The House of Mirth (2000 film)

Last updated

The House of Mirth
House of Mirth2000.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Terence Davies
Written byTerence Davies
Based on The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton
Produced byOlivia Stewart
Starring
Cinematography Remi Adefarasin
Edited byMichael Parker
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • 23 September 2000 (2000-09-23)
Running time
140 minutes [1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom [2]
  • Germany [2]
  • United States [2]
Budget$10 million [3]
Box office$5.1 million [4]

The House of Mirth is a 2000 drama film written and directed by Terence Davies. An adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1905 novel The House of Mirth , the film stars Gillian Anderson. It is an international co-production between the United Kingdom, Germany, and United States.

Contents

Plot

Lily Bart is a beautiful socialite accustomed to comfort and luxury. Along with her younger cousin, Grace Stepney, she lives with her wealthy aunt, Julia Peniston.

Lily genuinely admires lawyer Lawrence Selden, but he is too poor for her to seriously consider marrying. Her choices are limited to coarse, vulgar Simon Rosedale, a rising financier, and wealthy but dull Percy Gryce. Lily’s friend Judy Trenor urges her to pursue Gryce. Lily, however, cannot help preferring Selden, and during a country weekend, they take a long walk and share an innocent kiss. Gryce, with whom Lily has broken two appointments, leaves abruptly. Fearful for her future, a dejected Lily pours out her troubles to Judy's husband, Gus Trenor. He leads her to believe he will help her earn money through investment. Later, Lily purchases scandalous letters written by Bertha Dorset revealing that Selden was her lover. Lily is hurt, but keeps the letters secret.

At a wedding, Lily receives a $5,000 check from Gus Trenor, who claims to have reinvested another $4,000. Later, he invites Lily to the opera, where she is seen by her disapproving aunt and Lawrence Selden as she sits with Trenor and Rosedale. Trenor tricks her into leaving the opera and accompanying him to his home, where he tries to kiss her, claiming that Lily is not playing a fair game when she accepts his money but refuses him her attentions. When Lily arrives home, her aunt refuses to lend her the money to repay the $9000 she received from Trenor. Lily confides in Grace, asking if she should turn to Selden for his understanding, but Grace advises against it; she loves Lawrence and is jealous of Lily. Lily had arranged a later appointment with Selden while at the wedding, and she counts on his love for her to overcome her foolish mistakes.

While Lily is hoping to hear from Selden, Rosedale visits, proposing to her as if suggesting a corporate merger. His wealth could free Lily, yet she politely rejects his flattering but cold blooded proposal. Bertha Dorset invites Lily to the Dorsets' yacht for a European cruise. Lily accepts, desperate to escape the debts, whispers and criticism in New York.

In Monte Carlo, Mrs. Carry Fisher meets with Selden, who has arrived from London. They are both worried about Lily, travelling on the Dorsets’ yacht. Lily and George Dorset converse on deck while a young man reads French poetry to Bertha. While ashore that evening, Lily and George look for them in vain before returning to the yacht. Next morning, George enters Lily's cabin, accusing her of knowing about Bertha's indiscretions with the young poet. Lily pleads ignorance of Bertha’s behavior but when Bertha returns and Lily confronts her, saying she can no longer divert George’s attention from Bertha’s affair, Bertha turns the tables by accusing Lily of adultery with George, since Lily was alone aboard the yacht with him all night.

Back in New York, the Dorsets are still in marital discord and Aunt Julia has died. Lily receives only a fraction of her vast fortune, the bulk having been left to Cousin Grace. Now homeless and adrift, Lily is invited by Carry Fisher to stay with her and the Gormers for the summer. Carry believes Lily's two possibilities for marriage are George Dorset and Simon Rosedale. George asks Lily for the truth about his wife Bertha's infidelities, but she denies any knowledge of them. In her growing desperation she approaches Simon Rosedale. He has found out about Bertha's letters and advises Lily to use them to force Bertha to restore her social standing. He offers to marry Lily once she and Bertha are reconciled, but Lily refuses.

Lily starts working for the social-climbing Mrs. Hatch as her social secretary. Selden tells Lily this hurts her social standing, but she needs the money. They argue and part on bad terms. Lily goes to the pharmacy for Mrs. Hatch's laudanum sleeping medication, and begins taking it herself. After Mrs. Hatch gets into society, she discovers that Lily's reputation is a liability, so she fires her. Lily gets a job sewing for a milliner, but her growing addiction leads to her being fired for poor work. Lily visits her cousin Grace for a loan but is rejected.

