I just finished watching the two-disc HBO film Elizabeth I, with Helen Mirren . http://movies.netflix.com/WiSearch?v1=Elizabeth I&oq=Elizabeth I&ac_posn=1. The British historian interviewed on the disc believes it is the most accurate rendition of Elizabeth I he’s seen even though there are a number of other notable ones.

Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, a powerful and effective female sovereign who ruled with authority for the good of her country as a whole. Elizabeth was called upon by events, by fate, to lead her country in perilous times, and lead it she did, to an ascendancy over all of the other powers in Western Europe.

 Watching this film made me wonder what it would be like to know you were royalty and born to lead, to be ruler of a country in which all of the council and parliamentary members were male, to not know who was telling the truth and whom you could trust, to have to rely on your own instincts and intuition, to make large mistakes yet to continue to make critical decisions you would stand behind. That was a rich role to play. As the namesake of Elizabethan theater, Elizabeth  played her role with drama and effect.

What would it be like to not hold back in the expression of who you are? What if you made decisions with force, even when you were unsure of the outcome? What if you boldly trusted your instincts and your intuition? What if you looked mistakes in the eye and then moved ahead to the next challenge? What if you knew that success was not achievement but was moving forward in the face of failure?

 This portrayal made me excited about living life fully, deeply, creatively; being  completely myself; living my own life without regrets; not shying away from life’s difficulties but meeting them head-on. I think this is what life is about. This is what Helen Mirren showed us in her award-winning performance. This is why I love movies!