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September 3, 2004

At the Movies: Social striving tale skimps on satire

By ANTHONY BREZNICAN
AP Entertainment Writer

Adapting centuries-old literature into a modern Hollywood movie is always a dicey enterprise, if for no other reason than a dense 19th-century novel is likely to include much more of the necessary detail and historical context for a 21st-century reader to relate to the characters and their motivations.

VANITY FAIR

Director: Mira Nair

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Bob Hoskins, Eileen Atkins, Romola Garai, Jim Broadbent, Gabriel Byrne

Rating: PG-13, for some sexual conversation, an old woman's bare backside and brief war imagery

Running time: 140 minutes

Those getting their primary introduction to William Makepeace Thackeray's "Vanity Fair" from the new film starring Reese Witherspoon will find themselves frequently adrift as director Mira Nair sprints through the epic-sized story.


 
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