Based on an Oscar Wilde play, this movie became one of my very favorites from the moment I saw it.
Jack Worthing (Colin Firth) is leading a double life. At home in the country, he’s a dedicated landowner, conscientious about his duties, fastidious to a fault, and devoted to the care of his young ward Cecily (Reese Witherspoon.) But a man can get very bored of such a life, and so every once in a while, he heads up to London, where he calls himself Earnest, spends too much money, and woos Gwendolyn, (Frances O’Connor) the daughter of the irascible Lady Bracknell, played to absolute perfection by Dame Judy Dench.
Everything is going beautifully until Jack’s friend Algy (Rupert Everett) playboy and cousin to Gwendolyn, decides to get involved. Algy is curious about Cecily, and upon hearing that she’s quite beautiful and has just turned eighteen, he heads for the country, believing Jack won’t be along for another few days. You see, Jack is going to propose to Gwendolyn, but in order to do that, he has to lay the “Earnest” charade to rest before he’s discovered. He has decided that “Earnest” will die in Paris of a sudden chill and makes preparations for this story, purchasing mourning clothes and an urn, to hold the ashes, of course. While he’s doing all this, Algy skips down to the country, appearing on the lawn of Jack’s estate, and announcing himself to be Earnest.
Cecily is delighted to meet him. She’s heard so much about Earnest and his poor money management habits; she can’t wait to reform him. And after taking one look at her, Algy can’t wait to be reformed.
But to put a damper on Algy’s plans, Jack shows up early, carrying the urn, to tell his staff that “Earnest” is dead, only to find that he’s eating in the rose garden. Jack nearly strangles Algy when he sees him, but they decide that for the good of everyone, they’ll maintain the charade just a little while longer. Algy takes advantage of the situation long enough to propose to Cecily in one of my favorite scenes of the movie.
Well, along comes Gwendolyn, determined to see “Earnest,” aka Jack. She meets Cecily, and they strike up a friendship which turns to animosity when they each learn that the other is engaged to “Earnest.” Madeline is engaged to Jack, of course, and Cecily is engaged to Algy, but they both think they are engaged to “Earnest” and they are prepared to be quite catty about it too.
I loved every minute of this movie. The acting is superb, the dialogue is sharp and witty, the situations are hysterical, and Dame Judy Dench’s performance is 100% spot on. If you only see one movie this entire month, this should be the one you see. And it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, too!
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