Vanity Fair (Widescreen) | 
| Director: Mira Nair
Actors: Reese Witherspoon, Romola Garai, James Purefoy, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Gabriel Byrne
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $2.46
You Save: $12.52 (84%)
New (55) Used (65) Collectible (3) from $2.46
Rating:  113 reviews
Sales Rank: 23167
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), German (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 141 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.6
MPN: MCAD25001D
ISBN: 1417003596
UPC: 025192500121
EAN: 9781417003594
ASIN: B0006FO8E8
Theatrical Release Date: September 1, 2004
Release Date: February 1, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Unsatisfied with her lower-class birthright beautiful calculating becky sharp is resolved to conquer high society by any means necessary employing all of her wit guile and sexuality to move her way up. Adapted from the classic novel. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 08/22/2006 Starring: Reese Witherspoon Jonathan Rhys-meyers Run time: 141 minutes Rating: Pg13 Director: Mira Nair
Amazon.com
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 Fair unfolds, 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
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| Customer Reviews: Read 108 more reviews...
 Sumptious But Sketchy and TOO DARK!! May 21, 2009
L. B. Kestner (Swampwaters, LA USA)
I did enjoy the color and pageantry of this version of Vanity Fair BUT the story was confusing and sketchy, especially for anyone who has not read the book. Becky Sharp is a character you love to hate! She was wicked and conniving and treated her son with appalling neglect and even cruelty. She would stoop to anything to further her position regardless of who, what, when or where! There were elements of this DVD which were enjoyable. I just viewed it as another period story with pretty costumes and lovely songs.
I would like to know if anyone else received a copy which was SO DARK you could barely make out who was in some scenes and where the scenes took place. I have read all of the 1, 2, and 3 star reviews without seeing a single remark about the DVD's quality...I know some purists will blow a gasket about my query, but I have been told by the seller to "adjust my TV"...which I tried to do with no visibly different results. I would appreciate anyone with feedback or advice on this issue. Thanks!
 Reese Fan March 30, 2009
S. Hinson (Cabot, Arkansas USA)
I loved this movie. Reese was such a great actress. She made you root for the character even though she brought most of the trouble to herself. I wish they would have left in the alternate ending. I like the idea of her being reunited with her son and being part of a family again. In the end family is all she really needed.
Historically interesting January 2, 2009
Craig Monte (Virginia)
Beautifully photographed. The historical elements were what I found interesting. The story itself meandered a bit like Barry Lyndon.
 Wonderful period piece November 27, 2008
Tai I. Rivera (Miami,FL)
I liked the movie alot. I love period movies and this is the third on my list.
 Misplaced film adaptation May 27, 2008
K. Huff (New York, NY)
I read the novel about six years ago, when I was fresh out of high school, and I was curious to see how the movie stacked up. It's cases like these that the say is true that the book is always better than the movie--especially when the book in question is a classic. Of course, you can't always expect the movie to quite stack up to the book, but I must say that I was disappointed by this adaptation.
Reese Witherspoon plays Becky Sharpe, the orphan girl who aspires to rise higher than her station in life. She then spends time with her friend Amelia's Sedley's family, along with Amelia's fiancee, the arrogant George Osborne (played by a beautiful but miscast Jonathan Rhys Myers). Later, Becky goes to be the governess for the Crawleys, where she meets Rawdon and runs away with him. Becky's tale gets overshadowed in the second half of both the novel and the movie as Napoleon threatens to invade.
The exoticness of India and the bucolic setting of England make fine contrasts for one another, and the costumes in this period piece are beautiful (though oddly enough, in this movie, fashions don't change from the 1810s to the 1830s, and the characters don't seem to age much, either). But the actors seem a little too modern at times (especially Reese Witherspoon). The tone of Thackeray's novel was sarcastic at times, and the character of Jos Sedley was so ridiculous that he was actually pathetic. Here, he's just another bland, boring character. George Osbourne was much more malicious in the novel. It's a very watered-down version of the book, especially since Becky in this movie is shown to be a sympathetic character. And it just doesn't work. Through this movie, the whole point of the novel was missed out on completely.
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