"Frankly My Dear..."

We've all at least heard of it...and most of us have seen it. Maybe you were flipping channels and it happened to captivate your attention on Turner Classic Movies one rainy day. Maybe your mother sat you down one evening in junior high and begged you to watch it with her. Maybe you were curious about all the hype and decided to rent it from the library when nothing else seemed appealing.

I was eleven when I found an old dusty copy of the book lying around the house, and I was, predictably, hooked from page 1. Yes, I cried as I read the last five pages and was ecstatic to hear that my favorite book also happened to be the biggest blockbuster hit of all time. Soon, I had a new movie obsession, and I haven't stopped since. My close friends might tell you that I'm a little obsessed. I do have the four disc complete DVD (although in my defense, it was a gift from an ex-boyfriend.)

What is it about "Gone With the Wind" that attracts all kinds of audiences? Sometimes I think it's the cinematography and general historical accuracy, complete with sophisticated sets and period costumes, even by today's standards. Perhaps it's the pretty stellar acting--who can forget the dashing Clark Gable, the subdued, yet very real Olivia de Havilland, or Butterfly McQueen and her famous line? ("Miss Scarlett, I don't know nothin bout birthin no babies!") 

But I truly think that its story line is closer to the heart of the film's popularity and cult following. Who among us hasn't felt a little bit like Scarlett O'Hara, wanting what we can't have, yet wanting it all at the same time? Who of us has not sacrificed ourselves to a fault, much like Melanie Wilkes, trusting and loyal even in the face of obvious backstabbing and deceitful friends? The story details not only a large group of citizens fighting to keep their land and their customs, but a young woman fighting to keep her piece of land, the only thing that never changes in her life. The parallels between the larger story of the Confederate South, of which we are all familiar, and the smaller story, of a girl trying to keep stability in her life in the midst of a changing era never cease to amaze me. Margaret Mitchell succeeded in writing a convincing and compelling story, and David O. Selznick didn't let her down as a producer. He conveyed every inch of the message on the screen, and did it with laudable grace and style, even in an era where a lack of technology was likely to be a hindrance, by today's standards.

So, as America's best-loved historical saga turns 70, I think it deserves a round of applause and probably another watch or two, even if it does take the better part of four hours. It's well worth it.