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The importance of being earnest - Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, Frances O'Connor, Oliver Parker

Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Everybody loves Ernest... but nobody's quite sure who he really is.

Taking place in 18th century England, the film focuses on two blue-blooded best friends, Jack Worthing (Colin Firth) and Algernon Moncrieff (Rupert Everett), who live rich double lives between the country and old London allowing them to pursue new affections and out run old debts.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film comedy of manners Oscar Wilde romance country debt

Persons of interest

Colin Firth .... Jack Worthing
Rupert Everett .... Algernon Moncrieff
Judi Dench .... Lady Bracknell
Frances O'Connor .... Gwendolen Fairfax
Reese Witherspoon .... Cecily Cardew
Tom Wilkinson .... Doctor Chasuble
Anna Massey .... Miss Prism
Edward Fox .... Lane
Oscar Wilde .... Playwright
Oliver Parker .... Screenwriter
Oliver Parker .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

The importance of being earnest official movie site
The importance of being earnest QuickTime movie trailers
See also An ideal husband, Wilde
Studios and distributors:

Miramax * Buena Vista International

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Oscar Wilde is a genius, martyred by intellectual peasants with flaming brands and pitchforks. The importance of being earnest is one of his most famous plays and it was only a matter of time before someone made another attempt to bring it to the big screen. Oliver Parker has made a good attempt but I left the lounge with the after-taste of too much sweet and not enough sour. Despite the happy endings, Oscar Wilde wrote plays and stories that bite into the foundations of society as much as they seem to be supporting them. As he himself said, "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars". The deceitful nature of all the characters up to and including the paragon of virtue, Lady Bracknell (played with great style by Judi Dench), indicates that the story should revel in the darker side of humanity as much as the lighter lovey dovey stuff.

It's a subtle thing but any truly civilised personage would notice it.

Meanwhile, The importance of being earnest is a hilariously tangled web of desire and deflection. You will laugh with the bumbling menfolk at the same time as you laugh at them; be kind, they are only men after all. Oscar Wilde's trademark quips are as sharp as ever, delivered by a cast that reeks of talent. (It's also great to see a gay man (Rupert Everett) being cast in the role of a straight man as they are usually stereotyped into gay roles once their sexuality becomes a matter of public record: My best friend's wedding, The next best thing...) It was odd to see an American in the cast (Reese Witherspoon) as they aren't known for their ability to understand the subtleties of great art, but Reese manages quite well, although not so well as Australia's Own™ Frances O'Connor.

If you have any pretensions to pretentiousness or even just a decent education, you'll kak yourself at The importance of being earnest.