Vanity Fair

50% of critics liked it

51% of users liked it

Reese Witherspoon, Romola Garai
In theaters Sep 01, 2004
PG-13, 2 hr. 17 min.

Movie Info

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Romola Garai, James Purefoy, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Rhys Ifans, Gabriel Byrne, Jim Broadbent, Bob Hoskins, Ruth Sheen, Eileen Atkins
Director: Mira Nair
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hr. 17 min.
Genre: Drama, Action & Adventure, Comedy
Theater Release: Sep 01, 2004
DVD Release: Feb 01, 2005
Synopsis: William Makepeace Thackeray's witty assessment of the British class system, as seen through the experiences of one young woman, is brought to the screen with some serious star power in this period comedy drama. Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon) is a bright and ambitious girl born to a poor British family. Becky is determined to make something of herself however she can, and after accepting a job as a nanny for the children of the powerful and aristocratic Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins), she wastes

Critic Reviews

  • Rex Reed, New York Observer
    It's lavish but lulling, and at two hours and 18 minutes, it's something of a bore. More...
  • Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
    A less than absorbing adaptation of Thackeray's sprawling but sharp-witted classic. More...
  • Charles Taylor, Salon.com
    Scene by scene and moment to moment, it's a woeful misreading of the book. More...
  • Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
    Witherspoon moves director Mira Nair's version of Thackeray's social satire forward at a good clip, making Becky's rising and falling fortunes an intensely watchable spectator sport. More...
  • Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine
    There is no depth beneath its bright surfaces, no potent emotional undercurrents. More...
  • James Berardinelli, ReelViews
    A charming movie that falls short of greatness, but is still worth a solid recommendation. More...
  • Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
    Even with a running time of more than 2 hours, this kind of condensation means we race through the story's second half in a time warp not aided by Nair's garish, out-of-nowhere and out-of-place Indian interludes. More...
  • Bill Muller, Arizona Republic
    Though it's an accomplished production, Vanity Fair ranks as a standard costume drama populated by snide old biddies, aging lords and ladies, manipulative business barons and dashing soldiers. More...
  • David Edelstein, Slate
    We're left with an increasingly weak-willed protagonist and a narrative with no driving force -- no motor. More...
  • Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
    Witherspoon's simply terrific, and it's amazing how quickly and easily she sheds speculation that she was too modern for the role. More...