Lily almost confronts Bertha Dorset with the letters written to Mr. Selden, but finding that the Dorsets have left town, she goes to Lawrence Selden, telling him she knows she lost his love. When Lawrence isn't looking, she throws the letters in his lit fireplace. Lily goes home and finds her inheritance has at last been delivered. She puts the check in an envelope she addresses to her bank, and writes another for Gus Trenor, resolving the massive debts, and then takes a fatal dose of the laudanum, drifting off to oblivion in her darkened room. Finding the partially-burnt letters in his fireplace and sensing her intentions, Selden rushes to her boarding room. There, at her deathbed, holding her hand, he weeps, declaring his love for her.

Cast

Production

Terence Davies cast Gillian Anderson because of her resemblance to the women in John Singer Sargent paintings. [5] [6]

Parts of the film were shot at Gosford House in East Lothian, Scotland, and at Manderston House in the Scottish Borders. [7]

Release

The House of Mirth premiered at the New York Film Festival on 23 September 2000. Sony Pictures Classics released it in the U.S. on 22 December 2000. [1] There, it grossed $48,770 in its opening week-end and $3,000,000 in total. The worldwide total is $5.1 million. [4]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, The House of Mirth has an 81% approval rating based on 101 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. [8] The site's critics consensus states "Despite being a period piece, The House of Mirth's depiction of social cruelty still feels chilling and relevant for today." [8] Metacritic rated it 78/100 based on 30 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [9]

The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw awarded the film 5/5 stars, writing "How extraordinary that this is Terence Davies's first film in six years, and only his fifth in a career of 25 years. His signature visual touches are all there: the languorous, unhurried takes on the still-life interiors. But this has been opened out into a substantial, well-upholstered picture with more sinew and power than almost any other period drama of recent times. It gripped me like a thriller throughout: a brilliant new film from a great British director." [10] In Slant Magazine, Ed Gonzales wrote "Besides his remarkable ability to render a profound sense of past in all his films, Davies can uncannily map out the emotions of his characters via his mise-en-scène." [6]

The Washington Post's Michael O’Sullivan wrote "the real revelation here is 'The X-Files' Anderson, who plays Lily with subtle gradations of emotional depth unexpected from someone who has made a career out of deadpan. When we first meet Lily, her character is all radiant subtext: Her smoldering carnality -- buried beneath a veneer of social-climbing pleasantries -- seeps out in every cigarette she and Lawrence share…Later, Anderson gives a tour de force as a woman who's at the end of her rope without knowing how she got there." [11]

Awards and nominations

AwardCategoryRecipientResultRef.
BAFTA Awards Best British Film Terence Davies, Olivia StewartNominated [12]
Best Costume Design Monica Howe Nominated
British Independent Film Awards Best Actress Gillian Anderson Won [13]
Best Director Terence DaviesNominated
Best British Independent Film Nominated
Chlotrudis Awards Audience Award for Best ActressGillian AndersonWon [14]
Audience Award for Best Adapted ScreenplayTerence DaviesWon
London Film Critics Circle Awards Actress of the Year Gillian AndersonNominated [15]
British Film of the Year Nominated
British Director of the Year Terence DaviesNominated
British Producer of the YearOlivia StewartNominated
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Best Production Design Don Taylor2nd place [16]
National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Actress Gillian Anderson2nd place [17]
Best Film 3rd place
New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actress Gillian Anderson2nd place [18]
Best Director Terence Davies3rd place
Best Film 3rd place
Online Film & Television Association AwardsBest ActressGillian AndersonNominated [19]
Best WritingTerence DaviesNominated
Best Costume DesignMonica HoweNominated
Best Production DesignDon TaylorNominated
Satellite Awards Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Gillian AndersonNominated [20]
Best Director Terence DaviesNominated
Best Art Direction Don TaylorWon
Best Costume Design Monica HoweNominated
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards Best Actress Gillian Anderson2nd place [21]
Best Supporting Actress Laura Linney Nominated
USC Scripter Awards Edith Wharton (author); Terence Davies (screenwriter)Nominated [22]
Village Voice Film Poll Best Lead PerformanceGillian AndersonWon [23]
Best ScreenplayTerence Davies3rd place
Best Film3rd place

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian Anderson</span> American actress (born 1968)

Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress. Her credits include the roles of FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the series The X-Files, ill-fated socialite Lily Bart in Terence Davies's film The House of Mirth (2000), DSU Stella Gibson in the BBC/RTÉ crime drama television series The Fall, sex therapist Jean Milburn in the Netflix comedy drama Sex Education, and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the fourth season of Netflix drama series The Crown. Among other honors, she has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards.

