Critic Reviews
Importance of Being Earnest, The (2002) Rank 3 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (198) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Reviews by Score:
San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Oscar Wilde's classic farce has seen its share of incarnations in film adaptations over the years, and this one is as good as any. Films based on classic plays, such as those by Shakespeare, are always a bit hard to review, as you end up having to judge h ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Literary purists have been quick to bash Oliver Parker's second adaptation of a beloved (in this case, the most beloved) Oscar Wilde play for the various liberties and flights of fancy he has taken with the material: excursions in hot air balloons, ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
The Importance of Being Earnest has reached a level of cultural familiarity that, surprisingly enough, has not detracted one bit from its ability to amuse. Not really laugh-out-loud funny, it is rather one that keeps you constantly smiling and ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Parker holds true to Wilde's own vision of a pure comedy with absolutely no meaning, and no desire to be anything but a polished, sophisticated entertainment that is in love with its own cleverness. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Orlando Sentinel (Jay Boyar)
The ingenuity that Parker displays in freshening the play is almost in a class with that of Wilde himself. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Jay Boyar)
Chicago Reader (Hank Sartin)
It's a jaunty adaptation, almost screwball. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Chicago Reader (Hank Sartin)
Film Values/Family Values (H. Arthur Taussig)
Cineclub-Filmkritik
Washington Post (Desson Howe)
Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")
Film Monthly (Laura Abraham)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
The important thing about "The Importance" is that all depends on the style of the actors, and Oliver Parker's film is well cast. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
As an encore to his popular 1999 adaptation of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband, director Oliver Parker takes on the Irish playwright's best-known play, a self-consciously trivial affair about two best friends who pretend to be an imaginary wastrel named ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
With all this raw material, it's a puzzlement and an annoyance that Parker feels so obligated to interpose fantastic elements and comic action sequences and other tacky touches. As a result, while this "Earnest" is lively fun, it never quite feels ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)
Movie Martyr (Jeremy Heilman)
It would take a complete moron to foul up a screen adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic satire “The Importance of Being Earnest”, but the first few minutes of Oliver Parker’s new adaptation of the play had me worried. The first thing that we see is a ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Movie Martyr (Jeremy Heilman)
Boston Globe (Loren King)
...sharp performances and a literate script that never has to resort to cheap humor to be sidesplittingly funny. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Boston Globe (Loren King)
Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
The film, despite the gratuitous cinematic distractions impressed upon it, is still good fun. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Sacramento Bee (Joe Baltake)
Mr. Cranky
Judi Dench plays Lady Bracknell, Algie's aunt. This is one of those situations where Lady Bracknell is supposed to be the smartest character in the movie, yet she has no idea that her nephew has no income. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Mr. Cranky
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Where Parker fails is in the final 30 minutes, which should have taken 15. Any comedy will live or die by its finale -- if the film is a joke, then the last reel is the punchline -- and this one is woefully drawn-out and mishandled. Parker has ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Shot in lavish Technicolor but restricted to a few well-designed sets, The Importance of Being Earnest is a small cinematic gem. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Be careful what you ask for; you might get it. Two weeks ago I deplored the lack of wit in "Star Wars: Episode II--Attack of the Clones," which has not one line of quotable dialogue. Now ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
MovieMaze (Thomas Straßer)
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
The film lacked the capriciousness it required... ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Xiibaro Productions (David Perry)
Denver Post (Steven Rosen)
In trying to make Earnest more of a visual romp than it needs to be, [Parker] almost stomps the Wildeness out of its literary wit. But he doesn't. The good humor and lively acting survive. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Denver Post (Steven Rosen)
Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
Those who prefer the play as a gleaming comedy of manners may object, but viewers who enjoy more physical humor are likely to revel in the film's deliciously barbed dialogue and frenetic chemistry. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
