The Duchess

I picked this up on a whim a week or so ago, and just took the opportunity to watch it while hubby was at work and the kids were both asleep. Having read a few historical novels in my day, I knew this probably was not going to be the happiest story, but hoped I was wrong. I didn't realize until I turned it on that it was based on a *true* story, which made it all the more sad. Total chick flick and I'm glad I watched it while they weren't around.

Because I am me and have to look things up, I read the Wikipedia article on Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire. She's the title character in the movie. It mentions Princess Diana and Sarah, Duchess of York, are descendants of her family. While Sarah's life with Andrew wasn't a happy one, Princess Diana's with Charles and after Charles was just tragic in so many ways ... and made me realize that not all women have the rights I sometimes take for granted. Princess Diana's life just seemed so doomed, and seeing this movie actually helped me understand why that was in so many ways. History well and truly repeats itself. How sad is it that the rights of women nobility and aristocracy haven't changed too much over the centuries. Neither have the rights of impoverished men and women in other nations. They're just ... trapped.

It made me grateful to live in a time and a place where women DO have legal rights and most are not just puppets for men and their fancies, that women have rights when it comes down to philandering and abusive husbands, and can and do succeed without men when needed. It made me grateful that I can snuggle my children when I want to and don't have nannies raising them -- or a husband trying to keep me from them. It also made me grateful for the husband I have, who loves me immensely, and does just about anything he can to make me happy, even if it makes him miserable. lol.

That being said, I can't recommend anyone watch it. There were a few places I had to close my eyes and ears as our fast forward doesn't work on the DVD player and there were inappropriate things in it.