Here is a film with a scene that happens today - June 18. I hope you enjoy the movie and watch it tonight.
VANITY FAIR
The cunning and strong-willed,
but poor, Becky Sharpe and her friend the good natured and simple-minded but
wealthy Amelia Sedley leave Miss Pinkerton’s Academy for young ladies and
return to Miss Sedley’s home. There they meet Captain George Osborne, Amelia’s
betrothed, and Joseph Sedley, Amelia’s brother and Osborne’s friend, William
Dobbin. Becky tries to seduce Joseph, but fails. Becky goes to work as a
governess for the crude baronet Sir Pitt Crawley. She meets his insipid wife and
dull son Pitt. Becky tries to
insinuate herself into the household and Sir Pitt’s sister, the extremely
wealthy Miss Crawley comes to visit. Her arrival produces a visit by the
dashing younger son, Rawdon Crawley.
Becky becomes a favorite and companion of Miss Crawley. Gossip spreads that Sir Pitt is considering
marrying Becky if something happens to his wife. Rawdon asks her about this and
offends her. Meanwhile Osborne is engaged to Amelia but drinks and gambles and
ignores her. Amelia’s father goes bankrupt, and George’s father forbids him to
marry her. Becky introduces Amelia and
George to Miss Crawley. Lady Crawley dies and when Sir Pitt comes to get Becky,
he proposes to her. She has to refuse,
as she is already secretly married to Rawdon. When she finds out about this
Miss Crawley disinherits Rawdon. George finally marries Amelia against his
father’s wishes. Mrs. Bute tries to poison Miss Crawley against Becky and
Rawdon. George immediately becomes bored with Amelia. He starts flirting with Becky,
who pretends to encourage him. Meanwhile Napoleon has returned from exile and
the army with Rawdon, Osborne and Dobbin move into Belgium to oppose him. Becky
and Amelia follow them to Brussels. They are all invited to the Duchess of
Richmond’s famous ball. George gives Becky a letter asking her to run away with
him. He later reconciles with Amelia.
Word arrives that Napoleon is marching and the army marches out to do
battle. Becky gets her revenge by refusing to sell her horses to Lady
Bareacres, who had cut her previously. She charges an exorbitant price to
Amelia’s parents, who want to flee back to England. Becky and Amelia treat a
wounded soldier. The Battle of Waterloo occurs. [Part IV 19:17 to 22:26]
Osborne is killed in the battle. Both Amelia and Becky have sons. Amelia dotes
on hers, while Amelia ignores hers. Miss Crawley dies and leaves almost
everything to Rawdon’s older bother Pitt. Major Dobbin devotes himself to
Amelia and tries to help her. Becky and Rawdon live on credit and wipe out at least
two people financially and Becky plies her “favors” to help keep them above
water. The elder Pitt Crawley dies and the younger Pitt Crawley inherits
Queen’s Crawley. Dobbin moves to India. Mr. Osborne offers to Amelia for the
custody of her child, but she refuses. Her father had sold and lost the pension
Amelia had been getting from her brother. Poverty finally forces her to hand
her boy over to his grandfather. Through the influence of Lord Steyne, Becky is
presented at court. Then Rawdon is arrested for debt. Since Becky can’t afford
to do so, his sister-in-law Jane, Pitt’s wife bails him out. When he returns
home Rawdon finds Becky and Lord Steyne in a ‘compromising position’. Rawdon
leaves her. Rawdon wants to duel Lord
Steyne, but is talked out of it and goies to take a distant governor’s post
that was procured through the influence of Becky with Lord Steyne. Major Dobbin
returns to England from India. He professes his love for Amelia, but she
refuses him. Becky travels around Europe and in Germany meets Jos Sedly, Major
Dobbin and Young George Osborne who are traveling together. Becky again pursues
Jos Sedley. Lord Steyne follows Becky around Europe, telling everyone about her
bad reputation. Amelia and Becky meet again. In a moment of honesty Becky gives
Amelia the note George had given her on the eve of Waterloo. Amelia realizes
how stupid she’s been. She reconciles with Major Dobbin and they are wed.
An interesting Regency melodrama
that has been the subject of several movie versions. A timeless story showing
how greed, jealousy, and infidelity shape the fortunes of a group of
characters. We are also shown how sheer bad luck and poor timing can shape
someone’s future.
The Battle of Waterloo by
Jeremy Black (Random House, New York, 2010) at page 95 gives the date of the
battle
Producer – Gillian McNeill
Director - Marc Munden
Screenplay - Andrew Davies
Runtime – 5 hours
Released - November
1, 1998
Starring -
Natasha Little as Becky Sharp
Frances Grey as Amelia Sedley
David Ross as Mr. Sedley
Philip Glenister as William Dobbin
Michele Dotrice as Mrs. Sedley
Janine Duvitski as Mrs. Bute Crawley
Anton Lesser as Mr. Pitt Crawley
Nathaniel Parker as Rawdon Crawley
Jeremy Swift as Jos Sedley
Tom Ward as George
Osborne
Stephen Frost as Bute Crawley
Tim Woodward as Mr. John Osborne
Janet Dale as Miss Briggs
Frances Tomelty as Mrs. O'Dowd
Mark Lambert as Major O'Dowd
David Bradley as Sir Pitt Crawley
John Surman as Horrocks
Miriam Margolyes as Miss Crawley
Daniel Hart as Ensign Stubble
Abigail Thaw as Jane Osborne
Bryan Pringle as Raggles
Linal Haft as Moss
Eleanor Bron as Lady Bareacres
Sarah Crowden as
Lady Blanche
Graham Crowden as Lord Bareacres
Sylvestra Le Touzel as Lady Jane Crawley
Gerard Murphy as Lord Steyne
Robert Cole as
Little Rawdon
Zohren Weiss as Little Georgey
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