The Country Girl

The weather was absolutely beautiful yesterday. After dinner we decided to take a walk in our neighborhood and ended up stopping at the library. I don't know why I never used the library until I lived down the street - it's a great thing. We can check out movies for up to two weeks for FREE. For once, we get a little satisfaction seeing our tax dollars at work.

I love old movies, so I picked up The Country Girl (Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly) and watched it last night. Bing Crosby plays an alcoholic, former musical star who gets a chance to make a comeback. The real star of the movie, Grace Kelly, plays his long-suffering wife who has spent ten years in a nightmare: the lies, deception, and heartbreak of living with an alcoholic. She earned an Oscar for the role.

It was a serious movie. A realistic portrayal of life in difficult circumstances - the struggle, the despair, the desire to escape. Being misunderstood by everyone. I didn't expect to like it, but when the movie finished I was encouraged by the choices the characters made. A modern movie would not have the same ending. Grace Kelly's character showed determination, loyalty, and in the end - hope. She didn't make choices based on her own happiness. Instead, she acted out of real compassion and love, and a desire to do what was right.

If you get a chance to watch it, I'd love to know what you think.