You Don't Really Know...

One of my favorite books of all time is Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen.

I tend to be picky about TV/movie adaptations of favorite books, so I am pleased that I like not one, but THREE different adaptations of Pride and Prejudice. The most recent was released a few years ago and stars Keira Knightley.

In that movie, the character of Jane Bennet is played by actress Rosamund Pike.  Jane is an incredibly sweet character -- nice, kind, generous, always looking for the best in everyone.  Pike does a great job of playing her character.

Without consciously thinking about it, I projected the Jane Bennet character on the actress Rosamund Pike. That is to say, I had a general feeling that Pike is probably a nice person. Of course, I knew and indeed know NOTHING about her personal life. If I had consciously thought about it, I would have thought "all I know is she is a good actress. She could be a total jerk.  She could be the next Mother Theresa. I have no idea."  But I wasn't thinking.

So this week, I discovered that Pike is playing the lead female character in the movie Gone Girl.  I would hate to spoil the plot though I personally think all Christians should think LONG and hard about watching that movie. I have not, and you could not pay me enough to watch it.  Focus on the Family gave it a very poor rating...suffice it to say that it is violent and ugly and has some really nasty sexual stuff.  Pike's character is evil. I have read a plot summary of the book and it gives me the cold shudders.

 I felt shocked that Rosamund Pike would play this character.  And of course, that is silly.  Most Hollywood actresses will play most things.  Rosamund Pike is NOT Jane Bennett.  She just played her. And now she is playing a part that involves murder and infidelity and ugliness.  As a Christian, I would not play that part (if I was an actress -- and I am as far away from being a decent actress as one can get.)  But she obviously was fine with playing the part, which means ... well, it means she isn't Jane Bennett. No surprise there.

That made me think of Robin Williams, God rest his soul.  I saw more than one person on Facebook say "Oh, I love Robin Williams!" when he died.  Truth is, we didn't love Robin Williams.  We loved his acting.  Most people (including me) didn't  KNOW him.  We know his persona.  We know that he was a brilliant comedian and actor. And indeed he was.  But obviously under that tremendous comedic skill was a man with very major problems that resulted in his tragic suicide.

I wonder sometimes how I come across in this blog.  I've had people very kindly refer to me as Super Mom.  I know I am not.  I project a persona on this blog. I try to be very honest, but reality is that the blog is just a part of who I am. I never deliberately lie or deceive, but I only tell about SOME parts of our lives.  I don't have time to cover all of my life and indeed much of it is boring :-).

If there is one thing I could say about me it is this:  I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior. That is a quote from John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace hundreds of years ago.  That may sound like false modesty on my part but it is not.  I fail in a hundred ways every day. I get cranky with my kids. I get obsessive about messes.  I have my lazy moments.  I give into anxiety. But Jesus is my Lord and my Savior.  So I'm in pretty good shape.