Wednesday, June 18, 2014

June 18 - Vanity Fair (1998)

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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