The Importance of Being Earnest

Rating:
Summary: Earnest praise.....
Review: I think Oscar Wilde would love the updated version of his hilarious play, "The Importance of Being Earnest". The movie, with a top notch cast that includes, Rupert Everett (My Best Friend's Wedding), Judy Dench (Iris), Colin Firth (Bridget Jones' Diary) and Reese Witherson (Legally Blonde), takes you on a wonderful trip of mistaken identity with two men, who have trouble telling the truth, a good deal of the time. When both men meet women that they truely fall in love with, their lies and false identities come to light. The characters spout classic, wicked lines such as:

To lose one parent is a misfortune; to lose two seems like carelessness.

I always carry a diary when travelling. I like having something sensational to read.

I think each actor did an excellent job in their roles. Judi Dench was, as usual, on the mark and Reese Witherspoon, as usual, showed us what a talented young actress she is. Reese is a brave young woman to take a role with all British actors, who have at one time or another played some of these roles or other roles in Oscar Wilde plays on stage. She continues on a roll as a bankable and capable actress. This is definitely a must have on dvd and I can't wait to own a copy. If you have seen negative comments about this film by critics, dismiss them. Go see the film. You'll laugh, guaranteed.

Rating:
Summary: The Importance of Being Earnest: Earnestly Adorable
Review: Colin Firth is irresistable as dashing Jack Worthing, the playboy who occasionally pretends to be his brother, Earnest, in order to lead a double life and temporarily escape from his responsibilities of raising a proper teenage ward, Cecily (Reese Witherspoon). When Jack/Earnest finally falls in love with a rich city girl (Frances O'Connor), he decides he can best end his convoluted philanderings by "killing off" his non-existent brother; little does he know that his best friend Algy (Rupert Everett) is intrigued by the idea of meeting eighteen-year-old Cecily, so Algy has shown up at Jack's country estate claiming that HE is Earnest. The plot thickens as Jack tries to trace his true parentage; as a baby, he was abandoned in a suitcase that was left at Victoria Station, and his would-be Mother-in-Law (Judi Dench) is refusing to allow him to marry her daughter until he can prove that he is of noble origin. This video is a faithful adaptation of Wilde's Victorian play, and it is suitable for classroom use. The hilarious plot twists and clever dialogue make it a classic; without unduly changing Wilde's script, the directors have used innovative scene adaptations that make this film even funnier than the original play, which pokes fun at arranged marriages, shallow religion, the upper class, and the importance of family lineage. This video is smart, outrageous, and totally captivating!

Rating:
Summary: A great family movie
Review: My mom purchased this movie for me because she knows I really like Colin Firth. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not, but I gave it a chance. Even from the first scene, the music, sound, and picture was awesome. The story line was superb. Just the right amount of dramatic irony and tiwsts. The element that I loved the most would have to be the wit. It was great. Nothing too explicit or graphic. It's a great movie to watch with the whole family.

(This movie is a must if you are a Colin Firth fan.)

Rating:
Summary: Painful
Review: I love most of the actors in this movie, but after watching it I started to question my feelings.

I don't think anyone who made this film truly understood the play.

If they had it might have been more amusing, because the play is one of the best pieces of satirical literature ever written.

A shame, really. Go read the book.

