The Affair of the Necklace

Set in France during the years before the Revolution, The Affair of the Necklace follows Jeanne de la Motte-Valois, a young noblewoman whose family has lost its standing and its money. Determined to reclaim her place at court, she builds an elaborate scheme around a diamond necklace of enormous value, drawing in the ambitious Cardinal de Rohan and, without their knowledge, the royal family. Her plan depends on forged letters and on the greed and vanity of the men she manipulates, and it spreads until it threatens the reputation of the monarchy itself. The story is based on the real scandal that became known as the affair of the necklace.

Charles Shyer directed the film, his fifth, following Baby Boom, Father of the Bride, I Love Trouble and Father of the Bride Part II, and later Alfie and The Noel Diary. John Sweet wrote the screenplay, and Redmond Morris, Broderick Johnson and Andrew A. Kosove produced it. Hilary Swank plays Jeanne, with Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal de Rohan, Simon Baker as Rétaux de Vilette, Adrien Brody as Count Nicolas de La Motte, Brian Cox as Minister Breteuil and Joely Richardson as Marie-Antoinette; 47 cast members are credited. Made for about 30 million dollars, the film drew a small audience and modest scores, with an IMDb rating of 6 out of 10 from 5,800 votes and a TMDB rating of 5.6 from 95 votes.