Easy Virtue (2008)

Director:

Stephan Elliott

Writers:

Stephan Elliott (written by) &
Sheridan Jobbins (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 November 2008 (Ireland)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Let's Misbehave!

Plot:

A young Englishman marries a glamorous American. When he brings her home to meet the parents, she arrives like a blast from the future - blowing their entrenched British stuffiness out the window.

Plot Keywords:

Fox Hunt | Cancan | Country Life | Barking Dog | Country House

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Jessica Biel	...	Larita Whittaker
Ben Barnes	...	John Whittaker
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Mrs. Whittaker
Colin Firth	...	Mr. Whittaker
Kimberley Nixon	...	Hilda Whittaker
Katherine Parkinson	...	Marion Whittaker
Kris Marshall	...	Furber
Christian Brassington	...	Phillip Hurst
Charlotte Riley	...	Sarah Hurst
Jim McManus	...	Jackson
Pip Torrens	...	Lord Hurst
Jeremy Hooton	...	Davis
Joanna Bacon	...	Cook
Maggie Hickey	...	Millie the Maid
John Warburton	...	Mr. Gribble
Georgie Glen	...	Mrs. Landrigin
David Longstaff	...	Reverend Burton
Michael Archer	...	Warwick Holborough
Rebel Penfold-Russell	...	Mrs. Winston
Stewart Clarke	...	Young Man #1
Oliver Reid	...	Young Man #2
Joe Reid	...	Young Man #3
Stephan Elliott	...	Grumpy Party Guest
Sheridan Jobbins	...	Grumpy Party Guest
Fizz	...	Poppy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Laurence Richardson	...	Marcus (uncredited)

Directed by
Stephan Elliott

Writing credits
Stephan Elliott		written by &
Sheridan Jobbins		written by and
Noel Coward		based on the play by

Produced by
Joseph Abrams	....	producer
Paul Brett	....	executive producer
Alexandra Ferguson	....	co-producer
Louise Goodsill	....	executive producer
Douglas Hansen	....	executive producer
Ralph Kamp	....	executive producer
George McGhee	....	executive producer
Sophie Meyer	....	associate producer
Peter Nichols	....	executive producer
Tim Smith	....	executive producer
James Spring	....	executive producer
James D. Stern	....	producer
Barnaby Thompson	....	producer
Cindy Wilkinson Kirven	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Marius De Vries

Cinematography by
Martin Kenzie

Film Editing by
Sue Blainey

Casting by
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
John Beard

Art Direction by
Mark Scruton

Set Decoration by
Niamh Coulter

Costume Design by
Charlotte Walter

Makeup Department
Tamsin Dorling	....	hair stylist
Tamsin Dorling	....	makeup artist
Paul Gooch	....	hair stylist
Paul Gooch	....	makeup artist
Flora Moody	....	daily makeup trainee
Paul Mooney	....	hair stylist
Paula Price	....	hair stylist
Paula Price	....	makeup artist
Barbara Taylor	....	crowd hair stylist
Barbara Taylor	....	crowd makeup artist
Jeremy Woodhead	....	hair designer
Jeremy Woodhead	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Polly Duval	....	post-production supervisor
Charlie Simpson	....	unit manager
Tim Wellspring	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Chasey	....	second second assistant director
Richard Goodwin	....	key second assistant director
Christopher Newman	....	first assistant director
Carly Taverner	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Louise Begbie	....	assistant art director
Tristan Carlisle-Kitz	....	dressing props
Chris Cull	....	property master
Nigel Kirk	....	hod painter
Dougie Lankston	....	dressing prop daily
Jono Moles	....	construction manager
Lucy Moles	....	construction buyer
John Moolenschot	....	on-set carpenter
Barnaby Papworth	....	construction coordinator
Alan Payne	....	graphic artist
Simon Riley	....	props storeman
Rosie Rose	....	set decorating assistant
Sarah Stuart	....	stand-by art director
Lloyd Vincent	....	chargehand stand-by props
Lee Wiseman	....	props

Sound Department
Howard Bargroff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Simon Gershon	....	sound
Simon Gershon	....	supervising sound editor
Charlotte Gray	....	sound assistant
Dan Green	....	dialogue editor
Mike Grimes	....	sound effects editor
Steve Hancock	....	boom operator
Dan Johnson	....	adr recordist
John Midgley	....	production sound mixer
Bernard O'Reilly	....	location foley recordist
Martin Seeley	....	playback
Matthew Skelding	....	sound
Barnaby Smyth	....	foley supervisor
Andrew Stirk	....	foley recordist
Chris Sturmer	....	sound consultant: dolby

Special Effects by
Hugh Goodbody	....	special effects technician
Mark Holt	....	special effects supervisor
Thomas M. Horton	....	visual effects executive producer

