Plot
In 1802 UK, Becky Sharp, orphaned daughter of a poor painter, has finished her studies and offered to be governess to Sir Pitt Crawley's daughters. Before starting, she travels to London with her close friend Amelia Sedley and family. While there she begins a campaign to charm Amelia's awkward and overweight brother "Jos" Sedley, a wealthy trader living in India. Smitten with Becky, he almost proposes, but is dissuaded by Amelia's snobbish fiancé George Osborne, reminding him that Becky has no dowry.
Not finding a rich husband, Becky takes up her post. Horrified by the house and her employer Sir Pitt, she diligently teaches his daughters and prepares the house for his half-sister Miss Crawley. His youngest son, Rawdon Crawley, an army captain, comes with them and immediately fancies Becky. She manages to secure a post with ill-tempered Miss Crawley.
Meanwhile, Amelia's prospective father-in-law, Mr. Osborne, is trying to arrange a more advantageous marriage for his son George. When George refuses to consider her, Mr. Osborne bankrupts Mr. Sedley, forcing George to break his engagement to Amelia. She now lives in squalor with her family, but hopeful he will come for her, believing the gift of a piano from George's friend Dobbin is from George himself.
Rawdon Crawley and Becky marry secretly, but Miss Crawley soon finds out expelling her from her house and disinheriting Rawdon. George Osborne marries Amelia, rebelling against his father, and is soon after deployed with Dobbin and Rawdon to Belgium, as Napoleon escaped Elba and returned to France. Becky and Amelia accompany their husbands. The newly-wedded Osborne tires of Amelia, and hits on Becky. The ball they are attending is interrupted by an announcement that Napoleon has attacked, and they must march in three hours. Before leaving, Rawdon gives Becky all he's won at cards. The next day, as she tries to flee the city, she sees Amelia in the mob and leaves her carriage to be with her in Brussels, waiting out the battle.
In the ensuing Battle of Waterloo, George is killed and Rawdon survives. Amelia bears his son, also named George. Mr. Osborne refuses to acknowledge his grandson, so Amelia returns to live in poverty with her parents. Now-Major William Dobbin, young George's godfather, continues to show his love for the widowed Amelia by small kindnesses. She is too in love with George's memory to return Dobbin's affections. Saddened, he transfers to an army post in India. Meanwhile, Becky's son is also named after his father.
Several years pass. Rawdon has been passed over for inheritance by both his aunt and father, and they are sinking deep into debt. Amelia struggles to raise her son and reluctantly gives him up to be raised by his grandfather Mr. Osborne, for a fine education and lifestyle. Bailiffs arrive to repossess the Crawleys' furniture, but Becky is saved by their neighbor Lord Steyne, who she remembers from the past as a keen buyer of her father's paintings. He becomes her patron, giving her money and introducing her into London high society.
On the night of her triumphant presentation to King George IV, Becky receives word that Rawdon has been arrested and thrown into debtors' prison. Lord Steyne insists she spend the night with him in return for the services he has rendered her, and Rawdon, after being bailed out by his sister-in-law, walks in on Steyne forcing himself upon Becky. He throws him out, but realizes Becky has been taking money for months in secret without sharing with him. He leaves her, entrusting the care of their son to his older brother, the new Sir Pitt and his wife.
Twelve years later, Becky is a card dealer at a casino in Baden-Baden, Germany. Rawdon died from malaria soon after leaving her, while posted to a tropical island by Lord Steyne. She comes across Amelia's grown son George Jr., who invites her to tea with his mother. Mr. Osborne finally accepted Amelia, leaving her and George Jr. a large inheritance. Becky confronts Amelia over her obsession with the late George, showing her a love note from him to her many years earlier. She urges Amelia to love Dobbin, who has been loyal for many years. Although at first angered, Amelia realizes her mistake and declares her love to Dobbin.
Alone again in the casino, Becky meets Jos Sedley, who has come to Germany after Amelia told him Becky was there. He invites her to come and live in India with him, and she delightedly accepts. They depart to make a new life for themselves.
Reception
Critics gave the film mixed reviews. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 51% based on 167 reviews, and an average rating of 5.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A more likable Becky Sharp makes for a less interesting movie." [6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 53 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [7]
Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post gave a positive review, calling the movie "Mira Nair's fine movie version of the 1848 book, in all its glory and scope and wit." [8] 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." [9]
Meanwhile, Lisa Schwarzbaum, in her review in Entertainment Weekly , rated the film a B−, and added that "The dismaying switcheroo in director Mira Nair’s adaptation ... that Botoxes Thackeray’s riotous, unruly masterpiece, is that this "Vanity Fair" is, indeed, genteel and inoffensive. In fact, it borders on perky – a duller, safer tonal choice for the story of a conniving go-getter whose fall is as precipitous as her rise." [10]
