Edith Wharton Movies

Robert Allan Ackerman's Passion's Way stars Sela Ward and Timothy Dalton as former lovers who are reunited under less than ideal circumstances. When they find each other again, he is deeply involved with one of her employees. The two women engage in a series of psychological battles in order to defeat each other in this battle of the heart. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

In Martin Scorsese's adaptation of Edith Wharton's 1920 novel, romance between an upper-class gentleman and an ostracized lady is doomed by 19th century New York society. Shortly after his engagement to blandly genteel May Welland (Winona Ryder), Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) is reacquainted with May's scandalous cousin Ellen Olenska (Michelle Pfeiffer). As the head of an esteemed family, Archer initially uses his standing to try to rehabilitate Ellen's reputation, but he finds himself increasingly drawn to her disregard for the codes of New York manners. Bound by ingrained society mores and his peers' insinuations, Newland tries to dodge his growing passion by rushing his marriage to May, but he cannot keep himself from confessing his love to Ellen. Recognizing that Newland could never abandon his sense of honor and be happy, Ellen pushes Newland to May and leaves town. The marriage proceeds as dictated, but when Newland unexpectedly sees Ellen again, he yearns for the affair to come to fruition. However, he underestimates not only what May knows but also her ability to uphold the rules of propriety. Sumptuously shot by Michael Ballhaus, the film offers meticulously designed costumes and settings that evoke a culture as seductively beautiful in its surfaces as it is stifling in its rituals. Unspoken emotions are expressed through such details as yellow roses or a clipped cigar, a fade to red or a single camera move. Using Wharton's original prose to comment on the setting's hypocrisies, Joanne Woodward's voiceover narration suggests how much decisive power is buried beneath dainty femininity. The Age of Innocence received five Oscar nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for Ryder and Best Screenplay for Scorsese and Jay Cocks, and a win for Best Costumes. Although The Age of Innocence seemed like a departure from Scorsese's prior work, Newland is as much at the mercy of his circle's Byzantine structure (and his own conscience) as are Scorsese's more familiar mobsters; Newland's persecutors just wear white tie and tails. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Ben Kingsley stars in this solid adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel (filmed previously in 1929 as The Marriage Playground). Kingsley plays Martin Boyne, an engineer in 1920s Europe who, after five years of correspondence, is planning to travel overseas to marry the recently widowed Rose Sellars (Kim Novak). On his way to marry Rose, he stops off in Venice to visit his old friend Cliffe Wheater (Joe Don Baker), who with his wife Joyce (Geraldine Chaplin) has a large group of children. Rose then contacts Martin, telling him that due to complications arising from her husband's will, he should wait another year before marrying her. Meanwhile, Cliffe and Joyce's fifteen-year-old daughter Judith (Siri Neal) arrives at Rose's door with the younger children. Because of marital problems, the children convince Martin to become their guardian. But Martin, spending too much time around Judith, ends up falling in love with her. Tongues begin to wag and Rose, crestfallen, leaves for France. Martin and Rose split up and Martin disappears in shame, trying to get control of his life and all that he has lost. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

When Zoë Akins' play The Old Maid (based on a novel by Edith Wharton) won the 1934-1935 Pulitzer Prize, the selection was roundly condemned by critics, who felt that Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour was more deserving, but had lost because of its lesbian theme. Certainly, Akins' story of the relationship between two Southern cousins in the years between 1833 and 1854 is nothing spectacular. Delia Lovell marries James Ralston, leaving her old beau Clem Spender out in the cold. Delia's cousin Charlotte comforts Clem by spending the night with him. Charlotte becomes pregnant, secretly farming out her daughter, Tina, to another family. The years pass; Charlotte sets up a day nursery so that she may remain close to her daughter (still in the dark as to the true identity of her mother). Meanwhile, Charlotte has become engaged to Ralston's brother Joseph. The troublesome Delia, who discovers her cousin's secret, contrives to prevent Charlotte from marrying Joseph, then arranges to have Charlotte raise Tina as her niece rather than her daughter. More years pass; Tina regards Delia as her mama and Charlotte as just an "old maid." At Tina's wedding, Charlotte almost reveals the truth to her daughter, but.....It's all slick romance-magazine stuff, and hardly worthy of the Pulitzer. On the other hand, the film version of The Old Maid, starring Bette Davis as Charlotte and Miriam Hopkins as Delia, is a classic of its kind, and one of Davis' best vehicles. The story is given additional substance by moving the early scenes up to the time of the Civil War, making Clem Spender (George Brent) less of a cad by killing him off at Vicksburg, thus rendering it impossible for Clem to make an honest woman of Charlotte. From the vantage point of the 1990s, when film stars find it difficult to turn out more than one picture a year, it is incredible that The Old Maid was but one of four first-rate Bette Davis films to be released in 1939; the others were Dark Victory, Juarez, and The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

At his 1875 engagement party, Newland Archer (John Boles) is surprised to meet his childhood friend Ellen (Irene Dunne), now Countess Olenska; she's the cousin of his fiancee May (Julie Haydon). The strait-laced society of the time regards her as somewhat scandalous, but she's treated well by Newland and his family, so it's he whom she consults regarding a divorce. Although he talks her out of it at first, he reconsiders when he sees she's being pursued by philanderer Julius Beaufort (Lionel Atwill), but Ellen now realizes divorce would upset her family, especially her beloved grandmother (Helen Westley). Newland himself is strongly attracted to Ellen, and considers breaking his engagement to May, but he hasn't reckoned with the powerful rules of his society. The story is told by Newland to his grandson in flashback. ~ Bill Warren, All Movie Guide

After Hollywood was rocked by several scandals, the specter of censorship reared its ugly head. To keep local community leaders from doing the censoring, the film industry opted to do the editing itself. Perhaps that's why pictures such as this Allan Dwan-directed society drama based on a novel by Edith Wharton seem a bit bloodless. Although Susan Branch (Bebe Daniels) has lost her money, she still manages to live off her society friends. While staying with Fred and Ursula Gillow (Maurice Costello and Nita Naldi), she falls in love with penniless writer Nick Lansing (David Powell). In spite of his financial situation, Susan and Lansing marry, and live for the next year on money given to them by friends, staying in lavish villas in Paris, Venice, and Monte Carlo. But when the money runs out, so does their happiness. After an argument, they separate, even consulting a lawyer about divorce; but when the lawyer sees that they still love each other, he convinces them to stay together. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide