The Importance Of Being Earnest

[Zeljka]

The Importance Of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde, a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personæ in order to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play's major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Contemporary reviews all praised the play's humour, though some were cautious about its explicit lack of social messages, while others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wilde's artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduringly popular play.
(wikipedia)

..

I am familiar with only three adaptations, one from 1952 with Michael Redgrave, Richard Wattis and Michael Denison in the main roles, second from 1986 with Paul McGann, Rupert Frazer, Joan Plowright and Gemma Jones, and the last one from 2002 with Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor and Reese Witherspoon in the main roles. The latest edition (from 2011) is taken straight from Broadway, and one is all-black version, that might be interesting to see also.

Even 100 years later, readers and viewers still love it - if you haven't ever read it, here's your chance, it is quite an easy play to read, and afterwards you may take a look at one of its adaptations, either on screen or in the theatre, if there's any close by.

[Olga]

I love all of Oscar Wilde and always try to go and watch new versions of his works. But I think I've only ever watched the oldest one of the movie versions of the Importance of Being Earnest (that I think it's one of his funniest and well over the top). It's very of its time and has fabulous actors. I should try and catch up with the others...

[S]

This is one of those stories that is a yearly must read for me. Though short it packs a powerful punch & never ceases to be amusing. Like Olga, I'm only familiar with the 1952 movie. Perhaps with it being our August read I should use that as an excuse to have a few nights in. Escape some social obligations of my own!

[Zeljka]

Plaimont wrote: "This is one of those stories that is a yearly must read for me. Though short it packs a powerful punch & never ceases to be amusing. Like Olga, I'm only familiar with the 1952 movie. Perhaps with i..."

Lol yes, when I saw that trailer for 1952 movie, I said to myself I really have to read this book again, if not for the club then for the sake of this movie :) I remember I loved that movie when I saw it ages ago as a kid. I hope it will be equally good now when I am a wee bit older.

[Elena]

While I loved this play in the theatre, I found that reading it left my experience lacking. It's probably because I have seen the play acted out live and just reading the lines did not cut it!

I have seen the movie with Rupert Everett and Colin Firth - and that was extremely cute too. I guess plays just have to be acted out for the audience to experience the real thing - just reding the lines does not work for me. Even watching the movie was MUCH better than just reading the play line-by-line! I don't have enough imagination for that :)

[Shelley]

Colin Firth manages to be excellent in almost everything he does.

Oscar Wilde's life is heartbreaking. Thank heaven we live in more civilized times now.

Shelley
Rain, A Dust Bowl Story
http://dustbowlstory.wordpress.com

[Alana]

I can't remember which version I saw, but I remember liking it. I need to do a "re-watch" soon.

I'm into the second act of the play, and underlined one phrase I found ironically amusing: when Cecily is talking to Miss Prism about novels and Miss Prism tells how her novel ended:
"The good ended happily and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means."

Isn't that too often the truth?

[Alana]

I just realized that my "authoritative text" version says it contains "substantial excerpts form the original four-act version which was never produced, as well as the full text of the final three-act version...." Does that mean I have an abridged version? Or that it was never fully finished?