Rating:
Summary: It's Most Important That You See This Film!!!
Review: Ninety percent of a great film (or play) is made during the audition process; in other words, the casting is everything. In this case, the potential viewer and Oscar Wilde fan should overlook the changes made to one of the funniest plays in the English language (such as interpolating fantasy sequences, slight alterations to the ending, and cutting one of the most famous lines in literature concerning a "grieving" widow: "I heard her hair has turned quite gold from grief!") and, instead, concentrate on the near-perfect job of casing these all important parts. Algy: Rupert Everett, who stole My Best Friend's Wedding right out from under Julia Robert's nose; Jack: Colin Firth, who made all the ladies swoon in Pride and Prejudice; Reese Witherspoon, America's newest golden girl, and star of that truly delightful (and successful) little comedy, Legally Blonde; and, towering over all, Dame Judy Dench, aka, The World's Greatest Actress, merely playing the greatest female comedic part ever written!!! How, I say, how can the lucky viewer feel shortchanged with such a cast??? The answer: You Won't!! Who cares about the interpolated scenes or dialogue changes? You have the right play, you have the right cast, and you certainly have the right comedic story: Two girls desire only to love a man named Earnest, so two men take it upon themselves to vie for their affections using that name!!! And, get this: one of the men REALLY IS NAMED EARNEST!! (Or, well, he Could Be!) Written on paper, the basic premise of the story isn't much, but trust me, you have to see these characters in action, speaking some of the wittiest dialogue ever put to paper, to fully appreciate it's delights. All this, plus a wonderful December-December romance between a bachelor priest and a spinster (Tom Wilkinson and Anna Massey, who nearly steal the entire film from their better-known castmates) and you have the perfect recipe for 100 or so minutes of sheer delights. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention Australian actress Frances O'Connor as (good heavens!) Gwendolyn. Two words: SHE'S WONDERFUL!!! In short, if you loved Pride and Predjudice, An Ideal Husband, or Shakespeare in Love, you will no doubt fall in love with Earnest yourself. Trust me, it is of Vital Importance that you see this movie without delay!!!

Rating:
Summary: Run! (don't walk!) to see "The Importance of Being Earnest"!
Review: This movie is a must-see and the epitome of a playful, feel-good comedy. Having never seen nor read the original play by Oscar Wilde I went to the theater with the expectation of merely staring at Colin Firth (whom i LOVED in P&P2!!) & Rupert Everett for an hour or so. I was pleasantly surprised and elated to discover that the movie was comedic, witty and filled with a cast of actors who played off each other wonderfully.

The movie is hysterical-i laughed throughout the entire thing-and it was not merely the verbal wit, but the physical comedy and dare I say again the chemistry of the actors that made the movie a true delight. Colin Firth and Rupert Everett are absolutely perfectly fitted to their roles, and "the muffin scene" (which those who have seen it must remember!) had me laughing so incredibly hard! Reese Witherspoon is grand, as is Frances O'Connor. Judi Dench's role was perfectly suited to her, and the twists of the story put the characters in such hilarious situtations. I must say, my only regrets after viewing this movie are:
1. It was only opened in limited release
and
2. I did not go and see it sooner.

I cannot wait for the DVD ~ the extra features *sigh* ~
...i can only imagine...

Rating:
Summary: Going Wilde...For Earnest
Review: I love Oscar Wilde's play, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST and I first saw the film version on a trans-Pacific flight. I was traveling on an airline that allowed each person to choose his or her own in-flight entertainment, so I actually watched the film three times (along with some episodes of FRASIER and one viewing of LIFE OR SOMETHING LIKE IT, so you can get an idea of how long that flight really was).

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST centers around a young man named Jack Worthing (Colin Firth). When Jack ventures into London, he pretends to be his "brother," Earnest, so his dalliances can't be traced back to him. However, on one foray into the city, Jack/Earnest falls madly in love with the very proper-but-headstrong Gwendolen Fairfax (Frances O'Conner). Gwendolen does, in fact, return the love of Jack/Earnest, but her mother, Lady Bracknell (Judi Dench), doesn't care for Jack/Earnest simply because he's not "to the manor born," though he does own a perfectly wonderful country estate. Jack, you see, was a foundling, but not the kind one would certainly find in any novel by Dickens, however. Jack's a foundling who's benefactor left him a manor house, a fortune and a ward, a young woman named Cecily Cardew (Reese Witherspoon).

