Back to trending
The House of Mirth

The House of Mirth

Drama · Romance · 2000

In early 20th century New York City, an impoverished socialite desperately seeks a suitable husband as she gradually finds herself betrayed by her friends and exiled from high society.

Movie details

The House of Mirth

“When a woman has the beauty men admire and women envy... it is wise to tread carefully.”

2000 Drama · Romance 2h 20m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

In early 20th century New York City, an impoverished socialite desperately seeks a suitable husband as she gradually finds herself betrayed by her friends and exiled from high society.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The House of Mirth?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Not Easily Broken

Not Easily Broken

Drama · 2009

A car accident and shifting affections test the bond between a married couple.

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights

Drama · 1970

Young orphan Heathcliff is adopted by the wealthy Earnshaw family and moves into their estate, Wuthering Heights. Soon, the new resident falls for his compassionate foster sister, Cathy. The two share a remarkable bond that seems unbreakable until Cathy, feeling the pressure of social convention, suppresses her feelings and marries Edgar Linton, a man of means who befits her stature. Heathcliff vows to win her back.

Washington Square

Washington Square

Drama · 1997

In 1870s New York, spinster heiress Catherine Sloper is courted by the much younger, penniless Morris Townsend, much to the chagrin of her overprotective father. Catherine must decide whether to spend the rest of her life alone, or marry a man interested in her solely for her inheritence.

The Wings of the Dove

The Wings of the Dove

Drama · 1997

Kate is secretly betrothed to a struggling journalist, Merton Densher. But she knows her Aunt Maude will never approve of the match, since Kate's deceased mother has lost all her money in a marriage to a degenerate opium addict. When Kate meets a terminally ill American heiress named Millie traveling through Europe, she comes up with a conniving plan to have both love and wealth.

Rebel in the Rye

Rebel in the Rye

Drama · 2017

The life of celebrated but reclusive author J.D. Salinger, who gained worldwide fame with the publication of his novel The Catcher in the Rye.

A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate

A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate

Drama · 1923

When Marie St. Clair believes she has been jilted by her artist fiance Jean, she decides to leave for Paris on her own. After spending a year in the city as a mistress of the wealthy Pierre Revel, she is reunited with Jean by chance. This leaves her with the choice between a glamorous life in Paris, and the true love she left behind.

The Object of My Affection

The Object of My Affection

Drama · 1998

A pregnant New York social worker begins to develop romantic feelings for her gay best friend, and decides she'd rather raise her child with him, much to the dismay of her overbearing boyfriend.

The Sun Is Also a Star

The Sun Is Also a Star

Romance · 2019

Two young New Yorkers begin to fall in love over the course of a single day, as a series of potentially life-altering meetings loom over their heads - hers concerning her family’s deportation to Jamaica, and his concerning an education at Dartmouth.

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

Drama · 1996

After a bleak childhood, Jane Eyre goes out into the world to become a governess. As she lives happily in her new position at Thornfield Hall, she meets the dark, cold, and abrupt master of the house, Edward Rochester. Jane and her employer grow close in friendship and she soon finds herself falling in love with him. Happiness seems to have found Jane at last, but could Rochester's terrible secret be about to destroy it forever?

The Age of Innocence

The Age of Innocence

Drama · 1993

In 19th century New York high society, a young lawyer falls in love with a woman separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman's cousin.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Terence Davies

Written by

Terence Davies

Gillian Anderson

Gillian Anderson

Lily Bart

Dan Aykroyd

Dan Aykroyd

Augustus 'Gus' Trenor

Eleanor Bron

Eleanor Bron

Mrs. Julia Peniston, Lily's Aunt

Terry Kinney

Terry Kinney

George Dorset

Anthony LaPaglia

Anthony LaPaglia

Sim Rosedale

Laura Linney

Laura Linney

Bertha Dorset

Jodhi May

Jodhi May

Grace Julia Stepney

Court is in session

Put The House of Mirth on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.