`The Importance of Being Earnest` Movie v.s. the book

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is a comedic play that makes comments about social positions and the escape of position during Victorian England (Oscar Wilde . Wilde wrote this play in 1894 (Bird A , 161 . His career had already been established and was considered a great success . The production of The Importance of Being Earnest at the St . James Theater was perhaps the climax of his career . It was during this production that Oscar Wilde 's homosexuality was made public and despite the plays initial success it closed after 83 performances

(Ellman , R . Three films have been made of the Importance of Being earnest one in 1952 directed by Anthony Asquith , the second in 1992 directed by Kurt Baker , and the most recent in 2002 directed by Oliver Parker . It is the most recent production that will be focused on in this compared to the written text of Wilde 's play

Unlike many adaptations to the movie form almost all of Wilde 's dialogue is present in the movie . This is most likely due to the fact that the play is only 54 pages long and movies normally run from between 90 to 120 minutes . The largest difference between the text and movie is actually the direction or movements of the actors . There is very little stage direction in the play . Wilde only really describes stage direction in two spots of the play , the characters entrances and exits and then during the very last scene when Aunt Augusta s Miss . Prism to explain what happened to the baby and Jack 's discovery of his name expressing emotion as well as movement (Gillespie , M , 54-59

So much of the staging and direction is up to the director and I am sure every movie and stage production has quite different movements

An additional large difference is the passage of time . The play takes place over the course of three days , each act representing a play . The first act introduces us to all of the characters but Cecily , Miss Prism and Dr . Chausable . Jack proposes to Gwendolyn and is refused by her mother Lady Bracknell (or Aunt Augusta . Algernon explains bunbryist how he has invented an invalid friend in to avoid society and go to the country just as Jack has invented his younger brother Earnest , in to come into town (Wilde , O , 5-24 . Act two begins in the country with the introduction of Cecily , Miss . Prism and Dr . Chausable Algernon arrives and claims to be Earnest , falling in love with Cecily Jack comes home and Gwendolyn runs away from home to be with Jack (whom she believes is named Earnest . Nevertheless hilarity and misunderstanding ensues . The act ends with the two men 's identities being revealed and the ladies upset (Wilde , O , 24-46 . The third act takes us to the end where every one is able to live happily ever after Jack 's identity and parentage is discovered , Algernon and Cecily are able to marry , and Jack...