Last weekend, to rest up and save money before the epic upcoming weekend I will be spending in Chicago at Lollapalooza, I spent a good portion of my time sitting in my bed watching the Anne of Green Gables miniseries on DVDs. Ah, Anne. My love began circa 1989 when the CBC miniseries was aired on PBS Ch. 8 (yes, I still remember the local channel number). As a four-year-old, I'd curl up on my big sister's bed when she was out (she was 17, so that was often), in her room that was painted pink and full of high school memorabilia, and watch Anne of Green Gables on her little portable black and white T.V. with an antenna and a channel dial.
At least, that is how I remember it. It's very possible that I'm crossing memories and didn't actually first watch the Anne of Green Gables movies while in my sister's room, rather at school or daycare, but that is how I like to think of it.
Regardless of how the introductions actually happened, Anne of Green Gables and I have been friends for a long time. [I've wanted to go to Prince Edward Island for as long as I can remember.] But after my initial childhood viewing of these movies, we didn't meet again until late high school when I saw the VHS tapes at the library and decided to take a walk down memory lane. Despite having seen Anne of Green Gables and its sequel, Anne of Avonlea, numerous times before, it had been a while. And I can remember feeling more affected by a story than perhaps I ever had (might also have something to do with the fact that I watched all three of them in a row, so that's over 10 hours with these characters).
There are few stories that we encounter that really hit us hard and stick with us forever, but this is one of them for me. And though I've read all the books, it's really the movies that I love because of their visuality. The landscape is gorgeous. The historical setting is endearing. The entire style palette is just perfection. I gushed about this a couple weeks ago with Betsy-Tacy, but when you read or see a story from a time before TVs and phones and computers, everything just seems more human. It's raw emotion that sucks you in without distraction, and I love and appreciate how real it all is.
But no need to go on a spiel against modern technology again. Anne of Green Gables is one of those movies that will never get old, that I will never be too grown up for, and that will cheer me up until the end of time. I'm sure every one of you has your own favorites that will never lose their magic.
It's stories like these that make me excited to have a kid with whom to share great books.
But not yet. Most definitely not yet.