Jack's best friend is Algernon Moncrieff (Rupert Everett). Being young and unattached, Algernon decides he wants to meet Cecily, so he simply appropriates the name "Earnest" for himself and visits Jack's country estate when Jack is gone for the sole purpose of romancing Cecily. Things are going along swimmingly when Jack returns home unexpectedly, only to be surprised himself by the arrival of Gwendolen and, shortly thereafter, Lady Bracknell. Adding to the hilarity of this situation is the fact that both Cecily and Gwendolen dream of marrying men named "Earnest" (which meant something else entirely in Wilde's day than it does today) and the fact that one of the men can, in truth, call himself "Earnest," though when he appropriates the name, he doesn't know it. All of this might sound like it would lend itself to a rather breakneck plot, but it doesn't. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST seems terribly long and slow going, even to someone who's trying to whittle away the hours on a long trans-Pacific flight.

If you've ever seen the stage play, you'll know that director Oliver Parker has played fast and loose with Wilde's original plot. Sometimes this works in a film adaptation; at other times it backfires. This is one time when I thought it backfired more than it worked. Many of Parker's "additions" simply didn't work and anyone who's familiar with the work of Wilde knows he wouldn't have written them.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST was, of course, originally written for the stage, not the screen, and stage plays, of necessity, depend more on sparkling and witty dialogue than do films. When it comes to dialogue, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST simply shines. Parker has, to his credit, managed to use all of Wilde's best material and, while it's wonderful and delivered very well, dialogue alone, no matter how sparkling and witty, can't create a five star film.

Parker should be commended for choosing his cast well. Colin Firth is perfect as Jack while Rupert Everett is wonderful as Algernon. Judi Dench is, of course, terrific in everything she does. Frances O'Conner (who was in MANSFIELD PARK) is very good as Gwendolen, but I thought Reese Witherspoon was miscast as Cecily. Don't get me wrong, her acting was very good and she certainly does a much better English accent than does Gywneth Paltrow. The problem for me with Witherspoon was that I'm just so used to seeing her in ditzy blonde roles that are quintessential American "fluff," and, because of that, I really couldn't buy her portrayal of Cecily no matter how good she was. I think she also looks quintessentially American, something this role couldn't hide.

If you're willing to sacrifice plot and depth of characterization for witty dialogue, and more importantly, if you've never seen the stage play, then THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST might work well for you as a film and even be a five star treat. For Wilde "purists" like me, however, the film, good as it was, left something to be desired. My advice would be to simply enjoy the film as a farce of mistaken identity and don't judge it too harshly. Just try to have fun.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent adaption of play
Review: This was an excellent adaption of Oscar Wilde's play. The film is filled with sarcasm and witty language and many of the jokes are hidden in charachter's speech. It is not a slapstick comedy but in many ways is funnier than slapstick because the jokes are partially hidden but still hilarious. I highly recommend this film to anyone with enough knowledge of the english language to enjoy it.

Rating:
Summary: "Oh what a tangled web we weave..."
Review: First there was the Oscar Wilde play. Then there was the (1937), (1952), (1974), (1985), (1986), (1992), and now (2002) movie. Each version and adaptation brigs with it its own plusses and minuses.

The story takes place in the late 1800's London but it could be anyone any where. Jack Worthington an upstanding gentleman in the country leads an other life in the town as Ernest, his fictitious brother. Seems like he is not the only one with a clandestine life. Both men have a love life that hinges on being "Ernest." This story is more interested in relations and lack of and fortune and the lack of.

On a personal note I found this move quit enjoyable. At first I was curious as to how they would adapt the play and what the different actors would bring to the story. Soon I was just wrapped up in the fun.

Rating:
Summary: heart tickling + side splitting = FUN
Review: i watched this movie because i am presently reading "A Picture of Dorian Gray" and i thought...hmmm based on Wilde's play...i'll give it a looksie...oh yes and of course the cast... the fact that im in love with mr. darcy, and you know colin firth..as many have stated already....rupert everett makes me laugh..always...and frances o'conner, who was in mansfiled park..but i haven't read the play, so i think that that's helped me enjoy the film more, since i am a purist to a certain extent. it was delightful...i loved it...and i immediately wanted to buy it after...i couldn't stop laughing, and the two men were amazing in it. the cool irony, and the wit make it just a great movie that's meant to be enjoyed and not analyzed