Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Eileen Atkins, Jim Broadbent, Gabriel Byrne, Romola Garai, Bob Hoskins, Rhys Ifans, James Purefoy, Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Director: Mira Nair

Summary: Follows the fortunes of Becky Sharp as she climbs the social ladder. Determined to reach the top, Becky schemes and seduces those who get in her way. Her progress is threatened, however, when she encounters real love... Based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray.

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 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.

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The corsets and high waists of the 19th century meet the lush colors and visual splendor of India in Vanity Fair, a classic novel translated into modern celluloid by Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding). The very contemporary Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde, Election) at first seems to hit the wrong note as Becky Sharp, an orphaned girl who rises to the heights of society using her quick wits and feminine wiles. But as Vanity Fairunfolds, the movie's tone embraces both period decor and modern attitudes, searching for a bridge that will carry us more deeply into a different time. It isn't wholly successful--the movie's end wraps things up awkwardly--but some scenes achieve a surprising and vivid immediacy, in particular one in which Becky's gambler husband (elegant James Purefoy) catalogues his worth for her before going off to the Napoleonic battlefields; love and pragmatism fuse with heartbreaking results. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Welcome To Vanity Fair A Behind The Scenes Look, The Women Behind Vanity Fair, Deleted Scenes, Audio Commentary With Director Mira Narr
Year:	2004
Release Date:	August 3, 2009
Runtime:	141 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	8232176
Keywords:	Fair, Classic, Book, General, Drama, Period, Based, Vanity
Genre:	Drama