In Praise of Moderation
Moderation isn’t sexy. Romeo and Juliette did not burn with an even-keeled temperament and devotion to compromise and civility. In the film adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” ( screenplay by the incomparable Emma Thompson), Elinor is excoriated by her sister Marianne for offering a less than passionate response when asked about a paramour. […]