The Age of Innocence (1993)

A tale of nineteenth-century New York high society in which a young lawyer falls in love with a woman separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman's cousin.

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Edith Wharton (novel), Jay Cocks (screenplay)

Stars:

Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder

Won 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 32 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Day-Lewis	...	Newland Archer
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Ellen Olenska
Winona Ryder	...	May Welland
Linda Faye Farkas	...	Female Opera Singer
Michael Rees Davis	...	Male Opera Singer
Terry Cook	...	Male Opera Singer
Jon Garrison	...	Male Opera Singer
Richard E. Grant	...	Larry Lefferts
Alec McCowen	...	Sillerton Jackson
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Mrs. Welland
Mary Beth Hurt	...	Regina Beaufort
Stuart Wilson	...	Julius Beaufort
Howard Erskine	...	Beaufort Guest
John McLoughlin	...	Party Guest
Christopher Nilsson	...	Party Guest

Storyline

Society scion Newland Archer is engaged to May Welland, but his well-ordered life is upset when he meets May's unconventional cousin, the Countess Olenska. At first, Newland becomes a defender of the Countess, whose separation from her abusive husband makes her a social outcast in the restrictive high society of late-19th Century New York, but he finds in her a kindred spirit and they fall in love.

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Plot Keywords:

new york | countess | woman | lawyer | passion | 

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Taglines:

In a world of tradition. In an age of innocence. They dared to break the rules.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements and some mild language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

1 October 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

La edad de la inocencia

Filming Locations:

Villa Nuits, Westchester Village, Irvington, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$32,200,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Cappa Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Martin Scorsese's first film to be shot in the Super 35 format, with a common-top extraction, for a 2.39:1 aspect ratio which he previously used for Cape Fear (1991) through the Panavision (anamorphic) format.

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Goofs

During the baptism of Newland's and May's child, the family priest blesses the child with "the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit" instead of "the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost". The usage of this phrase only came about after the revision of the Episcopalian prayer book in the 1920s.

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Quotes

The Narrator: He could feel her dropping back to an inexpressive girlishness. Her conscious had been eased of its burden. It was wonderful, he thought, how such depths of feeling could coexist with such an absence of imagination.

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Crazy Credits

The Columbia logo turns sepia to look like a 19th-century photograph.

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Connections

Featured in The South Bank Show: Dawn French on Big Women (1994)

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Soundtracks

Faust
(Opera)
Written by Charles Gounod

User Reviews

Scorcese's Answer to Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon"

In the 70's, the decade's greatest director Stanley Kubrick broke from his series of groundbreaking films to make a long period piece. That movie, "Barry Lyndon", was met with much critical acclaim, but also a litany of derision from fans and critics alike who called it too slow, too ponderous and too boring. Nearly 20 years later, the world's leading director of that time, Martin Scorcese took the same steps and met with much of the same criticism.

These two movies are not for everyone. If you want to see action and fast-paced filmmaking, you will find them boring. However, if you want to see the pinnacles of the careers of the two greatest directors of the second half of the 20th century, you will find them here.

Enough has been said about the plot and the acting in "The Age of Innocence". The bottom line is that for pure cinematic luster and beauty, the 90's offers only a single movie that can match "Barry Lyndon". Don't watch the clock, watch the film, and enjoy a departure and a triumph that proves the depth and confidence of Scorcese's skills.

Lastly, don't let anyone spoil the ending for you, and don't jump to conclusions. Think about it after you've seen the movie, savour it for a while and the understanding will come to you. This movie quite simply has the finest ending of any movie I have ever seen.

"The Age of Innocence" is the 10 that rises just above Scorcese's string of 9 1/2s. See it.