Effie (2012)

Emma Thompson has written the screenplay for Effie, the period biopic of Euphemia Gray who was married to the art critic John Ruskin in 1850s London, and later fell in love with his protegé John Millais.

CAST:

Effie - Dakota Fanning

John Ruskin - Greg Wise

John Everett Millais - Tom Sturridge

Ruskin's parents - Derek Jacobi and Julie Walters

Lady Elizabeth Eastlake - Emma Thompson

Sir Charles Eastlake - Edward Fox

Filming is expected to begin this October in London, Scotland and Venice

Source: Deadline via Comingsoon.net

Brave (2012)

Brave, an animated film due out next year from Disney / Pixar features some familiar names providing the voice talent.

Synopsis: Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In Brave, a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts. Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch (Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

Poster found at Rope of Silicon

Sense & Sensibility: Lucy's cheeky letter to Elinor

In the early days of filming Sense and Sensibility, director Ang Lee requested that the actors write background information about their character's "inner life". While some actors balked at this homework, actress Imogene Stubbs took the task to heart and wrote an imagined letter from Lucy to Elinor, some years after their respective marriages. Emma Thompson included it in the Screenplay and Diaries book on the film and deemed that Imogene had the prize-winning letter!

I found it to be quite entertaining so here is an excerpt from Lucy Ferrars letter to Elinor Ferrars:

Dear Elinor,

Robert and I have been enjoying a splendid weekend with the Prince Regent, with whom, I declare, I feel quite at home, and who is a veritable gentleman towards we ladies . He has called me 'sumptuous' and 'frivolous' by turns all weekend, and even remarked on my famous curls - enquiring whether 'God did all' or did they require 'feminine assistance'? How we laughed!

My dear Elinor- I feel the time has come to have a little discussion about the past, but before I begin, do tell - how are your precious family? Is poor, pale Marianne happy now with the marvellously competent, mature husband? I shall never forget the pathetic lachrymosity (my! the vocabulary one acquires in 'society') of her warbling, when that wretched scoundrel left her innocent, trusting self for material advantage. Well - he must live with his shame. We can be grateful for that at least. Is darling Margaret behaving herself? I do so miss her mischievous ways, and have quite forgiven her the time when she placed a beetle in my soup, and then laughed fit to burst as I was carried upstairs in a faint. How could she know how close I was to choking to death? How could she know how deeply affected I was by the experience? How could she know at that tender age that one day I might be in a position to offer her assistance financially, or an entry into polite society, and might not care to forget such behaviour? I jest - and for proof, enclose a bonnet-ribbon to prettify that sweet, homely face.

Has Mrs Jennings managed to lose weight, and has your mother gained any? If only a doctor could cut pieces off one person and transfer them to another, how content we should be! ...

Read entire letter here
(page 317 on scribed.com, not page number of book)