The Age of Innocence (1993)
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The story
In the 1870s, New York City is dominated by a community of old-money families whose lives are guided by strict codes of conduct. Gentleman lawyer Newland Archer is planning a society marriage to May Welland. However, the arrival of May's cousin, the unconventional Countess Ellen Olenska, disrupts his plans. Ellen's presence and her scandalous reputation force Archer to navigate the rigid standards of his social circle while grappling with his growing attraction to her unconventional views, contrasting with the safe, predictable life offered by his fiancée.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1870s New York, Newland Archer is engaged to May Welland but becomes entangled in the life of her cousin, the scandalous Countess Ellen Olenska. Archer helps restore Ellen's social standing after she is ostracized for her unconventional behavior. As Archer falls for Ellen, he is forced by social pressure to intervene when she faces a scandalous divorce. He eventually marries May, but remains secretly in love with Ellen. They continue to meet in secret, and Ellen eventually leaves for Washington to avoid scandal. Years later, after May's death, Archer's son takes him to Paris to meet Ellen. They acknowledge their mutual love, but Archer chooses not to visit her, reflecting on the life he lived under the constraints of high society's rules.
- First release year
- 1993
- Runtime (minutes)
- 139
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Martin Scorsese
- Writers
- Jay Cocks · screenplay; Martin Scorsese · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Daniel Day-Lewis · Newland Archer; Michelle Pfeiffer · Ellen Olenska; Winona Ryder · May Welland; Miriam Margolyes · Mrs. Mingott; Geraldine Chaplin · Mrs. Welland; Michael Gough · Henry van der Luyden; Richard E. Grant · Larry Lefferts; Mary Beth Hurt · Regina Beaufort
- Genres
- historical romantic drama
- Themes
- social constraints; repressed longing; tradition vs. unconventionality
- Tone and mood
- elegant; wistful; restrained
- Setting
- New York City and various locations in the 1870s.
- Premise and plot tags
- period piece; romance; drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- Edith Wharton's 1920 novel
- Content notes
- infidelity
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim, with critics praising its elegant adaptation of the novel and the performances of the lead actors.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 88% · scale: percentage · review count: 65; Metacritic · score: 90 · scale: 100 · review count: 35
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Costume Design · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture · win; BAFTA Award · Best Actress in a Supporting Role · win
- Production trivia
- The film was shot on location in Troy, New York.; The film's title sequence was created by Elaine and Saul Bass.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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