The House of Mirth is a 2000 film version of Edith Wharton's novel The House of Mirth. The film was written and directed by Terence Davies and starred Gillian Anderson.
Plot
It is New York City, 1905, and we are introduced to Miss Lily Bart, a young, witty and beautiful socialite. She meets Mr. Lawrence Selden, a lawyer. At his flat she points out how seldom he comes to see her at her aunt’s house, and he argues that the reason might be that she won’t marry him because he is not rich enough. When she leaves his apartment, she runs into Mr. Sim Rosedale, who owns the building. On the train to Bellomont, she invites Mr. Percy Gryce to sit next to her. Mrs. Bertha Dorset takes the seat next to Lily.
At Bellomont, Lily is further encouraged by Judy Trenor to attract Percy Gryce. Lawrence Selden arrives as well. Lily and Mr. Gryce arrange a date for the next morning to go to church, but Lily misses it on purpose, and runs into Lawrence and Bertha Dorset. She waits in the park for Mr. Selden. They take a walk, and while weighing the disadvantages of both marrying for money or for love, they share an aroused moment and kiss.
Mr. Gryce leaves abruptly, because of Lily’s behavior. She also leaves for home. In the carriage she sits with Gus Trenor, and he agrees to help her make money through an investment. She is then again in a carriage with her aunt Julia Peniston, and Grace Stepney, another young woman, who shows an interest in the guest list at Bellomont. When Lily is alone in her room, the maid lets in a woman, who found letters of Bertha Dorset that Lily might be interested in and sells them to her.
At a wedding, Lily receives a $5,000 check from Gus Trenor, who claims to have also reinvested another 4,000 dollars. He wants to see her alone, but she suggests he see her at her aunt’s house. He invites Lily to the opera, where she also meets Lawrence Selden and Sim Rosedale. In the late evening, Lily takes off with Lawrence to a quiet place, where he tells her he loves her and they kiss, but Gus Trenor may have been watching them. At the opera, Lily is accompanied by Gus Trenor and Sim Rosedale, which doesn’t please her aunt Julia, who learns from Grace Stepney that Lily has gambling debts from playing bridge. Lily leaves with Gus Trenor to his house, where she eventually finds out that they are alone in the building, so she insists to leave. He kisses her, but she flees and assures him she will pay him her debt, which is now 9,000 dollars. At home, her aunt Julia tells Lily she won’t give her any more money and how much she disapproves of Lily’s behavior. Lily is devastated.
The next day, at teatime, Lili expects Mr. Selden, but is surprised by Sim Rosedale, who wants to marry her. Later that day, Bertha Dorset invites Lily to the Dorsets' yacht for a cruise in the Mediterranean. Lily agrees to go.
In Monte Carlo, Mrs. Carry Fisher meets Lawrence Selden, who just arrived from London. They worry about Lily. She’s on the yacht, accompanying George Dorset, while a young man is reading French poetry to Bertha. In the evening, the four of them get split up, and Lily and George look for them in vain, since Bertha drove off in a carriage with the man. Next morning, an angry George enters Lily’s cabin, asking about Bertha’s whereabouts. When Bertha finally arrives, Lily confronts her, but Bertha only suggests a compromise on Lily’s side. At dinner, Lily asks Lawrence how things are, but he answers that nothing has changed. When people are leaving the table, Bertha openly confesses. Lily doesn’t return to the yacht.
Back in New York, aunt Julia has died, and while people believed Lily would inherit everything she gets a small amount, in contrast to Grace who gets almost everything. Carry Fisher invites Lily to stay with her and the Gormers for the summer at her house. Carry believes Lily must get married, and there are two possibilities, George Dorset and Sim Rosedale. When Lily goes out for a walk, she meets George, who asks her to speak on his behalf, since she witnessed what happened on the cruise, but she denies any knowledge. Back at the house, Sim Rosedale wishes to speak to Lily. He knows about Bertha’s letters and suggests to use them against Bertha. He offers that, after repairing Lily's reputation, he will marry her, but Lily refuses.
Lily starts to work for Mrs. Hatch as her social secretary. Mr. Selden tells Lily how he thinks this isn’t appropriate, but she defends herself saying she needs the money. Lily goes to the pharmacy to get Mrs. Hatch’s prescription for sleeping, and takes it herself. After quitting working for Mrs. Hatch, Lily gets a job elsewhere, but gets fired because she works too slowly and poorly. Lily goes to see Grace Stepney and asks for a loan, but is rejected. When Sim Rosedale invites Lily for tea, she tells him everything, but refuses his help because it would again put her in debt to a man.
The next morning, Lily decides to confront Bertha Dorset with those letters she once wrote to Mr. Selden, but finds that the Dorsets have left town. Lily goes to Lawrence Selden and breaks down desperately, telling him she knows she lost his love. When Lawrence isn’t looking, she throws the letters in the fire. Lily goes home and receives an envelope containing her inheritance at last. She writes two checks, one for the bank, the other one for Gus Trenor, and takes the sleeping medicine once again. She lies down in bed and loses consciousness. Selden discovers the burnt letters in his fireplace, but when he hurries to Lily’s apartment, he finds her and cries at her deathbed, telling her he loves her.
Cast
External links
