Return of the Native

I just finished re-watching the 1994 Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, Return of the Native, starring a younger and breathtakingly beautiful Catherine Zeta-Jones. I first saw this movie when I was 14 years old, and Catherine was one of my first experiences with being absolutely ensorcelled by the beauty of a woman. She is a true Faerie Queen in the film. I remember when I first taped it on VHS and paused the tape to sketch a drawing of her with her hood raised. I still have the artwork.

At one point in the film, there's a lovely vision of Eustacia (CZJ) walking by a riverside with flowers in her hand. The combination of blue gown, bridge, flowers, and river immediately struck me as familiar.


Coincidence? Probably. However, considering the similar fate the character of Eustacia experiences to that of Ophelia, I also would not be shocked to find out that it was an intentional homage or foreshadowing.

At any rate, it's a beautiful film full of romantic visuals that any lover of the Pre-Raphaelites would likely enjoy.