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MOVIES / ON DVD / IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
Importance of Being Earnest

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Importance of Being Earnest (2002)

59%
67%
72%
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59 %
Reviews Counted: 104 Fresh: 61  Rotten:43 Average Rating: 6/10
 
Consensus: Despite the great potential of the cast and Oscar Wilde’s script, director Oliver Parker put aside too many Wilde's witticisms and failed in an attempt to develop the visual appearance of the film. Nevertheless, the lines remaining from the original script still allow the work to be passable.
 

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Synopsis: In his second adaptation of an Oscar Wilde play, writer-director Oliver Parker (AN IDEAL HUSBAND) assembles a peerless cast to engage in this witty comedy of manners and mistaken identity. In 1890s London, rakish Algernon Montcrieff (Rupert Everett, who also starred in HUSBAND) runs into... In his second adaptation of an Oscar Wilde play, writer-director Oliver Parker (AN IDEAL HUSBAND) assembles a peerless cast to engage in this witty comedy of manners and mistaken identity. In 1890s London, rakish Algernon Montcrieff (Rupert Everett, who also starred in HUSBAND) runs into his friend, Jack Worthing (Colin Firth), who is in town to propose marriage to Algy's wildly romantic cousin, Gwendolen (Frances O'Connor). When returning a cigarette case to Jack, Algy reads the inscription, and discovers his friend has two secrets. Jack has created a devilish younger brother/alter ego called "Ernest" to hide his own misdeeds, and has a beautiful young ward named Cecily (Reese Witherspoon), whom he wants to keep clear of the roguish Algy. While Jack deals with the large obstacle standing between him and Gwendolen--namely, her mother, the imposing Lady Bracknell (a wonderfully imperious Judi Dench)--Algy devises a way to meet Cecily. The confusion and hilarity come to a peak when Algy arrives at Jack's country manor posing as Ernest in order to woo Cecily, and Gwendolen runs away to the country to be with Jack--whom she knows as Ernest. The stellar cast and Wilde's clever words make for genuine entertainment. [More]

Genre: Comedies

Starring: Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Judi Dench, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon

Director: Oliver Parker
Screenwriter: Oliver Parker
Producer: Barnaby Thompson

DVD Info

Release:

Aug 4, 2003

[DVD Details]

Reviews

 
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06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
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N/R

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12/15/03
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]
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3/5

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06/20/03
Empire Magazine
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2/5

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10/30/02
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

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10/02/02
Guardian [UK]
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09/10/02
FilmFour.com
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N/R

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09/01/02
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
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08/30/02
Neil Norman
This is London
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2/5

Handled correctly, Wilde's play is a masterpiece of elegant wit and artifice. Here, alas, it collapses like an overcooked soufflé.

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08/26/02
Jason Best
BBC
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N/R

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11/01/07
David Ansen
Newsweek
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3.5/5

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12/06/05
Film Threat
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4/4

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09/30/05
Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs
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08/07/04
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine
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2.5/4

The movie stumbles along awkwardly rather than tripping by wittily from beginning to end. The fault lies in Parker's needless embellishments.

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06/25/04
Judith Egerton
Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
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3/4

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01/12/04
Michael Dequina
Mr. Brown's Movies
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2/5

Always destined to be measured against Anthony Asquith's acclaimed 1952 screen adaptation.

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05/22/03
Harry Guerin
RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
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2/4

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05/20/03
Susan Tavernetti
Palo Alto Weekly
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2/5

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03/10/03
Kimberly Jones
Austin Chronicle
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4.5/5

The ability to compress such a hilariously complex story into 97 minutes of film is a tribute both to Wilde's astounding economy with words and Parker's mastery of his source material.

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02/08/03
John R. McEwen
Film Quips Online
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3.5/5

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12/08/02
Film Threat
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