http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/311398737

The importance of being earnest : notes

Oscar Wilde's hilarious Victorian-era play gets deluxe treatment in this delightfully saucy screen adaptation written and directed by Oliver Parker (An Ideal Husband). It's a mistaken-identity farce nonpareil, deliciously naughty in its implications and shrewdly observant with respect to British manners, mores, and class distinctions. The plot is airy and, to a degree, irrelevant. The dialogue, however, is something else -- witty, in some cases caustic, but uniquely memorable. To some viewers Importance will seem vaguely familiar, but only because Wilde's original has inspired countless imitations since its 1895 theatrical debut. The story goes something like this: Dashing gentleman Jack Worthing (played by Colin Firth) goes by his real name in the countryside but is known in the city as "Ernest"--A convenient identity adopted to facilitate extrication from failed romances. The idea makes perfect sense to his friend Algernon Moncrieff (Rupert Everett), who takes the name for himself while visiting the country. As Ernest, he falls into love with and proposes to Jack's young ward, Cecily Cardew (Reese Witherspoon), right around the time Jack's alter ego becomes engaged to Gwendolen Fairfax (Frances O'Connor), daughter of the formidable -- and suspicious -- Lady Bracknell (Judi Dench). You can imagine the confusion that ensues when the two young ladies start talking about their suitors. Importance is nothing if not perfectly cast: Everett plays Algernon with the insouciance that has become his trademark, Firth plays second fiddle most engagingly (as always), and the surprisingly effective American-born Witherspoon delivers her lines with a convincing British accent. Dench shines as the class-conscious dowager, and Edward Fox has a scene-stealing turn as a wry butler. Sumptuously appointed, incisively directed, and breezily acted, The Importance of Being Earnest is strongly recommended for those who appreciate sophisticated comedy -- which, sadly, is otherwise so rare in today's movies. The DVD features a commentary by Parker and a behind-the-scenes featurette. Ed Hulse, Barnes & Noble.

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