Visual Effects by
Kris Anderson	....	digital compositor
Steven Bray	....	digital compositor
Steven Bray	....	title animatior
Simon Carr	....	visual effects supervisor
Simon Frame	....	visual effects supervisor
Sarah Juniper	....	junior compositor
Stephanie C. Kelly	....	digital compositor
Joe Pavlo	....	lead digital artist
Natalie Stopford	....	visual effects producer
Ben Turner	....	digital compositor
Audrius Urbonavicius	....	digital matte artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Joe Alexander	....	second assistant camera
Stuart Bunting	....	grip
Andy Clarke	....	electrician
Chris Clarke	....	second assistant camera
Ian Coffey	....	first assistant camera
Daniel-Konrad Cooper	....	video assist operator: dailies
Peter Davies	....	electrician
Brian Greenway	....	second assistant camera
Eugene Grobler	....	lighting balloon operator
Giles Keyte	....	unit still photographer
Steve Kitchen	....	rigging gaffer
Oliver Loncraine	....	first assistant camera
Steve Manningham	....	assistant grip
David Morgan	....	director of photography: second unit
Miles Proudfoot	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Sean Savage	....	camera operator
Pat Sweeney	....	gaffer
Chloe Thompson	....	camera trainee
Jack Warender	....	video assist

Casting Department
Deborah Aquila	....	casting: US
Abigail Barbier	....	adr voice casting
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Mary Tricia Wood	....	casting: US (as Tricia Wood)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richard Cooke	....	assistant costume designer
Carmen Cristea	....	set costumer
Doina Raducut	....	set costumer
Hannah Walter	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Wilmann Bevolley	....	second assistant editor
Paul Ensby	....	digital color timer
Dominic Thomson	....	digital editor
Jane Winkles	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Marius De Vries	....	musical director
Michelle De Vries	....	music supervisor
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Tris Penna	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
John Oxborough	....	unit driver
Mark Crowley	....	driver: Jessica Biel (uncredited)

Other crew
Johnathan Abbott	....	studio coordinator: Ealing Studios
Danielle Bennett	....	key floor runner
Litza Bixler	....	choreographer
Julie Burnham	....	unit nurse
Jo Cameron Brown	....	dialogue coach
Hannah Collett	....	production coordinator
Juan Pablo Di Pace	....	tango instructor
Giles Edleston	....	location manager
Simon George	....	head of finance: Ealing Studios
Jess Jaworski	....	assistant: cindy wilkinson kirven
Tabitha Jenkins	....	production executive: Ealing Studios
Rowena Ladbury	....	script supervisor
Mousy McCallum	....	additional set production assistant
Simon Mills	....	production runner
Chris Moore	....	assistant location manager
Camilla Naprous	....	assistant horse master
Nick Oliver	....	location scout
Jules Smith	....	production and marketing assistant: ealing studios
Susie Tullett	....	unit publicist
Jo Wallett	....	assistant production coordinator

Thanks
Peter Barnes	....	in memory of

Production Companies

• Ealing Studios
• Fragile Films
• Endgame Entertainment
• BBC Films
• Odyssey Entertainment

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2009) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2009) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (UK) (DVD)
• A-Film Distribution (2009) (Benelux) (all media)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (2009) (Greece) (all media)
• Eagle Pictures (2009) (Italy) (all media)
• FS Film Oy (2009) (Finland) (all media)
• Hopscotch Productions (2009) (Australia) (all media)
• Pyramide Distribution (2009) (France) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (Canada) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (Chile) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (Colombia) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (Mexico) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (South Africa) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Men From Mars

Other Companies

• ARRI Media  camera and grip equipment provided by
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Decca Records  soundtrack
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  international publicity
• Ealing Studios International  internation sales
• Fatts  post-production script services
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Panalux  film lighting

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief partial nudity, and smoking throughout.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK | Canada

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:12A | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | UK:12 (DVD rating) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:AL | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:PG | France:U | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

During the end credits all of the musicians who played in the orchestra featured on the soundtrack are introduced in voice-over simulating the introductions from the bandstand of a live performance, with each musician playing a brief sample.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: While in the nursery, John refers to something not scoring Larita any "brownie points." This phrase did not originate until the 1960s.

Quotes:

Mrs. Whittaker: You're smiling, Jim.
Mr. Whittaker: Oh God forbid. The wind might change.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Breakfast: (2009-12-07)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going

Witty & Wonderful

Easy Virtue is a very liberal adaptation of Noel Coward's play. Director Stephan Elliot (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) has tried to make the film more contemporary and very distinct from the Merchant-Ivory school of film.

The story is set in the roaring twenties where John (Ben Barnes) from an aristocratic English family marries Larita (Jessica Biel), an American race driver, after a whirlwind romance in France. However his mother Veronica (Kristin Scott Thomas) is none too pleased while John's father Jim (colin Firth) finds a soul mate in Larita. These relationships, including those with John's sisters, make for a very intriguing and entertaining hour and a half, The acting, as could be expected from such a cast is uniformly excellent with perhaps Jessica Biel standing out a little more.

One of Stephan Elliot's nice touches is an anachronistic use of such songs as Car Wash and Sex Bomb, done in a very twenties style. The addition of a hilarious "dog scene" is another nice touch. Fans of Noel Coward (and even Merchant-Ivory) won't be disappointed.