Vanity Fair (2004)

"A triumph for its director and its star.   Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
"Graced with Nair's loving direction, Witherspoon's radiance and that great cast, it is a treat, if somewhat less so than the novel.  Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
"Witherspoon's simply terrific...  Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

Editor's Note Reese Witherspoon is surprisingly effective as Becky Sharp in Mira Nair's lush adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's classic novel of Victorian England, VANITY FAIR. Nair, known for such films as SALAAM BOMBAY!, MISSISSIPPI MASALA, and MONSOON WEDDING, tells the compelling story of a young orphan girl, Sharp, who attempts to rise above her station in very class-conscious British society. Sharp enters this very rich and rigid world as a governess who captures the heart of Rawdon Crawley (James Purefoy), who chooses love over the family fortune, a financial decision that could potentially doom the relationship. Meanwhile, her best friend, Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai), lets true love slip right through her fingers. As war rages on against Napoleon and the French, Sharp continues her ascension, though she's met by naysayers and gossipmongers every step of the way.|Nair has put together a terrific cast, including Gabriel Byrne, Bob Hoskins, Jim Broadbent, Douglas Hodge, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, and Rhys Ifans. Natasha Little, who played Becky Sharp in a 1999 BBC miniseries, appears here as Lady Jane, and British favorite Eileen Atkins is hysterical as Miss Matilda Crawley. Splendid costumes, beautiful locations (including Hampton Court Gardens and India), high-quality acting, and gorgeous music combine to make this a worthy version of a classic tale about a feminist ahead of her time.

	Angelica Mandy
	Gabriel Byrne
	Kate Fleetwood
	Lillete Dubey
	Reese Witherspoon
	Roger Lloyd-Pack
	Romola Garai
	Ruth Sheen
	Allyson C. Johnson - Editor
	Declan Quinn - Cinematographer
	Donna Gigliotti - Producer
	Janette Day - Producer
	Julian Fellowes - Screenplay
	Lydia Dean Pilcher - Producer
	Mark Skeet - Screenplay
	Matthew Faulk - Screenplay
	Mira Nair - Director
	William Makepeace Thackeray - Based On Novel By

Movieline's Hollywood Life
"Witherspoon holds her own against these lions of British cinema....The actress has the requisite wit and smarts..." 09/01/2004 p.114-15

New York Times
"Ms. Witherspoon, as usual, conveys a bristly, determined spunk." 09/01/2004 p.E1

Film Comment
"[B]y the final scene, you feel as though lives have been lived." 09/30/2004 p.72-3

Los Angeles Times
"VANITY FAIR is a never-ending Western story that benefits from Nair's philosophically Eastern point of view." 09/01/2004 p.E1

Chicago Sun-Times
"[Nair] has an instinctive feel for the comic possibilities of marital alliances, as she showed in her wonderful MONSOON WEDDING." 09/03/2004 p.31

Sight and Sound
"[With a] smart pace and exuberant style..." 02/01/2005 p.75-6

USA Today
"Nair's treatment is exotic and full of color..." 02/04/2005 p.6D

James Berardinelli's ReelViews 7 of 10
There's always a risk inherent in adapting a lengthy classic novel, and pacing is often the first ca

San Francisco Chronicle 7 of 10
Vanity Fair is a conscientious adaptation of the William Makepeace Thackeray novel. A lot of - Mick LaSalle

Chicago Sun-Times 10 of 10
Some of the film's best moments come when characters administer verbal flayings to one another. Mati - Roger Ebert