The Importance of Being Earnest

Screen adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s comic masterpiece. Set in 1890s England, a comedy of mistaken identity ensues when two gentlemen friends use the same alias to pursue the women they love. Dir: Oliver Parker., Two young gents living in 1890s England have taken to bending the truth in order to put some excitement into their lives. Worthing has invented a brother, Earnest, whom he uses as an excuse to leave his dull country life behind to visit the ravishing Gwendolyn. Montcrieff decides to take the name ‘Earnest’ when visiting Worthing’s young and beautiful ward, Cecily at the country manor. Things go awry when they end up together in the country and their deceptions are discovered – threatening to spoil their romantic pursuits., Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O’Connor, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Wilkinson and Judi Dench make for a brilliant cast in this classy adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s timeless farce. The story turns on mistaken identity in Victorian England, as two young swains pass themselves off as a fictional character named Ernest in their romantic pursuits., Screen adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s comic masterpiece. Set in 1890s England, a comedy of mistaken identity ensues when two gentlemen friends use the same alias to pursue the women they love., London toffs Jack and Algy cause romantic chaos when they use the same alias. Oscar Wilde’s comic masterpiece gets a spring-clean with a stellar cast., Classic comic drama based on Oscar Wilde’s play about two wealthy bachelors who each pretend to be the dashing but wholly imaginary Ernest when courting two young ladies, but come unstuck when the girls fall for the charms of the fictitious male., A superb cast brings the classic comedy of manners to life in this big-screen adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s hilarious look at the British upper crust. Algernon is a charming gentleman from a wealthy family who has a bad habit of throwing his money away. His close friend Jack Worthing, a self-made and eminently sensible man, acts as guardian to his beautiful young cousin Cecily. Algernon has created an alter ego to help him get out of tight spots brought on by his financial improprieties, and when he learns that Jack has created a false identity of his own – Ernest, a devilish brother living in London – Algernon arrives for a weekend visit in the country, posing as the mysterious Ernest. Having heard of Ernest’s misadventures many times over the years, Cecily had developed something of an infatuation with the lovable rogue, and Algernon’s impersonation of him works magic on the girl. Meanwhile, Algernon’s cousin, Gwendolyn arrives for the weekend, and is startled to discover Jack is also there – except that she knows him as bad-boy Earnest. So just who is in love with whom? How will the imperious Lady Bracknell handle the matter of her daughter Gwendolyn’s suitors? And what’s the truth about Jack’s mysterious heritage?, A superb cast brings Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy of manners to life in the third big-screen adaptation of this hilarious look at fun, games, and dubious ethics among the British upper crust. Algernon Moncrieff (Rupert Everett) is a slightly shady, but charming gentlemen from a wealthy family who has a bad habit of throwing his money away. Algernon has a close friend named Jack Worthing (Colin Firth), a self-made man who acts as a ward to his cousin, a beautiful young lady named Cecily (Reese Witherspoon). Algernon has created an alter ego to help him get out of tight spots brought on by his financial improprieties, and when he learns that Jack has created a false identity of his own — Earnest, a brother living in London whose exploits have earned him no small amount of notoriety — Algernon arrives for a weekend visit in the country posing as the mysterious Earnest. Having heard of Earnest’s misadventures many times over the years, Cecily had developed something of an infatuation with the lovable rogue, and Algernon’s impersonation of him works no small degree of magic on Cecily. Meanwhile, Algernon’s cousin, Gwendolyn (Frances O’Connor), arrives for the weekend, and is startled to discover Jack is also there — except that she knows him as bad-boy Earnest. So just who is in love with who? How will Lady Bracknell (Judi Dench) handle the matter of her daughter Gwendolyn’s suitors? And what’s the truth about Jack’s mysterious heritage? The Importance of Being Earnest was director Oliver Parker’s second film adaptation of an Oscar Wilde comedy; he previously helmed An Ideal Husband, which also starred Rupert Everett. Everett and Colin Firth also co-starred in the 1984 drama Another Country.