I went to a college that did not offer cable television in the dorms. I will wait while you get over the shock.
Needless to say, without television, one has a lot of free time. An avid reader, I ramped up my intake and wound up reading all of my "serious" books by the end of the fall. As a result, I began reading "fluff" books to pass the down time. A friend recommended I read "Confessions of a Shopaholic" by Sophie Kinsella and within just a few pages I was in love.
Protagonist Rebecca Bloomwood is a vivacious, young woman living in London with a serious passion for shopping. More specifically, a passion for swiping her credit card without immediate consequence. As the reader, you watch Rebecca flit around trying to make sense of her life when the debt collectors come knocking.
After loving the book (and the several in the series that came after) I was overjoyed to hear the book was being turned into a movie! My excitement quadrupled when I learned Isla Fisher would play Rebecca. Not exactly how I pictured the character in my mind, but a great comedic actress, so what could go wrong?
A lot apparently. This week I finally saw the movie (thanks to my boyfriend Netflix) and I was incredibly disappointed. For one, the book takes place in London and the movie takes place in New York. Everything is better with a British accent, why give that up?
Secondly, Joan Cusack is cast as Rebecca's mother. Joan Cusack is not old enough to be Isla Fisher's mother!
Third, I did not lust after a single piece of clothing in the movie. How is that possible in a film about a girl addicted to shopping?
The few highlights of the film included a charming performance from Hugh Dancy, and one monologue of Rebecca's describing why she loves to shop. It is as if the writers took that speech straight from my moral code.
Sad to say it, but skip this confession.
