Mariella Hunt
Author
My name is Mariella Hunt. Books fascinate me. In 2025, I set a reading challenge: I want to read about American history from the viewpoints of the Presidents in chronological order. I’ll write essays as I go. Join me here!
Category: Movie Reviews
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What I really want to talk about, though, is the scene where Amy burns Jo’s manuscripts. It’s a scene in the book, as well, but seeing it played out so excellently by these actresses, seeing Jo’s anguish when she realizes that her life’s work is lost to her, is heartbreaking.
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Based on what’s known of Jane Austen’s life, Becoming Jane is a heartbreaking and beautiful film in which two passions clash. Jane is introduced in the first scene as a dedicated storyteller. She’s deep in concentration, whispering words as she writes them. The most poignant word haunted me as I watched the film: propriety. That’s…
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Stories can lose their soul if edited too much. This is true regardless of the medium used—books, movies, music. It’s a struggle not to polish a piece so thoroughly that it loses its humanity, a truth told in the film Begin Again. Dan used to be a successful music label executive, but he hasn’t adapted…
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Storytellers learn so much researching those who came before us. From them, we learn there’s never an easy path to getting an audience; tears will be shed, friends lost, and there’ll be moments in which we’re tempted to give up. I have a book about Walt Disney in my towering TBR pile; it will no…
Mariella Hunt 