Ryan Reynolds and George Eliot

I love Ryan Reynolds. I loved him in Waiting despite the unimaginative plot, I loved him in Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place despite the stupid title, and I loved him in Van Wilder despite my deep hatred for Tara Reid. I was fully prepared to love him in Just Friends, and I did, but sadly that wasn't enough. I didn't get what was so freakin' special about Jamie that made him make a total ass of himself to try to win her. I was almost hoping that he would end up with Sam who, despite being completely batshit crazy, is at least interesting. When he calls Jaime a tease and says that she peaked in high school, I cheered. Then I groaned when he went crawling back to her to apologize.

On the other side of the spectrum is the BBC's adaptation of George Eliot's Middlemarch . I've never read any of Eliot's works before, but I have heard this was a faithful version. Unfortunately, I never really got into it. There's not one major character I really sympathize with and I'd like to smack each one of them for one reason or another.

Dorothea for being completely humorless. It's admirable that she is so interested in learning and helping others and I do feel bad for her because the education she so desperately wants is denied to her, but the girl is a wet blanket. She has the air of someone who acts like they're better than other people because she denies herself. And her mourning clothes made her look like Grandma Moses, which is just hysterical.

Mr. Casaubaun for being an idiot when it comes to his wife. Why does he even marry her in the first place? He knows that she is interested in his work and in helping him complete his book, but once they are married he completely shuts her out. He has no trust in Dorothea's affections and is intimidated by her intelligence. And the codicil in his will? Insulting.

Mr. Brooke for being completely clueless, selfish, and ignorant.

Dr. Lydgate for being blinded by beauty. He let his dick do the thinking when he chose his wife and now he's paying for it.

Rosamond Lydgate for being so materialistic and stupid. What made her think that as a younger son, her husband was wealthy? Or that he would ever think about leaving Middlemarch? Like her husband, she was blinded by good looks.

Fred Vincy for being a selfish, lazy brat. Having Mary's father vouch for his debt? Asshat. It's time for him to stop complaining, get off of his ass and do something.

Mary Garth for staying with Fred. She wants him over Rev. Farebrother? She deserves Fred.

Will Ladislaw for... actually, I really don't care about him one way or another.