CareerPrints with Caryn Reddick

Every three years or so, I have the desire to watch old Merchant Ivory films. For those not familiar with Merchant Ivory Productions, it is a movie production company that has produced English films like A Room With a View (1985) and Howards End (1992).

This time, my Merchant Ivory-fest ended with The Remains of the Day (1993), staring Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Christopher Reeve, and Hugh Grant. The film is based on the book by Kazuo Ishiguru, one of my favorite authors. The combination of Hopkins, Thompson, Ishiguru, and Ivory is almost too good to be true.

The story is about a butler and housekeeper whose boss is duped into supporting the Nazis in the 1930s. While the movie is very interesting from an historical perspective, the film’s poignancy comes from the relationship between the butler (Hopkins) and the housekeeper (Thompson). They fall in love, but neither will admit it, and the film shows how this repression affects them over the span of 30 years. Two people, so close to having what they wanted, refused to grasp that happiness because they decided that pride and decorum were more important than love.

But this is not a post about love or movies. The real question is:

What decision have you been making for years that is keeping you from happiness?

If something springs to mind, or if this question just makes you uncomfortable, rent The Remains of the Day. Hopkins and Thompson are masters, and their incredibly moving portrayal of two people whose happiness is overriden by “appropriate” decisions may be just what you need to inspire you. If you aren’t into movies, read the book, which is equally (if not more) inspiring.

Note to men: This is NOT a chick flick, even though it might sound like one.