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The House of Mirth

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The House of Mirth

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Summary

Period romantic drama adapted from the novel by Edith Wharton, starring Gillian Anderson. New York, 1905: increasingly debt-ridden socialite Lily Bart comes under pressure to conform to social expectations and take a wealthy husband. But in doing so Lily could lose the man she truly loves.

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

David Parkinson

Director Terence Davies conveys the cruelty, greed and hypocrisy of New York's Gilded Age upper crust in this simmering adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1905 novel. Lily Bart (Gillian Anderson) is no angel. But despite her gambling debts, she adores illicit lover Lawrence Selden (Eric Stoltz) so can't bring herself to blackmail a treacherous rival (Laura Linney) as it would cause scandal for all involved. Selden, meanwhile, is too fond of his status to risk his reputation by proposing marriage, while two male acquaintances (Dan Aykroyd and Anthony LaPaglia) seek to use their power to exploit Lily. Wharton's gnawing saga was akin to a turn-of-the-century *#*MeToo manifesto and Davies ably transfers her complex narrative to the screen. Working in Glasgow on a limited budget, he eschews costume drama frippery to present a cold, heartless milieu through intimate scenes played with intensity by the actors. The film echoes Wharton's disgust at the behaviour of the moneyed Fifth Avenue set, while also passing acerbic comment on America's one percent at the turn of the new millennium (and beyond).

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7.0/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameLily BartGillian AndersonLawrence SeldenEric StoltzSim RosedaleAnthony LaPagliaBertha DorsetLaura LinneyGeorge DorsetTerry KinneyGus TrenorDan AykroydJudy TrenorPenny DownieCarry FisherElizabeth McGovernMrs PenistonEleanor BronGrace StepneyJodhi May

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Crew

rolenameDirectorTerence Davies

Details

Theatrical distributor

Film Four

Released on

2000-10-13

Languages

English | German | French

Available on

video and DVD

Formats

Colour

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