60
Metascore
30 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonThe real importance of "Earnest" is the thrill of brilliant repartee. And as we laugh, an amazing thing happens: Oscar Wilde comes alive.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe important thing about "The Importance" is that all depends on the style of the actors, and Oliver Parker's film is well cast.
- 75Miami HeraldConnie OgleMiami HeraldConnie OgleHearing Wilde's pithy lines in her mouth -- ''London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained 35 for years'' -- is worth the ticket price. In the end it's Dench who reminds us of the importance of enjoying Oscar Wilde.
- 70Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversEverett, whose scenes with Firth are a droll delight, nails every sly laugh. And Witherspoon adds her own legally blond American sparkle to this British party.
- 70The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe film seems content with the more modest ambitions of a romantic comedy, albeit one with unusually potent wit and intricate construction. The old Ealing could never have afforded Parker's deluxe treatment of the material; the new Ealing seems to have forgotten the benefits of economy.
- 60NewsweekDavid AnsenNewsweekDavid AnsenThis may be a less than ideal “Earnest,” but it still has delights, not least of all Anna Massey’s Miss Prism, Cecily’s dotty tutor, and Tom Wilkinson’s Dr. Chasuble, her clergyman admirer.
- 50Baltimore SunMichael SragowBaltimore SunMichael SragowThese actors have a firm playful grasp and a palpable affection for their characters' befuddled dignity and attraction. They understand what Wilde meant by the importance of being earnest.
- 40New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerNew York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerParker "opens up" a play that was perfectly wonderful closed down. Wilde subtitled his masterpiece "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People." This movie seems intent on being a trivial comedy for trivial people.
- 25San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleThe result is a frustrating, boring mess.
- 20VarietyRobert KoehlerVarietyRobert KoehlerA comedy in the last century and a drama in the new one. At least, that's the dumbfounding impression left by writer-director Oliver Parker's utterly miscalculated film adaptation of Wilde's play.