It's late 19th century London. Algy Moncrieff (Rupert Everett) is a broke hard partying womanizer. His friend Ernest Worthing (Colin Firth) arrives in town to propose to Algy's cousin Gwendolen Fairfax (Frances O'Connor). He discovers that Ernest's name is really Jack. Jack's ward in the country, heiress Cecily Cardew (Reese Witherspoon), thinks that 'uncle' Jack goes to the city to take care of his younger brother Ernest. Algy has also invented an invalid named Bunbury in the country to escape any obligations. Gwendolen is eager to marry somebody named Ernest but her mother Lady Bracknell (Judi Dench) rejects him for being adopted and requires him to find at least one parent. Algy overhears Jack's country location and goes there pretending to be Ernest. The romantic Cecily is taken with the newly arrived cad cousin Ernest. Jack returns pretending that Ernest is dead and hilarity ensues. Then Gwendolen runs away to be with her Ernest which is quickly confused with Cecily's Ernest.
From Oscar Wilde's 1895 play, this still retains some of its sense of a fun romp. The cast led by Everett and Firth is engaging and full of pep. Maybe there is a need to adapt the material more to modern sensibilities. It could improve by getting everyone to the country mansion faster and letting the confused misunderstandings stew a bit more. This is a movie going for light fluffy fun and achieves it for the most part.
From Oscar Wilde's 1895 play, this still retains some of its sense of a fun romp. The cast led by Everett and Firth is engaging and full of pep. Maybe there is a need to adapt the material more to modern sensibilities. It could improve by getting everyone to the country mansion faster and letting the confused misunderstandings stew a bit more. This is a movie going for light fluffy fun and achieves it for the most part.