Back when I was in high school, this was one of the plays that my school’s theater group performed. I remember seeing it — and I think I even remember enjoying it — but I remember very little of the story. So I didn’t really have anything to compare the movie to (unless I wanted to compare Colin Firth to some overacting high school kid, but that would be silly, wouldn’t it?). And while I’ve heard that the filmmakers took some liberties with Oscar Wilde’s original work, it didn’t make much of a difference to me. I just sat back and enjoyed it.
The plot (which is difficult to explain but fun to watch) revolves around two nineteenth-century men, Jack (Firth) and Algy (Rupert Everett), whose lies get them into some serious woman trouble.
Jack has been living two very different lives. At his house in the country, he’s Jack, a stern and straight-laced man who takes care of his beautiful eighteen-year-old ward, Cecily (Reese Witherspoon) and often is forced to travel into the city to look after his irresponsible younger brother, Ernest. In the city, he’s Ernest, the town’s eligible bachelor — who’s in love with Gwendolen (Frances O’ Connor).
When Jack reveals his secret to his city friend, Algy becomes obsessed with the idea of meeting Cecily, Jack’s young, beautiful ward. So he escapes to the country and introduces himself as Jack’s younger brother, Ernest. Cecily quickly falls in love with him (because she’d long imagined that she was in love with the mysterious Ernest) and agrees to marry him.
The problems arise, however, when Jack, Algy, Gwendolen, and Cecily all appear under the same roof — and the men have some explaining to do. The women agreed that they’d always wanted to marry a man named Ernest. And a Jack and an Algy definitely wouldn’t do.
So what’s in a name? Everything for Jack and Algy.
The Importance of Being Earnest is a fun movie. To me, it doesn’t matter that it wasn’t exactly as the author intended. But it was perfect for some good old-fashioned laughs. If you liked Emma (or similar Jane Austen-like films), you’ll like this movie, too.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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