More news of Lorainne, 'Rains,' and Jane

Hallmark.com now has a page dedicated to The Russell Girl (which will be broadcast on Jan 27). Here is how they describe the movie:

Everyone in Sarah Russell’s small hometown knows her story, but no one is talking about it. Sarah, the picture-perfect girl-next-door, took a job in Chicago thinking she could escape memories of a tragic accident she blames on herself. But when she receives some unsettling news, Sarah decides to return home and try to heal old wounds.

As understanding and support come from unexpected sources, Sarah’s story becomes a journey toward forgiveness and hope for the future.

You can also watch a preview of the movie by clicking on the link at the bottom of the synopsis. (Every time I try to watch it, I get a message saying that Hallmark.com is temporarily unavailable, but hopefully it will be working by the time you read this!)

You can also enter the Hallmark Hall of Fame Sweepstakes for the chance to win a copy of The Russell Girl on DVD:

[...] Our two grand prize winners will each receive a Hallmark Gold Crown® Collector's Edition DVD of The Russell Girl and a The Russell Girl crew shirt. Ten runner-up prize winners will each receive the Hallmark Gold Crown® Collector's Edition DVD of The Russell Girl. [...]

Before the Rains was shown at the Palm Springs International Film Festival yesterday and will be shown again later today. The Press Enterprise briefly mentions the event:

[...] Today [meaning Friday] is the U.S. premiere of "Before the Rains." Set in 1937 India, it tells of a torrid love affair and characters caught between loyalty to Britain and the desire to be free. Beautifully filmed by director/cinematographer Santosh Sivan. It also screens Saturday. [...]

Did anyone have the chance to attend?!

The Desert Sun reports that Carl Spence, the co-director of programing at PSIFF, chose Before the Rains as "Friday's best bet." Here is what he had to say about the film:

[...] A sweeping film full of striking vistas, "Before the Rains" has the look of a fine period epic, but as it binds its characters tighter and tighter within their dilemmas, it reveals the gears of a good film noir. Having made his reputation in "Priest," Linus Roache once again excels as a respectable man capable of catastrophic acts. Rahul Bose, however, as the local subaltern, is the heart of the film: here is the Indian man navigating all the harsh choices that came with colonization. [...]

In an article about The Complete Jane Austen, Becky Krystal of the Washington Post explains that "there's something about Jane:"

[...] Rebecca Eaton, executive producer of Sunday night staple Masterpiece (formerly Masterpiece Theatre), said Austen's "limited canon" made an ideal television package — quite a feat for a woman who lived from 1775 to 1817.

"Whoever thought Jane Austen would be event television?" she said. "But it is."

Austen's heroines from 200 years ago translate well for today because they are intelligent and spunky and stand up to authority, said Marsha Huff, president of the Jane Austen Society of North America. "You can put them in modern dress and (they) still seem like people we understand," Huff said.
...
One reason why Austen's novels are well-suited to television adaptation, Wallace said, is that Austen is "so good at dialogue."

"She's a scriptwriter's dream," Wallace said, "because there's so little to do." [...]

Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times specifically discusses the new production of Persuasion, as does David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle. As the first movie on the schedule, Persuasion will be shown on PBS this Sunday, Jan 13.

In other news, BBB-Blogger informs us that "stars are flocking to Tom Stoppard’s Rock 'n' Roll on Broadway," including a certain fine-eyed lady.
(FYI - Playbill reports that Rock 'n' Roll will not be extending its limited run and will play its final performance on March 9. Go see it while you have the chance!)

Finally, blogger Michael Berry writes about "A Conversation with Tom Stoppard," which took place at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater on January 5.

[...] Beginning at 10 on a storm-swept morning, the program attracted a sell-out -- and peculiarly geriatric -- crowd, but their enthusiasm for the author was evident. Settled in armchairs on the otherwise empty stage, Stoppard and Perloff discussed the recent success of "The Coast of Utopia" and "Rock 'n' Roll" for just under an hour. [...]

Read on for some of the highlights.