Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee, 'Downton Abbey' movie gives Americans a needed escape

For two hours and five minutes, I permitted myself the joy of focusing on something that has absolutely nothing to do with the problems facing my country: The British aristocracy.

Lucky for me, the long-awaited movie "Downton Abbey: A New Era" was as good as I'd hoped. I laughed, I cried and I researched plane tickets to the South of France (not happening anytime soon, I'm afraid). The multi-season PBS series (and two films) first aired in 2010, and is about the lives of an aristocratic British family, the Crawleys, and the lives of the family's many servants. The first film was released in 2019, which chronicled the visit of the British Royal family to Downton, and the sequel takes place partially at the family estate, Downton Abbey, and in the south of France, where the family matriarch has mysteriously inherited a villa.

Because ...who doesn't want to inherit a villa?

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Enjoying the Jubilee is a commentary on ... absolutely nothing.

It felt so good to watch the film that I decided to dive deeper into all things British, fancy and completely unrelated to the realities of my daily life.

So, I vowed to control my doomscrolling, press pause on the nonstop worrying about the future of my country, and allow myself to enjoy the four-day celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee from Thursday to Sunday, in the United Kingdom.

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The events mark 70 years of serving the Crown have been filled with bazillion-dollar horses, dazzling jewels and centuries-old tradition. I was also secretly hoping that the celebrations include at least one of the Queen's saucy side-eyes, which my late grandmother (a woman who personified blue-collar, hard knock-America), adored the Queen for.

It was expected that there would be criticism of the Jubilee. But, for me, enjoying the event, or movies about British aristocrats, don't have to be commentaries on the institution of the monarchy, the Queen, European colonialism, class struggles, or the Revolutionary War. It's just a little old-fashioned escapism.

And even my grandmother would tell you that there isn't a thing wrong with walking away from your problems for a minute.

It might even be good for you.

Therapist-approved distractions

Both the film and the Jubilee are the kind of distractions my therapist approves of.

That's because, regardless of which one you're talking about, both are easy to digest. There are no images of assault rifles or funerals, for instance.

It's also the elegance and decorum, the matriarchy in all her regalia, the wit and self-deprecating humor, the fabulous clothes and lifestyle. It lets me, if just momentarily, float off in my imagination to an entirely different world.

And with everything going on in the U.S. — from our horrific gun violence epidemic to abortion bans to inflation — who isn't looking for a dose of an alternate reality right now?

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More importantly, watching the film and the Jubilee, I was reminded of something else. As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived a bit awkwardly on the scene, with the world closely watching for any signs of tension, I was reminded that even royal families and aristocrats have problems. Finding ways to be joyous, and thread together the commonalities of our shared human existence (like uncomfortable family reunions), feels particularly important now.

Human beings have always looked to entertainment to temporarily escape our suffering: From war, to economic depression, to pandemics, to societal ills like gun violence, misogyny and bigotry. But some escapes are more soothing than others. And it's OK to want to be soothed when things are hard.

And right now things are really hard in the U.S.

At least for me, the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and everything Downton Abbey provides the psychologist-approved, temporary escapes I'm searching for.

And I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Carli Pierson, a New York licensed attorney, is an opinion writer with USA TODAY, and a member of the USA TODAY Editorial Board. Follow her on Twitter: @CarliPiersonEsq

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee offers Americans distraction from shootings