The House of Mirth (2000)

A woman risks losing her chance of happiness with the only man she has ever loved.

Director:

Terence Davies

Writers:

Edith Wharton (novel), Terence Davies

Stars:

Gillian Anderson, Dan Aykroyd, Eleanor Bron

11 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gillian Anderson	...	Lily Bart
Dan Aykroyd	...	Augustus 'Gus' Trenor
Eleanor Bron	...	Mrs. Julia Peniston, Lily's Aunt
Terry Kinney	...	George Dorset
Anthony LaPaglia	...	Sim Rosedale (as Anthony Lapaglia)
Laura Linney	...	Bertha Dorset
Jodhi May	...	Grace Julia Stepney
Elizabeth McGovern	...	Mrs. Carry Fisher
Eric Stoltz	...	Lawrence Selden
Penny Downie	...	Judy Trenor
Pearce Quigley	...	Percy Gryce
Helen Coker	...	Evie Van Osburgh
Mary MacLeod	...	Mrs. Haffen (as Mary Macleod)
Paul Venables	...	Jack Stepney
Serena Gordon	...	Gwen Stepney

Storyline

Terence Davies' The House of Mirth is a tragic love story set against a background of wealth and social hypocrisy in turn of the century New York. Lily Bart is a ravishing socialite at the height of her success who quickly discovers the precariousness of her position when her beauty and charm start attracting unwelcome interest and jealousy. Torn between her heart and her head, Lilly always seems to do the right thing at the wrong time. She seeks a wealthy husband and in trying to conform to social expectations, she misses her chance for real love with Lawrence Selden.

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Plot Keywords:

love | wealth | turn of the century | marriage | reputation | 

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Taglines:

When a woman has the beauty men admire and women envy...it is wise to tread carefully.

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Genres:

Romance | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic material

Details

Official Sites:

Classic FM Official U.S. site presented by Sony Pictures Classics

Country:

UK France Germany USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

7 March 2001 (France)

Also Known As:

Glädjens hus

Filming Locations:

Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$45,039 (USA) (29 December 2000)

Gross:

$3,041,803 (USA) (6 July 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arts Council of England, Diaphana Films, FilmFour

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Due to the bankruptcy of German distributor Kinowelt in 2001, the movie never had an official release in Germany (theatrically or on DVD), although there was already a German dub version created.

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Goofs

The film, which takes place during 1905-07, depicts several characters attending a performance of the opera "Cosi fan tutte" - but that opera was first performed in New York in 1922.

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Quotes

Grace: Men have minds like moral flypaper. They will forgive a woman almost anything except the loss of her good name.

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits the Kinowelt Medien AG is misspelled as "Kinowelt Median AG"

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Connections

References Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)

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Soundtracks

"Cosi Fan Tutte: Overture"
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (as W.A. Mozart)
Performed by Orchestra and Chorus "La Petite Bande"
Conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken
Courtesy of Accent Records, Belgium

User Reviews

A beautifully filmed masterpiece !

Being a fan of both period pieces and Gillian Anderson I was greatly looking forward to the premier of this movie, and I was not disappointed. House of Mirth is a gorgeous looking film, full of color, style and history. The costumes and locales are worth the price of admission, and it doesn't hurt that the story is both compelling and dramatic. The cast did a great job of bringing these characters to life, and creating sympathy in main character Lily. Great acting all around, Laura Linney was fantastic in a diabolical role, and Eric Stoltz actually made me cry right there in the theater!

Kudos to all.