Vanity Fair (2004)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Mira Nair

Writers:

Matthew Faulk (screenplay) &
Mark Skeet (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 September 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

In a time of social climbers, Becky Sharp is a mountaineer.

Plot:

Growing up poor in London, Becky Sharp (Witherspoon) defies her poverty-stricken background and ascends the social ladder alongside her best friend, Amelia.

Plot Keywords:

India | Aristocrat | Governess | Painter | Painting

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Gabriel Byrne	...	The Marquess of Steyne
Angelica Mandy	...	Young Becky Sharp
Roger Lloyd-Pack	...	Francis Sharp (as Roger Lloyd Pack)
Ruth Sheen	...	Miss Pinkerton
Kate Fleetwood	...	Miss Pinkerton's Crone
Reese Witherspoon	...	Becky Sharp
Lillete Dubey	...	Ms. Green (as Lillette Dubey)
Romola Garai	...	Amelia Sedley
Tony Maudsley	...	Joseph Sedley
Deborah Findlay	...	Mrs. Mary Sedley
John Franklyn-Robbins	...	Mr. Sedley
Paul Bazely	...	Biju
Rhys Ifans	...	William Dobbin
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	George Osborne
Charlie Beall	...	Gambler

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sensuality/partial nudity and a brief violent image.

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Taiwan:PG-12 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Argentina:13 | Brazil:12 | Finland:K-7 | Hungary:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:10 | South Korea:15 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia) | Germany:6 | Ireland:12 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bath, Somerset, England, UK

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

Shot in 55 days

Goofs:

Continuity: The arrangement and number of gold jewels around Becky's eyes change between shots

Quotes:

Becky Sharp: [as Rawdon is about to leave for battle] You won't do anything brave, will you?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Soundtrack:

Carillon de Dunkerque

Thackery goes Hollywood

"Vanity Fair" (2004) is an acceptable but abbreviated version of the classic Thackery Victorian period novel which tells of Becky Sharp (Witherspoon), who uses artifice and charm to climb from lowly governess to aristocrat, always able to find a suitable family of peerage or property to use as a rung in her ladder to the top in spite of the tribulations of the time. At just over two hours, this film cannot deal in depth with the many characters in the story and has to content itself with hitting the high points which make for a very condensed telling suited to those who only wish the flavor of the story. Those with a particular interest in Victorian pulp fiction or more expansive dramas should turn to the BBC's 1998 six hour miniseries which offers greater character depth, a presentation much more true to the period, and a very much better cast. (B-)