Film Talk: Out of Africa

In honor of the upcoming 2009 Academy Awards, The Pink Mixer will be living, breathing, reveling, and reviewing all things Oscar for the next month.

While we haven’t touched on movie reviews here yet, consider them now officially thrown into the (pink) mix. Oscar wouldn’t want it any other way.

For many years Out of Africa escaped our attention. Not because we weren’t interested, but, well, watching the film or reading the book was one of those things we kept saying we’d eventually get to.

A few weeks ago Out of Africa was finally viewed at Chez Pink Mixer and wow we can’t believe we waited as long as did to watch Sydney Pollack’s masterpiece. The sweeping landscape, the beautiful soundtrack, the characters, and oh – the story! It’s all enough to take one’s breath away.

This 1985 film follows the life of Danish woman Karen Blixen (played by Meryl Streep) who establishes a coffee plantation in Africa. (Or, as she says: “I had a farm in Africa.”) Upon her arrival in Africa, she marries a husband of convenience, only to later meet and fall in love with Denys (Robert swoon Redford).

Based on a true story the film won 7 Oscars in total – including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.