TBT: The House of Mirth (2000)

I never did make a category just for “super beautiful but super depressing” movies (as I considered when reviewing The Portrait of a Lady), but if I had, The House of Mirth (2000) would be next on the list. Sure, the Edith Wharton novel wasn’t a light romp by any means, but somehow onscreen, the story lingers in an even more wistful and downbeat fashion.

And while the costumes by designer Monica Howe are gorgeous, I unfortunately couldn’t get enough high-quality screencaps to prove it. Suffice to say Gillian Anderson is stunningly attired as 1900s socialite-on-the-hunt Lily Bart. The very first scenes frame the main character in silhouette as she waits for a train. The big hat, the hourglass body, the trumpet skirt, she’s the very picture of high-society elegance.

At a friend’s country estate, Lily meets with Lawrence Selden (Eric Stoltz), a sometime suitor who’s not rich enough to marry her.

This daytime suit is so perfectly kitted out with trims and accessories — tastefully, not too extravagant, just fashionable restraint.

This image of Selden and Lily doesn’t show the accurate color of her suit — it’s definitely green in the version I watched.

The suit appears green on display as well:

One beautifully dramatic scene is when Lily goes to the opera with her friend’s husband, Gus Trenor, who has been giving her investment advice. Her bright red dress against a sea of black suits and white gowns announces to the world that she’s a fallen woman, even though she isn’t and won’t, even though that is Trenor’s intent. In this world, the appearance and rumor are enough to doom Lily.

Still, it’s a beautiful gown and the “look at me” red continues to her red feather fan. Everyone at the opera sees her sitting in the box with Trenor (Dan Aykroyd).

Also, her hair is perfect, right out of a Gibson Girl drawing.

It’s Selden who she’s best suited with, they both know it, but they can’t make it happen. Another dramatic dress for another dramatic scene.

You’re just going to have to watch the movie for this dress! It’s really amazing, but I couldn’t get screencaps, and the lighting of the scene didn’t help in that regard.

The rest of the movie is filled with societal machinations that eventually lead to Lily’s demise. The film’s also filled with a lot of those classic “Edwardian whites” — delicate blouses, pintucked within an inch of their lives and dripping with lace. Lily wears a series of these blouses:

Always lovely 1900s hair:

Along with the white blouses, she has full white outfits like this coat:

Plus this white gown covered in lace:

 

 

Have you watched The House of Mirth just for the costumes?

 

 

 

Find this frock flick at: