Easy Virtue

Synopsis: Between world wars, the Whittaker's estate is sinking; only the iron will of Mrs. Whittaker staves off bankruptcy while she awaits her son John's return from the continent. To her dismay, he brings a bride: an American widow who races cars. The bride, Larita, thinks she and John will visit and then go to London, where he'll work and she'll race. But John is to the manor born, and mother is nothing if not a master at plans and manipulation. Soon it's all-out war between mother and bride, with John's father, a burnt out veteran of the Great War, in the bride's corner ineffectually. Mother has a plan to join with the neighboring estate; only Larita is in her way. Can't we all get along?
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Director(s): Stephan Elliott
Production: Sony Pictures Classics
  2 wins & 6 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.7
Metacritic:
58
Rotten Tomatoes:
52%
PG-13
Year:
2008
97 min
$2,600,000
Website
815 Views


Good evening.

Good evening, good evening.

Hello, chaps.

Thank you for coming.

Now then, we have a long way to go,

so... er... keep your powder dry.

Righty-ho...

settle down, now.

# I'm mad about the boy

# I know it's stupid to be

mad about the boy

# I'm so ashamed of it,

but must admit

# The sleepless nights

I've had about the boy

# On the silver screen

# He melts my foolish heart

in every single scene

# Although I'm quite aware

# That here and there are traces...

of the cad about the boy

# And Lord knows, I'm not a fool girl

# I really shouldn't care

# Lord knows, I'm not a schoolgirl

# In the flurry of her first affair

# Will it ever cloy, this odd diversity

of misery and joy?

# I'm feeling quite insane

and young again

# And all because I'm mad

about the boy

# I'm feeling quite insane

and young again

# And all because I'm...

#... mad about the boy #

She's the first lady racer.

- But she didn't actually win.

She crossed the line first.

It's so exciting.

Not nearly as exciting

as crossing your mother.

I think we can all ignore that.

Oh, what is that man doing?

Jackson!

Madam?

- What did I tell you?

Put the camellias by the front door

before the guests arrive!

Furber.

- Madam?

Salvage any of Jackson's appalling

pruning and send it to Mrs Holborough

who's kindly offered up a leg of mutton

for dinner, which you'll fetch, Marion.

But Reverend Burton has asked me

My hands are clearly full.

- I'll go.

Uncle George has posted

the most grizzly clippings

of the Valentine's Day Massacre!

Hilda.

Seven terrified men cut down

in a hail of automatic gun fire!

Made worse by the strays that

came to lap the curdled blood.

Hilda...

- The Devil Dogs! The Hounds of Hell!

The leg of lamb! Now.

Why we try and marry her off to gentry

when plainly she'd prefer an undertaker.

Seating. I'm putting Sarah on your left

and Philip on your right,

so please try and make an effort

to be civil.

Right... I shall go and brush up

on my very small talk.

It might be an awkward meal.

For all we know Sarah's grazing

in greener pastures.

Whilst your brother sows his wild oats

in the South of France with his floozy?

No. We'll keep the home fires burning

until his highness wanders home.

Hmm. Like father did?

Yes. Like your father did.

I've got news, everybody!

You all right, sir?

- No. Are you?

Coping, sir.

- Hear, hear. Well done.

Well done? They look like

they're waiting for a firing squad.

Can't you make them more relaxed?

- Last meal and a cigarette, perhaps?

I can't believe it. You'll never guess.

Houdini escaped the Chinese water

torture only to die of a burst appendix.

How ghastly!

Oh, and Mother's got a telegram.

"Mr and Mrs Whittaker". Your mother.

What's it say, Father?

Perhaps your mother

should read this first.

Oh! That stupid, stupid, stupid boy!

What's happened?

Has there been an accident?

It's John, he's married that f-f-f...

- Francophile?

F-f-f...

- Photographer?

Pharmacist?

- Why are you smirking?

Deploying a smile. One member

of this family may actually be happy.

Don't be absurd! We don't know

anything about this woman. Furber!

Furber!

Oh, not again!

- Madam.

Lord have mercy.

Mister John is coming home with his...

with his wife.

Yes. Their bags have just arrived.

Congratulations, Madam.

I'll be the judge of that. Clear up this

mess and get Cook to send up a ham.

This is from Dover. They'll be half way.

- Yes, Furber. Dress the mutton as ham.

Very sharp,

don't cut yourself.

John married the floozy.

How exciting!

# A room with a view and you

# And no one to worry us

# No one to hurry us through

...this dream we found #

There she blows.

Behold the country cottage.

Oh, Lord, it's enormous.

So, I lied about gingerbread hedges

and obese little children.

How hard to swim is the moat?

- Smoke and mirrors, darling.

Smoke and mirrors.

Oh, by the by, smoking... don't.

Apparently it wilts the azaleas.

That makes no sense. Speak English.

- All will be revealed, darling.

Oh, give me back the wheel of my car.

I'm going back to Detroit!

How romantic!

Here they come! Oh, Furber!

Mister John and his wife

are about to arrive.

I can't see them.

- Your tunnel vision.

Ooh!

Smile, Marion.

- I don't feel like smiling.

You're English, dear. Fake it.

The prodigal son returns

in a blaze of gravel.

Father! You shaved.

Welcome, Madam.

You look gorgeous.

It's so lovely to see you.

Oh, darling. Sorry, sorry!

This is my wife, Larita.

Mrs Whittaker, the pleasure is all mine.

Oh, you're American.

And very welcome. Jim Whittaker.

- This is my father.

I fought alongside many

of your countrymen, Larita,

and I must say it's an honour

to have a comrade in the family.

Thank you.

I do hope I'm not a disappointment.

Far from it.

- And my two little blisters.

Hilda and Marion.

Aren't you the woman

who won the Grand Prix?

First place, before disqualification.

Apparently you need chest hair

to change gears in Monaco.

I saw you in the paper.

I cut your head out. I could just die!

Furber, that suitcase

to the drawing room, and do be careful.

Marion... Golly, you're not a bit

like what we imagined.

Somewhat older, I expect.

Awfully sorry about that.

Before the frostbite sets in...

I'm looking forward to getting acquainted

with the mother of my "Panda".

You'll find me quite uncomplicated,

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Stephan Elliott

Stephan Elliott (born 27 August 1964) is an Australian film director and screenwriter. His best-known film internationally is The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). more…

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