Movie-Inspired Ideas That Help Make Staying at Home Less Maddening. You’re not alone in your self-quarantine doldrums.
BY BARRY SAMAHA
Unless you view Cormac McCarthy or P. D. James as really clairvoyant, a global pandemic is not something that many of us have prepared for. The around-the-clock media coverage of soaring cases of COVID-19, the news of two-ply selling out in record numbers (enough with that, folks), and the mandate to stay sequestered in our homes has been, to say the least, worrisome and unexpected. Still, there are pop-culture references, particularly in romantic movies with strong female leads, that have shown glimpses of self-confinement—albeit with situations that are far less consequential than the spread of a pervasive disease.
These films, in a humorous way, depict scenes that many can relate to now more so than ever. From nights on the couch in pj’s, belting out sad love songs with a bottle of red firmly in hand, to afternoons in bed with a box of chocolates, watching a soap opera marathon, to closet clean-outs and dutifully working at home from dawn till dusk (the outlier, quite frankly), these weird and wonderful scripted snippets have become our reality. And in this distressing time (let’s all collectively breath in ... and now breath out), it is a relief to see that our doldrums are not baseless. To wit: Misery loves company.
To that end, we have compiled a list of heroines from our favorite flicks, all of whom have shown that staying—and (to keep up appearances) working—from home is really not a novelty. With certain accoutrements, they all got through their hardships and by the third act, were on their way to happily ever after. Here’s hoping we all get to that destination sooner than later. In the meantime, if you want to throw yourself a party of one in a very cinematic way, check our roundup of rom-coms and the devices you need to really enjoy staying at home. (Spoiler: Alcohol and/or sweets are usually involved.)
BRIDGET JONES DIARY
Who: Bridget Jones MO: A plucky, lovelorn, British book publicist trying to come to terms with her lack of self-esteem. After being ridiculed by a childhood acquaintance, lawyer Mark Darcy, at her parents’ annual Christmas party, she spends the rest of her holiday cooped up in her modest London flat, wearing printed red pj’s, singing “All by Myself,” and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. A woman after our own hearts.