The House of Mirth

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The House of Mirth

PG

2000

2h 23m

History

Drama

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82%

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99 Reviews

72%

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5,000+ Ratings

Lily (Gillian Anderson) is a ravishing socialite who quickly discovers the precariousness of her position when her beauty and charm start attracting unwelcome interest and jealousy. She seeks a wealthy husband and, in trying to conform to social expectations, she misses her chance for real love with Lawrence Selden (Eric Stoltz). Her quest for a husband comes to a scandalous end when she is falsely accused of having an affair with a married man and is rejected by society and her friends.

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Critics Consensus

Despite being a period piece, The House of Mirth's depiction of social cruelty still feels chilling and relevant for today.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

[An] exquisite and anguished adaptation...

Nov 21, 2022

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

A very worthwhile adaptation of Wharton's novel.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 28, 2010

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Ed Gonzalez

Slant Magazine

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-scene.

Rated: 4/4

Aug 1, 2003

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A.S. Hamrah

The Baffler

Society in turn-of-the-century New York shows its harsh, unforgiving, duplicitous face in frozen looks from Anthony LaPaglia, Dan Aykroyd, and Laura Linney,

Sep 16, 2020

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PJ Nabarro

One Room With A View

Lily's downfall plays out as an event of great pathos, because the act of dethroning her occurs without the characters and Davies' own diegesis voicing it at every stage.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 15, 2018

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Meticulously made with graceful style, Terence Davies' adaptation of Wharton is superior to Scorsese's Age of Innocence, the author's other famous novel.

Rated: B+

Aug 18, 2012

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Patricia W

Easily one of the worst films i've ever seen.Stilted ridiculous dialogue.Hideous acting.Anderson is simply awful.Like watching paint dry.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

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Alec B

Its a great adaptation of the novel because it so clearly understands that the real tragedy here is that Lily is punished because she is terrible at playing the arbitrary social games of her era and she refuses to be as cruel as everyone else.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/24

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Bill N

it was very very tedious and i had to quit after one wasted hour:-(

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/30/23

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Steve D

Bleak and melodramatic.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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isla s

This is a somewhat dull period drama film. The performances are ok and the costumes and setting are good but the story is a bit plain. I suppose it does well at painting a picture of how women were regarded at the time the film is set (the 1920s). I do like a good period drama but there isn't quite enough full blown drama in this. I thought Gillian Anderson and Dan Ackroyd gave particularly good performances and I note that Anthony LaPaglia (of Without A Trace (US crime drama show) fame) also features. These films appeal to me more in terms of enjoying the context their set in - the grand palacial homes and the social commentary side of things. Unlike other films, this one didn't really grab my attention as such - I feel it was rather long winded but its not without any merit. I wouldn't especially recommend this film as such, no. Oh and also this may be called 'House of Mirth' but I honestly can't say I found myself laughing while watching it. I suppose if it tackles any one particular subject, it'd be shame.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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david f

The period details are fantastic, and the languorous mood is Whartonesque but the source material is a little bit too interior, maybe, for there ever to be a great film based on it. Nice try, though.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Terence Davies

Director

Gillian Anderson

Lily Bart

Eric Stoltz

Lawrence Selden

Dan Aykroyd

Gus Trenor

Eleanor Bron

Mrs. Peniston

Terry Kinney

George Dorset

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Synopsis

Lily (Gillian Anderson) is a ravishing socialite who quickly discovers the precariousness of her position when her beauty and charm start attracting unwelcome interest and jealousy. She seeks a wealthy husband and, in trying to conform to social expectations, she misses her chance for real love with Lawrence Selden (Eric Stoltz). Her quest for a husband comes to a scandalous end when she is falsely accused of having an affair with a married man and is rejected by society and her friends.

Director: Terence Davies
Producer: Olivia Stewart
Screenwriter: Terence Davies
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Scottish Arts Council, Kinowelt Filmproduktion [de], Diaphana Films, Showtime Networks Inc., Granada Film Productions, Channel 4 Television Corporation, Progress, Arts Council of England, FilmFour, National Lottery, Three Rivers Productions, Glasgow Film Fund
Rating: PG (Thematic Material)
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 23, 2000, Original
Release Date (DVD): May 29, 2001
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.0M
Runtime: 2h 23m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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