My top ten go-to period drama movies

     I am here today to address a very important issue. At some point in your life, you have experienced being in the mood to watch something enjoyable, safe, and dramatic, and been unable to find anything. It is annoying, and really disappointing considering how many movie are made a year. You would think that there would be more good stuff out there. Unfortunately, Clean, engaging, non cheesy period dramas can be hard to find. But they do exist. I have spent a lot of time finding and watching period dramas, because priorities, and have now put together a list of my personal favorites. Some of these I am sure you have watched, but I am positive that at lest one of these will be new to you, and catch your interest. 

#1: Pride and Prejudice (1995)

This is a classic, and I'm sure most of you have watched it already. If not, it is about Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy's relationship going from haughty disdain, to positive dislike, and eventually ending in ardent affection. Set upon the backdrop of the regency period, it is full to the brim with romance, betrayal, heartbreak, and impossible mothers. Even though I have watched it about a million times, it is the perfect movie to watch when I need a romantic fix, and have six hours to spare. Content wise, it is considered very clean. The worst being when one of the girls runs away with a man, and of course the low cut dresses. But that goes for nearly every movie on this list. 

#2: Sense and Sensibility (1995)
This version is absolutely beautiful, and the soundtrack is AMAZING. This story is about two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, and how there different ways of acting effect their life, and relationships. It is very dramatic, with heartbreak around every corner. You will respect Elinor, see yourself in Marianne, and love and hate Whilloughby. This is, in my mother and my personnel opinion, the best version of the book. There is nothing objectionable in this movie.

#3: Emma (1996)

Are you the kind of person who loves to set people up, speculate about peoples personal lives, and never notice when someone ardently loves you? If so you are very much like Emma Woodhouse, and you should watch this film as a cautionary tale. Emma is quite a character. She has the best intention, but just cant stop ruining peoples lives. Nevertheless you will love this movie, fussy father, slimy clergyman, and the love interest that is 15 years older than Emma. Give it a chance, its great. There is nothing inappropriate in it, which is another plus.

#4: Bleak House (2005)

Bleak House was one of the very first Dickens adaptations I ever watched, besides a christmas story, and Oliver! the musical.(Which does NOT count in my book.) This television adaptation is fantastic. It is a story about Esther Summerson, who is caught up in the never ending court case Jarndyce v.s Jarndyce. I love the cast, the style, the sets, everything is amazing. It is quite a bit darker than a Jane Austin film, but if you are in the mood for a more mysterious story, this is the one for you! There is a subplot in the movie where one of the characters has an affair, but it is only talked of. It is dark, and sometimes a bit hard to watch, as it shows the poverty of the lower classes in those days.

#5: Little Dorrit (2008)

 There is a bit of debate about which is better, Bleak House or little Dorrit. In my own opinion they are both amazing, but they both have there strengths and weaknesses. Little Dorrit has my favorite Romance out of the two. I never really liked Matthew Macfadyen in his role as Mr. Darcy in the 2005 P&P, but he won me over in his role as Arthur. If, by the end, you have not fallen head over heels for Arthur, are you even a woman? This story is about Amy Dorrit, and the mysteries surrounding her incarcerated father, a reclusive woman, an estranged son, and herself. It is a darker story, and it gets kinda confusing at the end. If you are unsure of what the heck just happened when you finish, please look up the plot on Wikipedia. I, personally, was very confused, and am glad I looked it up. If I hadn't, I may have had a completely different opinion on the whole story, because thinking two siblings marry each other should gross anyone out. This series does have a couple questionable scenes. There is a list of them here.

#6: North and South (2004)

No, this is not the movie about the civil war. It is actually a story about a young Lady named Margret Hale, who moves from the south to the north of England, and has to come to terms with the differences she finds. The setting is a cotton mill, which is epic, and the lead male is Thorin Richard Armitage, which is doubly epic. You really can't go wrong with this series, and hopefully this will encourage you to read some of Elizabeth Gaskell's works. She was an amazing writer. This is clean, though the kiss at the end was rather, lets say, painful to my sensibilities. Train stations are no place for such things!

#7: Wives and Daughters (1999)

Another one of Elizabeth Gaskell's stories, Wives and Daughters is a very entertaining, if not a bit hard to watch, only because of the very well done horribleness of Mrs. Gibson. It foceses on Molly Gibson, who has to deal with a horrendously silly stepmother, and shallow stepsister, who collectively almost ruin her life. Interesting fact about the story, Elizabeth Gaskell died before finishing it. Not to worry, the movie makes up its own ending. It is still interesting to realize that the author could have planned on ending it a different way. There is nothing objectionable, except for a few brief, unfounded scandals that end in nothing.

#8: Anne of Green Gables (1985)

This one is by far the most nostalgic film in this list. If I even hear the music I am instantly transported to L.M. Montgomery's nineteenth century PEI, and I never, EVER, want to go back. everything in this series is done perfectly, and it warms, and then breaks my heart every time. For anyone who doesn't know the plot, it is about a young orphan girl who is mistakenly adopted, and many scrapes and calamities, which are all to relatable, follow. There is no objectionable content, as this is NOT Anne with an E, the (horrendous) Netflix show.

#9: Anne of Green Gables the Sequel (1987)

Ok, here we go. Normally I am a stickler to the belief that the closer a movie is to a book the better, and if it does not, it is probably horrible. This movie is my weakness, because no, it does not stick to the book, but dang to I love it. From the setting, the costumes, the hair, the Gilbert, the EVERYTHING, it is a favorite. The storyline is very loosely based on the Anne books from Anne of Avonlea, to Anne of Windy Poplars. It is about Anne growing up, and leaving home in search of her dreams. It's not a perfect movie. They do some things with the story that I'm not crazy about, but all in all it makes me very happy. And I want ALL her clothes. As I said, there is nothing inappropriate, and the kissing is the SWEETEST thing ever.

#10: War Horse (2011)

Now this one is a bit different, a it is not really a period drama. But it is such a great movie, and it is set in WWI era which I love. This film is about Albert, just your normal country kid, and his best friend, the horse Joey, who are torn apart by the great war. This movie gets me every time. It's a real tear jerker. And let's be honest, anything with Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston in it, no matter how briefly, is bound to catch my fancy. All the strong kind young men dying in this movie is absolutely unbearable. But I still love it. As you would expect, this movie is the most violent on this list. Compared to other war movies I have seen, this move is not bad at all. But I remember when I first watched the trench scene I was pretty freaked out, so take that into consideration.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this post, and maybe found a few new movies to check out. Have a great day!

-Iris