The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest is a 2002 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Oliver Parker, based on Oscar Wilde's classic 1895 comedy of manners of the same name. A British-American co-production, the film stars Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon, and Judi Dench in lead roles, with Tom Wilkinson, Anna Massey, and Edward Fox in supporting roles. The original music score is composed by Charlie Mole.
Plot
John Worthing, a carefree and seemingly respectable young gentleman, has crafted a fictitious brother named "Ernest," whose scandalous and wicked behavior provides John with the perfect excuse to leave his peaceful country estate and travel to London whenever he pleases. In the city, John stays with his close friend, Algernon Moncrieff, who is equally mischievous and shares John's fondness for bending social norms. While in London, John assumes the persona of Ernest, and under this guise, he has won the affections of Algernon's beautiful cousin, Gwendolen Fairfax. Gwendolen, enamored with the name Ernest, declares that she could only love and marry a man with such a name.
More details
author | Julian Fellowes Oliver Parker |
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contentLocation | England |
director | Oliver Parker |
editor | Guy Bensley |
genre | comedy-drama |
keywords | country estate engage london london victoria station marriage proposal misunderstand orphan propose social norms victoria station young gentleman |
musicBy | Charlie Mole |
producer | Barnaby Thompson |
productionCompany | Ealing Studios Newmarket Capital Group UK Film Council |
publisher | BBFC Buena Vista International Miramax Films |
theme | romantic comedy |