The Importance of Being Earnest
• TOP NOTCH (my top choices)
• HONORABLE MENTION (well worth watching)
• YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER (I like them but you might not)
• CLASSICS (Great movies up through the 1960s - many don't have any rating)
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (1952) - PG - CLASSIC
Michael Redgrave, Richard Wattis, Michael Denison
Summary - When Algernon discovers that his friend, Ernest, has created a fictional brother for whenever he needs a reason to escape dull country life, Algernon poses as the brother, resulting in ever increasing confusion.
Cautions - Witty humor!
Commentary - I know you will by tempted to want to watch the newer 2003 version. After all, it has Collin Firth and an all star cast. But I would plead with you to watch this (1952) version instead. The 2003 version tried to take something that was already perfect (Oscar Wildes play) and adjust it, for what reasons I cannot imagine. Not all of it's changes were problematic but somewhere along the way, that version lost what makes the play so special (maybe it was in the goofy romantic fantasy sequences they inserted with Cecily).
If you're looking for the definitive example of dry British wit, look no further than the 1952 version of The Importance of Being Earnest. This exquisite adaptation of Oscar Wilde's beloved play has a charmed life of its own, with a perfectly matched director (Anthony Asquith) and a once-in-a-lifetime cast. Mix these ingredients with Wilde's inimitable repartee, and you've got a comedic soufflé that's been cooked to perfection (with a side of cucumber sandwiches). Opening with a proscenium nod to its theatrical origins, the film turns Wilde's comedy of clever deception and mixed identities into a cinematic treat.
• HONORABLE MENTION (well worth watching)
• YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER (I like them but you might not)
• CLASSICS (Great movies up through the 1960s - many don't have any rating)
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (1952) - PG - CLASSIC
Michael Redgrave, Richard Wattis, Michael Denison
Summary - When Algernon discovers that his friend, Ernest, has created a fictional brother for whenever he needs a reason to escape dull country life, Algernon poses as the brother, resulting in ever increasing confusion.
Cautions - Witty humor!
Commentary - I know you will by tempted to want to watch the newer 2003 version. After all, it has Collin Firth and an all star cast. But I would plead with you to watch this (1952) version instead. The 2003 version tried to take something that was already perfect (Oscar Wildes play) and adjust it, for what reasons I cannot imagine. Not all of it's changes were problematic but somewhere along the way, that version lost what makes the play so special (maybe it was in the goofy romantic fantasy sequences they inserted with Cecily).
If you're looking for the definitive example of dry British wit, look no further than the 1952 version of The Importance of Being Earnest. This exquisite adaptation of Oscar Wilde's beloved play has a charmed life of its own, with a perfectly matched director (Anthony Asquith) and a once-in-a-lifetime cast. Mix these ingredients with Wilde's inimitable repartee, and you've got a comedic soufflé that's been cooked to perfection (with a side of cucumber sandwiches). Opening with a proscenium nod to its theatrical origins, the film turns Wilde's comedy of clever deception and mixed identities into a cinematic treat.
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