In this adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play about fake identities, two gentlemen in 1890s London use the same pseudonym, Ernest, for their secret courtship activities. Chaos ensues when both men find themselves face-to-face and have to explain who they really are.
Actress Finty Williams, who plays Lady Bracknell as a young dancer, is the daughter of Dame Judi Dench, who plays the older Lady Bracknell.
The scene where Algernon slaps Jack on his rear end and where Algernon kisses Jack's cheek were ad libbed. Director Parker thought Firth's stunned reaction was so humorous he decided to leave it in.
The business with 'Ernest's' bill at the Savoy, and with the money collectors coming to Jack's country home, are taken from material Wilde cut from the play prior to its publication.
Though cut from the revised version, the gardener Molton can be seen in the background of many scenes.
The producers of the film paid £50,000 to use West Wycombe Park as Jack's home in the country.
Release
The Importance of Being Earnest grossed $8,384,929 domestically and $8,906,041 internationally for a worldwide total of $17,290,970,[5] making the film a moderate box office success based on its $15 million budget.
Reception
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film three out of four stars, saying the actors were well cast, and performed well.[6]
On review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, as of September 2012, the film holds a 57% approval rating, with the consensus "Oliver Parker's adaptation of Wilde's classic play is breezy entertainment, helped by an impressive cast, but it also suffers from some peculiar directorial choices that ultimately dampen the film's impact."[7]
The film won the 2003 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists's Silver Ribbon award for Best Costume Design; the costumes were designed by Maurizio Millenotti.
