Today’s motion picture is a period drama with a scene that
happens on June 18. I hope you will watch this film tonight and enjoy it.
VANITY FAIR
The cunning and strong-willed,
but poor, Becky Sharp 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, 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, gambles and ignores her. Amelia’s father goes bankrupt, and Osborne’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, including 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, but later reconciles with
Amelia. Word arrives that Napoleon is advancing 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 Becky 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 pay 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
Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014
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