starring the great James Stewart as the head of a family and his lovely wife is played by the beautiful Maureen O’Hara. They book a summer cottage right on the ocean and have 2 of their kids with them, a young teen daughter embarrassed that she must wear braces and their youngest son who can’t get enough of TV. When they get to this huge cottage by the ocean, it is not move in and relax place. Aside from 10” of dust everywhere, the plumbing is icky as well as the electricity much to their son’s woe. Unbeknownst to Jimmy, his wife decided to invite their other 2 daughters, their husbands and kids which kiboshes Jimmy’s hope of a second honeymoon with his wife( despite the other younger kids with them). On top of everything, his son in law’s future boss and that man’s wife come for a visit  where Jimmy has to go bird watching( hilarious). They take their young daughter to a dance and Jimmy pays the men  to dance with his daughter. The one boy, Fabian, sings with her and has a great time that he gives the $5 back to dad. It’s a funny film and a heartwarming one the first of a few that Jimmy Stewart made in the 60s.

3. THE GREAT OUTDOORS-1988

This is not a great film but a fun flick made in the 80s with John Candy and Dan Ackroyd and in laws who decide to have a vacation together with their kids. John Candy and his wife are average middle class people with 2 sons where Ackroyd is married( to Annette Bening in her first film role) and they have twin girls that look like they came from that Hotel in the Shining. You follow their antics which involves water skiing, eating a huge steak and Bart The Bear along with some raccoons who think these people are quite stupid and they are not far off. It’s a fun movie but not one you think through. I love John Candy and will watch anything with him in it and miss this great Canadian to this day. 

What cottage movies can you think of?