The Europeans (1979)

It's the mid-nineteenth century. Adult siblings Felix Young and Eugenia Munster were born and raised in Europe and have a somewhat bohemian lifestyle reflective of their travels throughout ... See full summary »

Director:

James Ivory

Writers:

Henry James (novel), Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (screenplay)

Stars:

Lee Remick, Robin Ellis, Wesley Addy

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lee Remick	...	Eugenia Young
Robin Ellis	...	Robert Acton
Wesley Addy	...	Mr. Wentworth
Tim Choate	...	Clifford
Lisa Eichhorn	...	Gertrude
Kristin Griffith	...	Lizzie Acton
Nancy New	...	Charlotte
Norman Snow	...	Mr. Brand
Helen Stenborg	...	Mrs. Acton
Tim Woodward	...	Felix Young
Gedda Petry	...	Augustine

Storyline

It's the mid-nineteenth century. Adult siblings Felix Young and Eugenia Munster were born and raised in Europe and have a somewhat bohemian lifestyle reflective of their travels throughout Europe. Felix, who has little money, is interested in painting and the arts. Eugenia is a baroness by marriage. They decide to travel to New England to meet their maternal uncle and their three cousins, the Wentworths, for the first time, the Wentworths who live just outside of Boston. The Wentworths are highly puritanical, the uncle in particular who looks to a neighbor, Mr. Brand, to provide a moral compass to his three children, especially the shy Gertrude, who Mr. Brand wants to marry. The Wentworths are somewhat suspicious as to the reason for their relatives' visit, but nonetheless the uncle puts them up in a neighboring house on their property. While Felix enjoys the company of his cousins - especially Gertrude - Eugenia is a bit more standoffish and cognizant of the real reason for their ...

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Plot Keywords:

european | marriage | baroness | new england | unitarian | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

Merchant Ivory Productions [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English French German

Release Date:

8 October 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los europeos

Filming Locations:

New Ipswich, New Hampshire, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Merchant Ivory Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"The Europeans", of both the film and source Henry James novel's titles, are Americans who grew up in Europe in the mid-19th century and then went to live in the USA.

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Connections

Version of Matinee Theatre: The Europeans (1958)

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Soundtracks

Simple Gifts
Traditional Shaker Hymn

User Reviews

Beautiful Costumes...otherwise odd

Ok, maybe I missed something, but the movie seemed very odd to me. The actors and actresses were either lethargic or over-hyper, and seemed to lack sincerity. So after the first five minutes, I gave up trying to follow the plot and concentrated on the costuming instead, which was fabulous. Period movies (especially ones made pre-1990) tend to care less about authenticity, and more about what looks good to the modern eye. This one was a pleasant surprise. In fact, the clothes were so good that I even wonder if they didn't use originals. I want to know, where did they get those incredible fabrics?? The hair, which is where most movies trip up the worst, was quite good except on the blonde lady (who looked like she stepped out of a 1979 issue of Vogue). Less black eye makeup would have completed the stunning job. All in all, I would recomend this movie to anyone at all interested in the look and feel of 1850s new england life, as a superb example of authenticity.