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The House Of Mirth Details

2000 Certificate PG
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 1898 members

Terence Davies (DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES) triumphs with his sumptuous, painterly adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel, which is set amid the vicious moneyed classes of 1905 New York and features a heartrending, perfectly nuanced performance by Gillian Anderson as doomed heroine Lily Bart. Lily, though strikingly beautiful and .. Read more

Starring Gillian Anderson, Dan Aykroyd, Eric Stoltz, Terry Kinney
Director Terence Davies
Genres Audio Descriptive, Drama, Romance

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The House Of Mirth

Terence Davies (DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES) triumphs with his sumptuous, painterly adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel, which is set amid the vicious moneyed classes of 1905 New York and features a heartrending, perfectly nuanced performance by Gillian Anderson as doomed heroine Lily Bart. Lily, though strikingly beautiful and socially prominent, remains unmarried at the late age of 29. She jokes that marriage is a woman's vocation, but she is conflicted between her desire to marry a wealthy man and her love for handsome, elegant Lawrence Selden (Eric Stoltz), who, unforgivably, must work for a living. Lily's options begin to narrow, however, when her backstabbing friend, Bertha Dorset (Laura Linney), informs potential suitors of her gambling debts. In a world where the slightest hint of impropriety equals social death, Lily's self-professed genius in doing the wrong thing at the right time leads to trouble. A potential solution to Lily's downward social spiral arrives when a useful secret falls into her lap. In order to save herself, Lily must struggle with her naivete, pride, and ineptitude at playing the elite's deadly, coded game. Davies's beautifully composed, richly textured images and Anderson's skillful evocation of quiet desperation make for a visually stunning, emotionally resonant tale.

Starring Gillian Anderson, Dan Aykroyd, Eric Stoltz, Terry Kinney, Anthony La Paglia, Laura Linney, Jodhi May, Eleanor Bron, Elizabeth McGovern
Director Terence Davies
Studio 4DVD
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 14 mins
Certificate Certificate PG
Genres Audio Descriptive, Drama, Romance
Language DVD: English, English Audio Description
Hearing-impaired English
Subtitles DVD: English
Released DVD: 24 Sep 2007
Production year: 2000
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (3) of The House Of Mirth

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  • 2 stars out of 5

    Edith Wharton's wonderful novel about a woman striving for financial and intellectual independence in a conservative, upper-crust society is faithfully brought to the screen here by Terence Davies. Too faithfully, in fact: Davies directs at such a slow pace that much of the plot and characters seem rather lifeless. Gillian Anderson, from TV's The X Files, has a good shot at playing the heroine, though in the end she lacks the power required. Despite the budget limitations (Glasgow standing for turn-of-the-century New York, for example), the film's look is impressive.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006

  • Terence Davies' adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel is a triumph which puts most recent screen versions of the classics... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
    • Posted 04 Nov 2008

  • Most helpful member's review of The House Of Mirth

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  • 17 out of 17 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Terrific

    Words fail me.

    This must be one of the most beautiful, heart breaking movies ever. The music was stunning, the pace was slow but considered and the acting...well how Gillian Anderson did not get an Oscar is beyond me. Her subtle yet moving performance had me watching every glance and every sigh.

    This is a movie you need to pay attention to - and believe me it *is* worth it.

      • Moozer from n/a
      • Posted 08 Oct 2004 14:33

  • Most recent members' review of The House Of Mirth

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  • 7 out of 8 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    A tragic drama

    The story is of a young woman who has been brought up in order to marry well. She arrives in New York in 1905 with the apparent intention of finding the perfect husband, but all appear to have some lacking feature. Her friends and the few relations he has are unhelpful or worse, and the drama has a sad ending.

    This film is well made and contains fine acting but I feel that it may appeal more to the fairer sex.

      • Hugh Craig from Leicester UK
      • Posted 14 Aug 2004 16:19

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      • Terence Davies (DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES) triumphs with his sumptuous, painterly adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel, which is set amid the vicious moneyed classes of 1905 New York and features a ...