<i>Jane Eyre</i> 1847 novel by Charlotte Brontë

Jane Eyre is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first American edition was published the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York. Jane Eyre is a Bildungsroman which follows the experiences of its eponymous heroine, including her growth to adulthood and her love for Mr Rochester, the brooding master of Thornfield Hall.

<i>The House of Mirth</i> 1905 novel by Edith Wharton

The House of Mirth is a 1905 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It tells the story of Lily Bart, a well-born but impoverished woman belonging to New York City's high society around the end of the 19th century. The House of Mirth traces Lily's slow two-year social descent from privilege to a lonely existence on the margins of society. In the words of one scholar, Wharton uses Lily as an attack on "an irresponsible, grasping and morally corrupt upper class."

Terence Davies is an English screenwriter, film director, and novelist. He is best known as the writer and director of autobiographical films, including Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988), The Long Day Closes (1992) and the collage film, Of Time and the City (2008), as well as literature adaptations, such as The House of Mirth (2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billie Whitelaw</span> English actress (1932–2014)

Billie Honor Whitelaw was an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and was regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works. She was also known for her portrayal of Mrs. Baylock, the demonic nanny in the 1976 horror film The Omen.

<i>The Others</i> (2001 film) 2001 film directed by Alejandro Amenábar

The Others is a 2001 English-language Spanish gothic supernatural psychological horror film written, directed, and scored by Alejandro Amenábar. It stars Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, Christopher Eccleston, Elaine Cassidy, Eric Sykes, Alakina Mann and James Bentley. Set in 1945 on the Channel Island of Jersey, it focuses on a mother and her two photosensitive children who experience supernatural phenomena in their large manor after the arrival of three new servants.

<i>The Stepfather</i> (1987 film) 1987 American psychological horror film

The Stepfather is a 1987 American psychological horror film directed by Joseph Ruben and starring Terry O'Quinn, Jill Schoelen, and Shelley Hack. O'Quinn stars as an identity-assuming serial killer who marries a widow with a teenage daughter. Having killed his previous family and changed his identity, his murderous tendencies continue after his stepdaughter becomes suspicious of him. The film is loosely based on the life of mass murderer John List, although the plot is more commonly associated with slasher films of the era. The film was written by Donald E. Westlake, from a story by Westlake, Carolyn Lefcourt, and Brian Garfield with an uncredited rewrite by David Loughery.

<i>Bleak House</i> (2005 TV serial) British TV series or programme

Bleak House is a fifteen-part BBC television drama serial adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name, which was originally published in 1852–53 as itself a print serialisation over 20 months. Produced with an all-star cast, the serial was shown on BBC One from 27 October to 16 December 2005, and drew much critical and popular praise. It has been reported that the total cost of the production was in the region of £8 million.

The 66th New York Film Critics Circle Awards, honoring the best in film for 2000, were announced on 13 December 2000 and presented on 14 January 2001 by the New York Film Critics Circle.

Gillian Barge was an English stage, television and film actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lois Smith</span> American actress

Lois Arlene Smith is an American character actress whose career spans eight decades. She made her film debut in the 1955 drama film East of Eden, and later played supporting roles in a number of movies, including Five Easy Pieces (1970), Resurrection (1980), Fatal Attraction (1987), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Falling Down (1993), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Dead Man Walking (1995), Twister (1996), Minority Report (2002), The Nice Guys (2016), Lady Bird (2017), and The French Dispatch (2021).

<i>How to Lose Friends & Alienate People</i> (film) 2008 British film

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is a 2008 British comedy film based upon Toby Young's 2001 memoir How to Lose Friends & Alienate People. The film follows a similar storyline, about his five-year struggle to make it in the United States after employment at Sharps Magazine. The names of the magazine and people Young came into contact with during the time were changed for the film adaptation. The film version is a highly fictionalized account, and differs greatly from the work upon which it was built.

