The House of Mirth (2000)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Terence Davies

Writers:

Edith Wharton (novel)
Terence Davies (written by)

Release Date:

27 October 2000 (Ireland)

Genre:

Romance | Drama

Tagline:

When a woman has the beauty men admire and women envy...it is wise to tread carefully.

Plot:

A woman risks losing her chance of happiness with the only man she has ever loved.

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Suicide | Letter | Debt | Secretary

Awards:

5 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Gillian Anderson	...	Lily Bart
Dan Aykroyd	...	Augustus 'Gus' Trenor
Eleanor Bron	...	Mrs. Julia Peniston, Lily's Aunt
Terry Kinney	...	George Dorset
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Sim Rosedale (as Anthony Lapaglia)
Laura Linney	...	Bertha Dorset
Jodhi May	...	Grace Julia Stepney
Elizabeth McGovern	...	Mrs. Carry Fisher
Eric Stoltz	...	Lawrence Selden
Penny Downie	...	Judy Trenor
Pearce Quigley	...	Percy Gryce
Helen Coker	...	Evie Van Osburgh
Mary MacLeod	...	Mrs. Haffen (as Mary Macleod)
Paul Venables	...	Jack Stepney
Serena Gordon	...	Gwen Stepney

Also Known As:

Chez les heureux du monde (France)
Haus Bellomont (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic material.

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

UK | France | Germany | USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:S | France:U | Netherlands:AL | Norway:A | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

Company:

Arts Council of England

Trivia:

Shooting angles for some outdoor scenes had to be changed because groups of "The X Files" (1993) fans congregated in the background to see Gillian Anderson.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The film, which takes place during 1905-07, depicts several characters attending a performance of the opera "Cosi fan tutte" -- but that opera was first performed in New York in 1922.

Quotes:

Grace: Men have minds like moral flypaper. They will forgive a woman almost anything except the loss of her good name.

Movie Connections:

References Some Like It Hot (1959)

Soundtrack:

La Mia Dorabella

A richly painted tapestry of early New York society, Anderson is terrific.

House of Mirth is a richly painted tapestry of a piece of early American Society all but unrecognizable to most Americans. It's a great story and great looking, but the real surprise in Terence Davies' adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel is how deftly Gillian Anderson among others manages to gracefully convey the stilted rigors of the period language. The film is largely about the traps and deceits verbal gamesmanship and class one-upsmanship. It is a deadly and vicious internal warfare that goes on with the upper class bourgeois in New York City in the early 20th century. The price one pays – particularly that a woman pays – for straying too far from the unwritten laws of that society can be severe. Lillie Bart's flaw is not really in her indiscretions, but in her inability to compromise at the right time. Her timing is fatally flawed. That the film is so relentlessly tragic, really takes the viewer by surprise, partly because Anderson gives her character such spunk and vivaciousness that you find yourself surprised by the endless bad luck that she brings on herself. Anderson's remarkable beauty, poise as an actress, facility with the dialogue, in my mind, bring her to a whole new level as an actress.

It is also wonderfully cinematic. There are rich colors and textures, beautifully framed scenes, marvellous costumes. Though steeped in tragedy and melodrama, you'll find yourself so swept away in this world that it will seem centuries and not merely decades removed from our time. Perhaps this is why the titles at the beginning and at the end are `New York 1914' – you need this reminder by the end.

With a host of good performances and a rich sense of place you will get emotionally and imaginatively swept up in this world. Just be prepared for the landing.