D's Top Ten Movies #10 - The Importance of Being Earnest

So, to start out the list we have one of the funniest movies I happen to own, The Importance of Being Earnest. My first impression of the movie was that it was just another Jane Austen wannabe, estrogen filled, chick flick. Well, though this isn't your typical man movie, I was pleasantly surprised when I got around to watching it. I usually describe Earnest to others as the ultimate polite comedy. I'm not fully sure what I mean by that, but it seems to fit. The humor in this film is wonderfully dry and wraps some of the most over-the-top moments in stuffy victorian sensibilities. I really think that it's the juxtaposition of absurd and subdued that makes the film so excruciatingly funny.

The cast is great. All the actors seem to play well, and do it naturally except for Reese Witherspoon. She does a fine job, but you can tell that this isn't her ususal type of role, and she doesn't pull it off with quite the grace that everyone else does. I don't think I need to say much about the screenplay. It's good. Maybe not the best adaptation of the Oscar Wilde classic, but it's good enough for me.

I would reccommend this highly to anyone, and yes guys, it is safe to have in your collection. It's funny if you want to pay attention to the plot and show a bit of class, but it isn't by any means an Adam Sandler movie, so if that's what you are looking for, keep looking. All in all, this is a charming and very funny movie that is clean enough for any BYU girl out there.