The House of Mirth

The House of Mirth
by Terence Davies

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DVD details

Actor: Anthony LaPaglia, Eleanor Bron, Jodhi May, Laura Linney, Terry Kinney
Director: Terence Davies
Brand: ANDERSON,GILLIAN
Cinematographer: Remi Adefarasin
Editor: Michael Parker
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Dubbed)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 140 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-05-29
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures

DVD Reviews of The House of Mirth

DVD Review: A study in wrong choices
Summary: 5 Stars

The film is represents the characters and concepts of the book fairly well. The protagonist, Lily, seems unable to make rational decisions, though she is reasonably intelligent. She's hampered by the conventions of her time as well as the shallow ideas inculcated by her mother. She's generally valued for her beauty and uses that as currency for entre into the level of society she's been taught to value.Unfortunately, at the point of success (marriage to a wealthy man), she undermines herself by doing something stupid. She never quite understands her own motives and learns introspection and self-realization too late.

DVD Review: An entertaining, though heavy-handed, period piece
Summary: 3 Stars

Edith Wharton's story of a socialite's downfall is a finely nuanced tale of societal expectations, the soul-deadening roles assigned to women and the perils of beauty.

Some of this nuance is lost in this movie adaptation. I didn't get from the script that Lily Bart is not as wealthy as the crowd she runs with, so is a sort of professional houseguest, with unspoken duties that eventually contribute to her downfall. The way her debts are presented in the movie (and debts are the hinge of the story), it seems to be her own fault that she has gambled away money in card games, rather than the result of a system that expects her to participate in the entertainments of the social class to which she aspires, despite her inability to keep up financially. Not understanding this unenviable position, viewers don't have as much sympathy for Lily as they could as the tale spins itself out onscreen.

Even so, the viewer still can sympathize greatly with Lily. Who can blame her for turning down any of the men who might have been her financial salvation through marriage? They're all icky, even her great love Lawrence after a while. It was a sick system that forced women into marriages that demolished their inner lives and sense of self, and punished them for not complying.

This is a beautiful movie to watch. Who doesn't like the opulence of this period and social class? But I found some -- perhaps most -- of the roles overplayed, and therefore a bit laughable (especially Dan Ackroyd!). But the title role, played by Gillian Anderson, will keep you going to the end. Hers is the face I'll see the next time I read the book.

DVD Review: This Movie Is Why "0 Stars" Should Be an Option
Summary: 1 Stars

My wife and I agree that this is one of the worst movies we have ever seen - a complete waste of 2.5 hours!

DVD Review: Bad casting, again
Summary: 1 Stars

A glorious failure, gillian anderson is too old, eric stolz hardly man enough, dan ackroyd out of place and terrible, lapaglia not slimy enough for the creepy rosedale. While gorgeous to look at, none of these actors are believable. BAD CASTING AGAIN

DVD Review: A "must see!"
Summary: 5 Stars

I am a guy, and I must admit that I have difficulty reading books written by a woman. Please, I am not sexist, but I am not familiar with women's descriptions of fabrics, fragrances, and emotions. But I did read, and thoroughly enjoy, Edith Wharton's "House of Mirth." It was a bit complicated so I read it again. THEN I watched the movie on a movie channel. THEN I ordered a DVD. Wharton is a genius so the best way to enjoy the movie is to read the book first! "House of Mirth" is a classic!

Description of The House of Mirth

Lily Bart, a socialite in turn of the century New York, learns the precariousness of her position when her beauty starts attracting unwelcome interest and jealousy.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: PG
Release Date: 29-MAY-2001
Media Type: DVD

Meticulously adapted from Edith Wharton's 1905 novel, The House of Mirth may seem at first to be as dry (and as flat) as pressed flowers, but it's quickly evident that director Terence Davies and X-Files star Gillian Anderson (in a breakthrough film role) have tapped directly into the venality of Wharton's New York society. As the ill-fated socialite Lily Bart, Anderson perfectly conveys the understated wit and craftiness of a woman who knows how to play the game, and yet learns too late that it's loaded with ruthless, unspoken rules. Rising above the traditional crop of "marriageable girls," Lily is desired by any number of men who could ensure her place among the moneyed elite, but she deflects their courtship; lawyer Lawrence Selden (Eric Stoltz) is her true love but, tragically, his modest financial status leads them both into a cycle of unfulfilled romance.

Instead, Lily makes too many assumptions about her station, offending her aunt (Eleanor Bron), falling into a financial obligation to a manipulative investor (a curiously apt role for Dan Aykroyd), ostracized by a "friend" (Laura Linney), and refusing help from her most prominent would-be suitor (Anthony LaPaglia). All of these gaffes combine to forge Lily's downfall, and Anderson brilliantly captures the horror and confusion of a woman who is shocked when her expectations are no longer matched by her reality. Lily grows defenseless and dependent, and The House of Mirth evolves from stately reserve to become a devastating portrait of class cruelty. Heavy stuff, to be sure, but expertly crafted and blessed by Anderson's complex and heartbreaking performance. --Jeff Shannon

Drama DVDs

Genres > Art House & International > By Country > British Cinema
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