ninth symphony films
Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
Oscar Wilde billed his 1895 drama The Importance of Being Earnest a "Trivial Comedy for Serious People." And so it is with its generous supply of snappy one-liners and its wry observations on the hypocrisies of the English social order. Oliver Parker's ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
San Francisco Examiner (Joe Leydon)
The actors appear to be having a grand time. And when Parker isn't driving them at full gallop, their merriment is highly contagious. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at San Francisco Examiner (Joe Leydon)
Boston Globe (Loren King)
A delightful alternative to most current multiplex fare, which wouldn't recognize a juicy bon mot if it tripped over one in the aisle. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Boston Globe (Loren King)
CinemaSpeak.com (Warren Curry)
For the second time in the past few years, British writer/director Oliver Parker has turned to Oscar Wilde for his cinematic material. First it was the harmlessly mundane An Ideal Husband, and now Parker strikes again with The Importance of Being ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at CinemaSpeak.com (Warren Curry)
Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
Hearing Wilde's pithy lines in her mouth -- ''London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained 35 for years'' -- is worth the ticket price. In the end it's Dench who reminds us of the importance of ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
CountingDown review (Daniel Baig)
filethirteen.com Review
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
filmcritic.com (Max Messier)
Entertainment Zone Review
DVDwolf (Rob Paul)
Frank's Reel Reviews
DVD Town (Yunda Eddie Feng)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Los Angeles Times (Kevin Thomas)
allesfilm.com (Markus Steiger)
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Oscar Wilde's classic farce has seen its share of incarnations in film adaptations over the years, and this one is as good as any. Films based on classic plays, such as those by Shakespeare, are always a bit hard to review, as you end up having to judge ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Movies 101 (Robert Glatzer)
BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
DVD Town (Yunda Eddie Feng)
CineScene.com (Chris Dashiell)
MovieEye.com (David Litton)
CinemaScreen (James Salter)
Citysearch (Justin Hartung)
Witherspoon puts to rest her valley-girl image, but it's Dench who really steals the show. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Citysearch (Justin Hartung)
LA Weekly (Ella Taylor)
Mercifully, the supporting cast saves the day by grasping clearly that in a comedy of manners you have to act mannered, though not to the point of situation comedy. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at LA Weekly (Ella Taylor)
Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Everett, whose scenes with Firth are a droll delight, nails every sly laugh. And Witherspoon adds her own legally blond American sparkle to this British party. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Rolling Stone (Peter Travers)
Los Angeles Times (Kevin Thomas)
The result is a film that is at best highly uneven and perversely at odds with itself. Luckily, Wilde's delicious sense of absurdity and peerlessly witty dialogue are pretty indestructible, and "Earnest" itself remains a peerless comedy of manners. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kevin Thomas)
The Onion (A.V. Club) (Scott Tobias)
The film seems content with the more modest ambitions of a romantic comedy, albeit one with unusually potent wit and intricate construction. The old Ealing could never have afforded Parker's deluxe treatment of the material; the new Ealing seems to have ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at The Onion (A.V. Club) (Scott Tobias)
Village Voice (Jessica Winter)
Tonally, however, Earnest boasts perfect pitch, thanks mainly to the blithe, nimble actors. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Village Voice (Jessica Winter)
Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
The New York Times (Stephen Holden)
For all its distractions and additions, The Importance of Being Earnest is still a reasonably entertaining costume comedy. Wilde's satirical voice may be muffled, but at least it is audible. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at The New York Times (Stephen Holden)
filmdeculte.com (Nicolas Bardot)
Planet Sick-Boy (Jon Popick)
Popkorn Junkie's Review
Movierapture (Keith Allen)
Nitrate Online (Elias Savada and Gianni Truzzi)
Austin Chronicle (Kimberley Jones)
Entertainment Today (Brent Simon)
While the film doesn’t quite stake its claim as a definitive reimagination, it is nonetheless a fun, energetic treatment of an engaging story. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Entertainment Today (Brent Simon)
Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)
This Earnest misses the play's biggest joke: There's nothing the least bit earnest about any of it. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)
DVD Verdict (Barrie Maxwell)
Wolf Entertainment Guide (William Wolf)
Movie-Vault.com (Vadim Rizov)
Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Great fun, but it's just a tad this side of being overproduced. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Political Film Society
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Rainbow Network (Rachael Scott)
Almost Fabulous Movie Reviews
Charity's Place review
Flak Magazine (Jeff Rigsby)
"Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit. Touch it, and the bloom is gone." Being something of an exotic fruit himself, Oscar Wilde knew what he was talking about when he wrote this line for "The Importance of Being Earnest." Some things can't be ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Flak Magazine (Jeff Rigsby)
DVD Net (Anthony Clarke)
Mixed Reviews: The Arts, The World, and More (Gabriel Shanks)
The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
Philadelphia City Paper (Sam Adams)
DVD Savant (Glenn Erickson)
Friday & Saturday Review
hybridmagazine.com
eye WEEKLY (Adam Nayman)
Adelaide University Film Society (Brenton Priestley)
Reel.com DVD review (Pam Grady)
Reel.com (Mary Kalin-Casey)
The New York Times - Family Movie Guide (Peter M. Nichols)
Reeling Reviews with Robin & Laura Clifford
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Rick Groen)
Amounts to a complete misreading of Wilde, who used the conventions of artifice to lampoon artificiality. Parker totally misses the point by tacking on such cinematic curlicues -- apparently, in his eagerness to seem movie-friendly, he's too hung up on ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Rick Groen)
New York Post (Jonathan Foreman)
Wilde's masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest, may be the best play of the 19th century. It's so good that its relentless, polished wit can withstand not only inept school productions, but even Oliver Parker's movie adaptation. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at New York Post (Jonathan Foreman)
Chicago Tribune (Robert K. Elder)
Resonates and inspires rapid-fire bouts of laughter, perhaps even a few giggles from the author himself, whom posterity has rewarded the last laugh. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Chicago Tribune (Robert K. Elder)
Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Parker's afraid that we'll be bored by the language alone, so he throws in absurdities. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
In the fussy hands of writer/director Oliver Parker, The Importance of Being Earnest is a punishingly funny (emphasis on the pun) Oscar Wilde bonbon that arrives wrapped in an abundance of tissue and ribbons. Despite the sparkling source ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Hollywood Stock Brokerage & Resource (Tim Chandler)
The film will sorely disappoint Wilde fans. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Hollywood Stock Brokerage & Resource (Tim Chandler)
Entertainment Weekly
Somewhere buried beneath the frippery and undergrad-comedy-revue jokiness of Oliver Parker's adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest is Oscar Wilde, yearning to get a word in edgewise. Yet even the bit of badinage that rises above the hubbub ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Entertainment Weekly
Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
The play attacks the whole notion of upper class privilege in a very clever, funny way. The dialogue is sharp and witty. The whole idea of marrying people because of their name is silly, of course, but that is part of the joke on the whole class system. ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Steve Rhodes
Wilde's oneliners are terrific. "I do not approve of anything that interferes with natural ignorance," is one of the thoughts that Lady Bracknell (Dench) shares with Jack Worthing (Firth), a.k.a. Ernest, when he is applying for the position of future ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Steve Rhodes
Dark Horizons (Garth Franklin)
After a successful and quite entertaining adaptation of Oscar Wilde's "An Ideal Husband", Director Oliver Parker dips into the well again to try and bring the playwright's most famous work to the big screen - without as much success. The famed 'fake ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Dark Horizons (Garth Franklin)
Susan Granger
In this updating of Oscar Wilde's comedy of ruses, Colin Firth and Rupert Everett play 19th century British bachelors who impersonate "Ernest," a figment of their imaginations, to facilitate affairs of the heart with Frances O'Connor and Reese ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at Susan Granger
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
I have learned from Roger Ebert's review of this film that, at the time The Importance of Being Earnest was written, the term "earnest" was synonymous with "gay". Considering Oscar Wilde's sexuality, this is not surprising, but it adds ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
The chief pleasure to be found in any version of Oscar Wilde's play, The Importance of Being Earnest, is the dialogue, and Oliver Parker's re-interpretation is no different. All of the great lines are here: "The very essence of romance is uncertainty", "T ...read the complete Importance of Being Earnest movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
SPLICEDwire (Rob Blackwelder)
from $9.76
(12 sellers)
User Reviews
User Comments
del.icio.us
Digg
StumbleUpon
Yahoo! My Web
Facebook
Google Bookmarks
ma.gnolia
Newsvine
reddit
Windows Live
