Easy Virtue
A young Englishman marries a glamorous American. When he brings her home to meet the parents, she arrives like a blast from the future – blowing their entrenched British stuffiness out the window.
Directed By:
Stephan Elliott
Written By:
Noel Coward (play), Stephan Elliott (screenplay)
Produced By:
Ealing Studios
Sony Pictures Classics
- Jessica Biel as Larita Whittaker
- Ben Barnes as John Whittaker
- Kristen Scott Thomas as Veronica Whittaker
- Colin Firth as Mr. Whittaker
- Kimberly Nixon as Hilda Whittaker
In the vintage Monte Carlo scene which opens the movie, when Larita first sees John both her and John’s movements are slowed down while the rest of the cast play at ‘normal’ (i.e newsreel) speed. This was accomplished by filming the crowd, Larita, John, the background and the foreground mechanics separately against green screen and compositing them together at different speeds.
During the end credits all of the musicians who played in the orchestra featured on the soundtrack are introduced in voice-over simulating the introductions from the bandstand of a live performance, with each musician playing a brief sample.
When John and Larita drive to the ruined castle and get out of the car, they leave the car doors open. After a head-shot of the two talking to each other, they walk past the car towards the castle, and the driver’s door is now closed.
When Larita first sees John after the race in Monte Carlo the mechanic in the bottom right of the shot takes his hat off and waves it in the air. A second or so later when she looks back at John, the same mechanic takes his hat off and waves it again indicating the shot was duplicated.
Both Larita and Marion are seen reading “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” which was not published in England until 1960 (the film is set in the late 1920s or early 1930s). (Of course, Larita could have brought the book with her from the Continent.)
While in the nursery, John refers to something not scoring Larita any “brownie points.” This phrase did not originate until the 1960s.
- Sannio FilmFest – Best Actress, Jessica Biel (Nominated)
- Australian Writers’ Guild – Feature Film – Adaptation (Nominated)
- British Independent Film Awards – Best Supporting Actress, Kristen Scott Thomas (Nominated)
- London Critics Circle Film Awards – British Supporting Actress of the Year, Kristen Scott Thomas (Nominated)
- Newport Beach Film Festival – Best Feature, Stephan Elliott (Won)
- Sannio FilmFest – Best Costume Design, Charlotte Walter (Won)
- Sannio FilmFest – Best Production Design, John Beard (Nominated)