Hungry (<i>The X-Files</i>) 3rd episode of the 7th season of The X-Files

"Hungry" is the third episode of the seventh season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network in the United States on November 21, 1999. It was written by Vince Gilligan, directed by Kim Manners, and featured a guest appearance by Chad Donella. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. However, unlike previous Monster-of-the-Week stories, "Hungry" is told from the monster's perspective. "Hungry" earned a Nielsen household rating of 9.6, being watched by 16.17 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received mixed to positive reviews from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lily James</span> English actress (born 1989)

Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson, better known by her stage name Lily James, is an English actress. She studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and began her career in the British television series Just William (2010). Following her role as Lady Rose MacClare in the period drama series Downton Abbey (2012–2015), her breakthrough was the title role in the fantasy film Cinderella (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Ann Davies</span> British actress (1910–1955)

Betty Ann Davies was a British stage and film actress active from the 1920s to the 1950s. Davies made her first stage appearance at the Palladium in a revue in 1924. The following year she joined Cochran's Young Ladies in revues such as One Dam Thing After Another and This Year of Grace. Davies enjoyed a long and distinguished West End career which included The Good Companions (1934), Morning Star (1942), Blithe Spirit (1943) and Four Winds (1953). Her outstanding stage triumph was in the role of Blanche du Bois, which she took over from Vivien Leigh, in the original West End production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Davies appeared in 38 films, most notably as the future Mrs Polly in The History of Mr. Polly and in the first of the St Trinian's films The Belles of St. Trinian's, and was active in TV at the time of her death. She went into hospital on May 14, 1955, to have an operation for appendicitis, but suffered from complications following surgery and died the same day. She was 44. She left one son, Brook Blackford.

The House of Mirth is a 1981 American television film directed by Adrian Hall. It is based on Edith Wharton's 1905 novel of the same name. It stars Geraldine Chaplin as the protagonist, Lily Bart. The film was part-funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. It was broadcast on PBS' Great Performances on 2 November 1981.

<i>The House of Mirth</i> (1918 film) 1918 film by Albert Capellani

The House of Mirth is a 1918 American silent melodrama film directed by French film director Albert Capellani, starring Katherine Harris Barrymore as Lily Bart. It is a cinema adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1905 novel The House of Mirth and the first-ever cinema adaptation of any of her work. Metro Pictures put many efforts into the film in order to turn the original novel into an "all-star cast" film to earn popularity, as Metro Pictures itself announced that the film was "one of the most important productions" during 1918, and that the film contained "the strongest and the most distinguished cast ever selected for the screen". Initially, Emmy Wehlen starred in the role of Lily Bart in the film. Later, she was replaced by Katherine Harris Barrymore. The film contributed to the huge success of Metro Pictures that year. It is not known whether the film currently survives.

The 21st London Film Critics Circle Awards, honouring the best in film for 2000, were announced by the London Film Critics Circle on 15 February 2001.

<i>Rebecca</i> (2020 film) 2020 film directed by Ben Wheatley

Rebecca is a 2020 British romantic thriller film directed by Ben Wheatley from a screenplay by Jane Goldman, Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse. Based on the 1938 novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, the film stars Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Keeley Hawes, Ann Dowd, and Sam Riley. The film is about the intrigues that arise after a young woman marries a wealthy widower whose first wife, Rebecca, died in a mysterious boating accident.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The House of Mirth". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "The House of Mirth (2001)". British Film Institute . Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  3. "The House of Mirth (2000)". The Numbers . Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  4. 1 2 "The House of Mirth". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  5. Morris, Wesley (12 January 2001). "A Fully Realized 'House' / Gillian Anderson rises to challenge of Wharton novel". SF Gate . Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  6. 1 2 Gonzales, Ed (1 August 2003). "Review: The House of Mirth". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  7. "Filmed here - 2000, The House of Mirth, Terence Davies". Film Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  8. 1 2 "The House of Mirth (2000)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  9. "The House of Mirth". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  10. Bradshaw, Peter (13 October 2000). "The House of Mirth review – Gillian Anderson is Oscar-worthy in a brilliant adaptation". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  11. O'Sullivan, Michael (19 January 2001). "A Winning Full 'House'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  12. "Film in 2001". BAFTA.org. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  13. "Winners & Nominations 2001". BIFA. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  14. "8th Annual Chlotrudis Awards". chlotrudis.org. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  15. "London Critics Circle Film Awards 2001". Mubi . Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  16. "CROUCHING TIGER Wins Four L.A. Film Critics Awards!". Ain’t It Cool News. 17 December 2000. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  17. Cardwell, Diane (7 January 2001). "Critics Group Honors Quirky List of Film Favorites". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  18. "Stuck on 'Traffic' (N.Y. Crix Pix)". Variety. 12 December 2000. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  19. "5th Annual Film Awards (2000)". oftaawards.com. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  20. "5th Annual Satellite Awards". International Press Academy . Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  21. "Past Wnners: 2001". Toronto Film Critics Association. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  22. "Awards: Scripter goes to 'Wonder Boys' writers". USC News. 23 January 2001. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  23. "Where Are They Now: Winners of Past Film Polls". The Village Voice . 22 December 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2023.