Don’t forget your shovel.

Or so says Jenny in the film An Education. So odd that I feel I can identify so strongly with that sentiment and indeed with the story.

Truly written in the real Nick Hornby style — because after all, he is the writer & I guess what I mean to say is that he doesn’t disappoint — the story is loosely based on the real-life first boyfriend story of Lynn Barber.

And while my first boyfriend was certainly not nearly as, ah, exciting as Jenny’s, I could somehow find myself in her story. Was it the private school life? The conservative father? The understanding mother? Or the whole damn thing?

It was definitely the music. You must check out the music — a combo of jazz and classical. I am especially hooked on the version of the song “You got me wrapped around your little finger” by Beth Rowley.

Possibly it’s Jenny herself. Who says to her mates, “When I get to university I’m going to read what I want and wear black.” — which summed me up in a nutshell at 16 — little did I know…

Or maybe, maybe what I really identified with was the line by her father, “Then, you’ll be a rebel and they don’t want a rebel at Oxford.” — channelling my own father (not that he had any plans to send me to Oxford!)

Or the headmistress, who tried to convince Jenny to stay in school with a line something like, “You know, you don’t have to become a teacher. There’s always the civil service.” A line which resulted in about half the female audience at the Bytowne rolling their eyes and audibly sighing along with Jenny. (heh, this is a government town, after all!!!)

Check out the Trailer… and then see the film:

Is it possible, that at 40… I have pin pointed the problem down to a line in a film?

I feel old, but not very wise.

So, after our long journey back, we fell into bed and stayed there pretty much until 2pmish on Day 18. As there was no food in the house, and as it was an O’Connell’s open mic on Sat. afternoons around 3pm, we got up, got dressed and went to O’Connell’s. I had a grilled cheese (mmm… not like the one I had in Naulakha, but good) and the Beau played while I read the paper and sang along.

Then we went to see the Movie, The Informant… which could have been really powerful but somehow wasn’t Matt Damon’s best work. And the 1970s Retro theme didn’t work at all with the actual year(s) that the film took place in. Oh Well.