The Importance of Being Earnest
Short description
Jack Worthing lives a respectable life in the countryside, where he watches over the young Cecily Cardew. To escape his obligations, he travels to London under the name Ernest, supposedly his wayward brother. His friend Algernon Moncrieff uses a similar invention of his own. When Jack courts Gwendolen Fairfax and Algernon pays a visit to Cecily, both women believe their suitor is called Ernest, and the deception begins to collapse.
Oliver Parker wrote and directed this adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play, his third film as director after Othello (1995) and An Ideal Husband (1999). Rupert Everett plays Algernon and Colin Firth plays Jack, with Reese Witherspoon as Cecily, Frances O'Connor as Gwendolen and Judi Dench as Lady Bracknell. Tom Wilkinson appears as Dr. Chasuble.
Made for a budget of 15 million USD, the film took about 17 million USD worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.8/10 from 26,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.8/10 from 519 votes. A critics' rating of 6.1/10 from 115 reviews sits slightly below those audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- A film adaptation of the play of the same name by Oscar Wilde.
- Finty Williams, who played Lady Bracknell as a young dancer, is the daughter of Judi Dench, who played the older Lady Bracknell.
- During the film's final scene – the revelation of John Worthing's origins – sheet music of Edvard Grieg's compositions lies on the piano music stand in his living room.
- The scenes in which Rupert Everett slaps Colin Firth on the buttocks and kisses him on the cheek were improvised. However, director Oliver Parker liked Colin Firth’s stunned reactions in both instances so much that he decided to keep them.
- The scenes with Ernest's bill at the Savoy and the creditors who came to Jack's village are taken from material that Wilde cut from the play just before its publication.
- Producers paid £50,000 for the use of West Wycombe as Jack’s country house.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
