Film: Watermelon

Friday night, and the tv schedulers gave us a small selection of films to choose from. With Watermelon starting just when I was looking for something to watch, I said - ok! And so I watched it.

Based on a book by Marion Keyes, so you could call it a chick film. Perfect for a light, Friday night film. Stars Anna Friel, who moves to London, quickly falls in love with James (Jamie Draven), then discovers she's pregnant. Ideal, right? Nope. Suffice to say, she ends up running back home to Dublin, to her parents, Brenda Fricker and Sean McGinley. A young lady with a habit of embellishing the truth, what is she to do now?

The beginning of the story, at least, does deviate from the book - in the book, it seems she's married to James, and on the day she gives birth to their first child, she discovers he's having an affair, which is why she leaves. In the film, on the other hand, she actually comes over with her boyfriend, Ciarán McMenamin, who's under the impression that she's secured a good job, and is considering moving over with her. When he discovers that all she had was an interview - which she blew - he stomps back home in a huff, to safety. She soon hooks up with James - then discovers she's pregnant. By her ex. She starts to tell James - but he gets all excited at the idea the baby is his, and she doesn't have the heart to tell him the truth: not with him inviting her to move in n all. It's not until the day of the birth that he finds out, and sends her packing - so she slinks home, tail between her legs.

What the hey, I really enjoyed it. Anna Friel is very appealing - despite struggling with the Irish accent. Jamie Draven is suitably cute. And while the story is a mite predictable, it's heartwarming, the actors are great, and it's really funny. Also interesting to notice the cultural differences, even in this time frame - it's 17 years since this came out, and while mobile phones were around, not everyone had one. (Like, for instance, our heroine.) So when anyone is trying to contact her - or she's out and about and trying to get in contact with someone - they have to do inventive things. Like, you know, knocking on a door and asking for the person. Or paging them.. Anyway, highly recommended for sheer entertainment value.

Tomorrow, back with Up in the Cheap Seats for - ooh! Matthew Bourne's production of The Nutcracker! Wow, delighted - I love Matthew Bourne, and haven't seen this. And hopefully, the audio issues from last week will be sorted! That doesn't usually happen.