Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- theatrical
- romantic
- light weekend viewing
- period movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the cast and period design appealing but judged the screenplay and anachronistic jazz-inflected style uneven, with the wit falling short of Noël Coward's source.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
American racing driver Larita confronts the Whittaker family's rigid expectations and landed-gentry values.
Mrs. Whittaker and Larita compete for control over John, the household, and the family's future.
Jazz-age presentation and modernized musical numbers create a knowingly stylized, sometimes discordant interwar atmosphere.
The Whittaker estate is sinking financially while its residents preserve appearances through manipulation and marriage plans.
Films like Easy Virtue, and why
Gosford Park
shared period romantic comedy, class conflict, and sharply mannered family dynamics
Brideshead Revisited
shared witty period setting, romantic entanglements, and social-class satire
The Importance of Being Earnest
shared screwball energy, dysfunctional family conflict, and theatrical dialogue
A Room with a View
shared romantic comedy structure, British social manners, and strong female rivalry
Movie Details
- Director
- Stephan Elliott
- Release Date
- 2008-11-07
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (469)
Cast
- Jessica Biel
- Ben Barnes
- Kristin Scott Thomas
- Colin Firth
- Kimberley Nixon
- Katherine Parkinson
- Kris Marshall
- Jim McManus
- Michael Archer
- Charlotte Riley
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Easy Virtue about?
- An American racing widow upends a financially crumbling English manor when her marriage brings her into comic conflict with her formidable new mother-in-law.
- What is Easy Virtue like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Easy Virtue as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Easy Virtue violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Easy Virtue.
- What did critics think of Easy Virtue?
- Critics generally found the cast and period design appealing but judged the screenplay and anachronistic jazz-inflected style uneven, with the wit falling short of Noël Coward's source.
- Which films are like Easy Virtue?
- Films with a similar feel include Gosford Park, Brideshead Revisited, The Importance of Being Earnest, and A Room with a View.
- How long is Easy Virtue?
- Easy Virtue runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Easy Virtue?
- In United States, Easy Virtue streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
