| Product Details |
| Adapted from a Noel Coward play, EASY VIRTUE is essentially a tale of Old World manners vs. New World freedom. The year is 1929, and John Whitaker (Ben Barnes) has just married a feisty American racecar driver named Larita (Jessica Biel). John is the eldest of the Whitakers--a prim English family--and when he returns home with Larita on his arm, his mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) is none too pleased. John's choice of a loud, brash American has raised everyone's eyebrows, including his sisters, Hilda (Kimberly Nixon) and Marion (Katherine Parkinson). The only person who seems to approve of Larita is Mr. Whitaker--John's weary, put-upon father (Colin Firth). Try as she might, Larita has a hard time impressing the icy, unforgiving Mrs. Whitaker, and indeed, the entire Whitaker clan proves to be a rather eccentric, unhappy bunch. John had promised Larita a short visit, but due to pressure from his mother, they stay longer than planned. Time drags on, and the friction between Mrs. Whitaker and Larita only gets... |
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Key Information
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| Genre: |
Comedies |
| Directors: |
Stephan Elliott |
| Actors: |
Katherine Parkinson · Kimberly Nixon · Kris Marshall |
| Stars: |
Ben Barnes · Colin Firth · Jessica Biel · Kristin Scott Thomas |
| UPC: |
043396309500, 065935828211 |
| Running Time: |
1hr 36min |
| Available Formats: |
DVD, DVD: Canadian |
| MPAA Rating: |
PG-13 (MPAA) |
| Subgenre: |
Theatrical Release |
| Release Date: |
2009 |
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Languages
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| Original Language: |
English |
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Credits
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| Screenwriter: |
Sheridan Jobbins, Stephan Elliott |
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Professional Reviews
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(05/22/2009, Betsy Sharkey): "Firth is an effortless actor, and he works that magic again here....There is a clever sophistication to the story...", (05/22/2009, Claudia Puig): 3 stars out of 4 -- "The 1924 Noel Coward play has been adapted skillfully by director Stephan Elliott, and the lovely cinematography enhances the cheeky dialogue.", (05/27/2009, Roger Ebert): 3 stars out of 4 -- "Jessica Biel will surprise some with her skill....She makes Larita independent and able...", (05/28/2009, Peter Travers): 3 stars out of 5 -- "Jessica Biel is funny and touching....Director Stephan Elliott uncorks a rare vintage of laughs tinged with heartache.", (09/18/2009, Chris Nashawaty): "Colin Firth steals the show, purring droll Wodehousian asides." -- Grade: B, (12/01/2008, p.56, Matt Mueller): 4 stars out of 5 -- "Biel is a revelation....It's playful, it's elegant, it's fizzing with lacerating wit....It's a welcome jolt of fresh air to see a Brit period piece you can just kick back and enjoy.", (12/01/2008, p.71, Helen O'Hara): 3 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's to everyone's credit that this loose, screwball adaptation of a Coward melodrama works as well as it does, and emerges as something strange but fresh." |
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