"Vanity Fair" (1998) TV mini-series

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

24 October 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Rags To Riches | Costume Drama | Money | Boarding School | Unrequited Love

Awards:

5 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Natasha Little	...	Becky Sharp (6 episodes, 1998)
Frances Grey	...	Amelia Sedley (6 episodes, 1998)
David Ross	...	Mr. Sedley / ... (6 episodes, 1998)
Philip Glenister	...	William Dobbin (6 episodes, 1998)
Michele Dotrice	...	Mrs. Sedley (5 episodes, 1998)
Janine Duvitski	...	Mrs. Bute Crawley (5 episodes, 1998)
Anton Lesser	...	Mr. Pitt Crawley (5 episodes, 1998)
Nathaniel Parker	...	Rawdon Crawley (5 episodes, 1998)
Jeremy Swift	...	Jos Sedley (4 episodes, 1998)
Tom Ward	...	George Osborne (4 episodes, 1998)
Stephen Frost	...	Bute Crawley (4 episodes, 1998)
Tim Woodward	...	Mr. John Osborne (4 episodes, 1998)
Janet Dale	...	Miss Briggs (4 episodes, 1998)
Frances Tomelty	...	Mrs. O'Dowd (4 episodes, 1998)
Mark Lambert	...	Major O'Dowd (4 episodes, 1998)
David Bradley	...	Sir Pitt Crawley (3 episodes, 1998)
John Surman	...	Horrocks (3 episodes, 1998)
Miriam Margolyes	...	Miss Crawley (3 episodes, 1998)
Daniel Hart	...	Ensign Stubble (3 episodes, 1998)
Abigail Thaw	...	Jane Osborne (3 episodes, 1998)
Bryan Pringle	...	Raggles (3 episodes, 1998)
Linal Haft	...	Moss (3 episodes, 1998)
Eleanor Bron	...	Lady Bareacres (3 episodes, 1998)
Sarah Crowden	...	Lady Blanche (3 episodes, 1998)
Graham Crowden	...	Lord Bareacres (3 episodes, 1998)
Sylvestra Le Touzel	...	Lady Jane Crawley (3 episodes, 1998)
Gerard Murphy	...	Lord Steyne (3 episodes, 1998)
Robert Cole	...	Little Rawdon (3 episodes, 1998)
Zohren Weiss	...	Little Georgey (3 episodes, 1998)

Runtime:

50 min (6 episodes)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:PG | UK:PG | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, UK

Company:

A&E Television Networks

Trivia:

The dark velvet vest with four buttons down the front worn by a guest at the Duchess of Richmond's Ball (over the ivory silk evening gown) is the same costume worn by Kate Beckinsale (Emma Woodhouse) at the Hartfield party in Emma (1996) (TV), and by Julie Cox (Annabella Milbanke) during Christmas dinner in Byron (2003) (TV).

Quotes:

Becky Sharp: I am innocent. Before God, Rawdon, I AM innocent! Tell him I'm innocent!

Movie Connections:

Version of Vanity Fair (2004)

Soundtrack:

L'Amour et du Vin

My favourite novel, but not my favourite mini-series

I have usually enjoyed tremendously British mini-series based on classic novels, but...

I read that wonderful novel some 15 years ago when I was still teenager and I fell in love with it instantly. There can't be many novels as witty, hilarious or ironic than this. Thackeray has a genius in understanding humanity all in its various forms. He is a objective spectator who sees all what's happening around him, and understands human nature incredibly well. He don't judge or praise anyone or anything. 'That's life' he shows us, and let the readers do their own convictions.

But then I saw this tv-series, and if I hadn't read the book first, maybe I wouldn't have bothered to do so after it either. You can't spoil a novel that good completely, but still that tv-series left much to hope for. Like in other mini-series, Tom Jones, made at the same time, there should have been a commentator in it (novelist's alter ego). One of Vanity Fair's strong points are those wonderful comments which Thackeray made throughout the book. Without them half the fun is missing.

I should also complain about annoyingly boisterous music, lack of colour and the casting, which wasn't that impressive in my opinion.

Well, of course I had great expectations, but if you haven't read the original novel, or think it's something unique, this adaption might not be that bad. After all, it's made by Brits and they rarely give us anything totally rubbish.