Vanity Fair (2004 film)

Vanity Fair is a 2004 British-American costume drama film directed by Mira Nair and adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray's novel of the same name. The previous subject of numerous television and film adaptations, this version made substantial changes, most notably being the almost complete transformation of the character of Becky Sharp.

The film was nominated for "Golden Lion" Award in 2004 Venice Film Festival.

Plot

The story opens in London, in the year of 1802. The mysterious Lord Steyne (Gabriel Byrne) makes his way to a painter's studio where he has agreed to buy a painting of a young woman. The young Becky Sharp (Angelica Mandy), then a girl of ten, insists on having ten guineas, instead of four guineas, as the price of the painting. The painter explains that model in the painting is Becky's mother, the painter's late wife. Steyne agrees to pay the higher amount and leaves with the painting. The young Becky is then seen moving to Miss Pinkerton's Academy for Young Ladies, after her father dies.

The next scene takes place as the adult Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) is preparing to leave the academy for a position as a governess. She travels by carriage to her new position, stopping on the way to see her best friend Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai) at Amelia's home. Amelia lives in a large country estate as the daughter of a gentleman, but her father is not as wealthy as he appears.

At Amelia's home, Becky meets Amelia's brother Jos Sedley (Tony Maudsley), who's stationed in India. Jos Sedley finds that Becky is interested in India. At an Indian-themed outdoor party thrown by Jos Sedley, Becky meets Amelia's inattentive boyfriend, the dashing and self-obsessed Captain George Osborne (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), and George's best friend, Captain William Dobbin (Rhys Ifans), who is secretly in love with Amelia. Becky and Jos Sedley are attracted to each other, but in a private discussion, George Osborne convinces Jos to break off his attentions to Becky. George is concerned that his father, a rich businessman who's a commoner, won't let him marry Amelia if Becky has also married into the Sedley family.

Becky Sharp says farewell to Sedley's family and enters the service of the baronet Sir Pitt Crawley, who has engaged her as a governess to his daughters. Sir Pitt (Bob Hoskins has two sons, the pompous and pedantic elder brother (Douglas Hodge), who also bears the name Pitt Crawley ]]), and the dashing younger son, Captain Rawdon Crawley (James Purefoy). Sir Pitt, a rather crude individual, is impressed with Becky's service, especially as Becky cleans up Sir Pitt's home to welcome his elder half sister, Miss Matilda Crawley (Eileen Atkins). Miss Crawley is impressed with Becky, when she finds that Becky speaks French. Becky explains that her mother was French while her father was an artist. Miss Crawley takes Becky to live with her in London. In London, Becky begins to see Captain Rawdon Crawley. Sir Pitt shows up in London. His wife has died, and he asks Becky to marry him. Becky refuses, revealing that she's already secretly married to his second son, Captain Rawdon Crawley. The misalliance so enrages Miss Crawley, that she throws Becky out and refuses to see the couple. Becky and Rawdon live in an apartment in London, and Becky reveals that she's pregnant, and suggests that the baby may help to reconcile them with Miss Crawley.

Meanwhile, Amelia's prospective father-in-law, Mr. Osborne (Jim Broadbent), is trying to arrange a new marriage for his son, Amelia's intended, Captain George Osborne. Mr. Osborne introduces George to a young woman whose father made a fortune in Jamaica. George objects to the marriage because the woman is of mixed race. He insists that he's betrothed to Amelia, but Mr. Osborne insists that George marry the woman from Jamaica.

However, Amelia's father, John Sedley, has become bankrupt, and all of the Sedley household goods are sold at auction. Lord Steyne shows up to buy a portrait painted by Becky's father. Amelia's friend, Captain William Dobbin, buys Amelia's piano and gives it back to her, but Amelia thinks its a gift from her boyfriend Captain George Osborne. George then elopes with Amelia, and Mr. Osborne disinherits him.

While these events take place, Napoleon has escaped from Elba and is once again in control of France. Captains Rawdon Crawley, George Osborne, and William Dobbin are suddenly deployed to Brussels as part of the Duke of Wellington's army. Becky and Amelia decide to accompany their husbands.

Cast

Reese Witherspoon - Rebecca 'Becky' Sharp Crawley

Angelica Mandy - Young Rebecca 'Becky' Sharp

Romola Garai - Amelia Sedley Osborne

James Purefoy - Colonel Rawdon Crawley

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers - Captain George Henry Osborne

Rhys Ifans - Major William Dobbin

Eileen Atkins - Miss Matilda Crawley

Geraldine McEwan - The Countess of Southdown, The Lady Southdown

Gabriel Byrne - Marquess of Steyne

Bob Hoskins - Sir Pitt Crawley Sr.

Douglas Hodge - Sir Pitt Crawley Jr.

Natasha Little - Lady Jane Sheepshanks Crawley

John Woodvine - Lord Bareacres

Barbara Leigh-Hunt - Lady Bareacres

Nicholas Jones - Lord Darlington

Sian Thomas - Lady Darlington

Trevor Cooper - General Tufto

Kelly Hunter - The Marchioness of Steyne, The Lady Steyne

Alexandra Staden - Lady George

Jim Broadbent - Mr. Osborne

Tony Maudsley - Joseph 'Jos' Sedley

John Franklyn-Robbins - Mr. Sedley

Deborah Findlay - Mrs. Mary Sedley

Tom Sturridge - Young Georgy

Kathryn Drysdale - Rhoda Swartz

Ruth Sheen - Miss Pinkerton

Richard McCabe - The King

Robert Pattinson - Older Rawdy Crawley (uncredited)

Reception

Critics gave the film mixed reviews. Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 53 out of 100, based on 41 reviews.

Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post gave positive review, calling the movie "Mira Nair's fine movie version of the 1848 book, in all its glory and scope and wit. In the Charlotte Observer, Lawrence Toppman commented that "The filmmakers have wisely retained the main structure of the book" and that "The cast is uniformly good, even when dealing with sudden mood changes forced by the screenwriters' need to move forward.  Meanwhile, Lisa Schwarzbaum, in her review in Entertainment Weekly, rated the film a B-, and added that the film "borders on perky — a duller, safer tonal choice for the story of a conniving go-getter whose fall is as precipitous as her rise.