The Importance of Being Earnest(2002)
dir. Oliver Parker
Two men, two lies, one name: Ernest.
Where to watch: Streaming on Paramount+, MGM+; also on KanopyLetterboxd ↗
Two Victorian bachelors each invent a fictional alter ego named "Ernest" to escape their obligations, until both fictions collide with the women they're courting — who each insist on marrying a man named Ernest. Adapted from Oscar Wilde's play.
Why it’s here
Punk in weaponizing wit against Victorian propriety — every double life and invented relative is Wilde mocking a society obsessed with appearing respectable rather than being honest. Pedagogical in showing how absurd social rules reveal themselves once you refuse to take them seriously.
Where This Film Lives
- Setting
- United Kingdom
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