User Reviews

This is based on a Noel Coward play, so you should know what to expect.

It is very nicely done - the locations look great (Isle of Man standing in for Kent), the cars and clothes are fabulous, and the casting is excellent. Stephen Fry plays a butler (again) with some Jeevesian touches, but is pretty low-key. Colin Firth plays against type in the role Coward so obviously designed for himself - and is funny (again, not something one expects from Firth). Jeanne Tripplehorn looks suitably glamorous as the Hollywood star, and Baldwin This does make a few digs at class and snobbery, but it is really a bit of fluffy comedy to pass a pleasant hour.

Most of the criticism has been because the gags of Noel Coward about class are not so funny now as they were then. But that is just to judge the film by the play. It's *mildly* funny - I dozed at the beginning but then woke up when I realised how enjoyable it was. The real gems are the superb performances all the way through and the way English and American life, mannerisms and etiquette of the 50's (when they were far more distinct) are portrayed so touchingly. Luxuriate in a nice comfy cinema seat (if they have them near you) and be pampered by it!

Relative Values was never given a Broadway production during the lifetime of Noel Coward. It only made it there in 1986 thirteen years after Noel died. But in the original British production the star was the formidable Gladys Cooper. She's in the role of Duchess of Marchwood so Julie Andrews had some big shoes to fill.

I'll have to say that Andrews did it good style and a British production of even a second line Noel Coward work is better than a lot that is around. What I found interesting that with his various trips across the pond Coward felt comfortable enough to put some American characters in his work.

Andrews is the mother of Edward Atterton who is a well known jet setting playboy who always comes home to mother especially when things go spectacularly bad or good. Depending on your point of view he arrives home with American movie star Jeanne Tripplehorn in tow who is on the rebound from a breakup. They're going to be married, a fact that does not please mother.

Neither does it please William Baldwin who is an action film star of the era, late Forties when the play was written. He's who Tripplehorn is on the rebound from and he wants her back. He knows full well that Tripplehorn would be bored to tears as the lady of the manor in training in the quiet English countryside.

Add to all of that Sophia Thompson is personal maid to Andrews and she's Tripplehorn's long lost sister. It all comes to a head when Tripplehorn starts spouting off the invented studio biography where Thompson who has a fake status of her own for the occasion just explodes and these two have a cat fight to beat all.

Observing all this are butler Stephen Fry and cousin Colin Firth who seems to be a permanent house guest. They get the lion's share of the Coward wit in the dialog. This is Coward who was the pet of the English society. But Coward's third voice in the film is that of Thompson. Coward came from some pretty humble background and she also might very well be modeled on Coward's good friend from adolescence Gertrude Lawrence who also came from most modest means.

Relative Values was a pleasure to see because other than his really acclaimed work like Blithe Spirit or Private Lives, too little of Coward is played today. We could certainly use some of his wit now. I often wonder what Coward would have made of some of the events of the last forty years.

This was a pretty darn good movie, and I always enjoy seeing Julie Andrews do comedy. But for me, the highlight of the movie was the dinner scene, with "Moxy" (Sophie Thompson) furiously biting her tongue while her clueless real-life sister (Jeanne Trippelhorn) concocts falsely slanderous stories about their mother, painting her as a bawdy alcoholic. Moxy's outraged cry of "Jugs of Beer!?" after Miranda/Freda leaves is priceless, as is her dressing down of Freda near the end of the film.

I liked this film, too, because it didn't sink too far into the "Silly Ass/Bright Young Thing" mode that most of Coward's works tend to. Rent it if you can. It's worth catching.

Near the end of this picture one of the characters says 'Well, nothing much has happened' and they were very right. This is a lightweight confection, mildly amusing at most and probably best suited to a female audience over 60.

It is certainly not from one of Coward's best plays and seems to hold back just when some broad farce (which it badly needed) was about to begin. The class theme and story seems terribly dated now as does the horror of an aristocratic family marrying an American (or so we are led to believe) but I suppose we have to remember this was written only a decade and a half after the King had to abdicate to marry an American.

Stephen Fry gives good value as the butler and Colin Firth is cast rather against type as a bitchy queen and has the best scene in the film with Baldwin, aping scenes from Casablanca.

Julie Andrews plays Julie Andrews as ever, so no change there then.

I'll be generous and give it 6/10.

This probably isn't one of Noël Coward's better plays for me, but Eric Styles has managed to assemble a solid cast to make this adaptation just about watchable. Edward Atterton (Lord Marshwood) has fallen for Hollywood star "Miranda" (Jeanne Tripplehorn) who is, in turn, on the rebound from a relationship with her on-screen partner "Lucas" (William Baldwin). After their whirlwind romance on the Côte d'Azur they plan to return to his stately pile where his dowager countess mother "Felicity" (Dame Julie Andrews) is waiting to greet them. Now this woman is rather shrewd and egged on by her mischievous nephew "Peter" (Colin Firth) decides to let matters take their course... That plan is rather spiked by a surprise announcement from her long-term confidante "Moxie" (Sophie Thompson) that, coupled with the pursuing "Lucas", creates the template for quite an engaging, if one-dimensional, theatrical farce. Nobody is really challenged here, the plot delivers competent efforts from both cast and screenplay along lines that don't really provide much humour or originality, and that concludes very much as you might expect. It's well photographed (though not very well edited) and Dame Julie brings that certain star quality that we seldom see nowadays. I would probably have left this to the stage where i expect it would have worked better - on the silver screen it falls a bit flat.

My first thought when I first watched this movie was of how similar it was to the writing styles of P.G. Wodehouse and the famous English playwright Oscar Wilde. The storyline starts off deceptively simply and slowly builds in complexity until a frenetic climax explodes all over the viewer. It is virtually impossible to try and explain the plot to someone because it simply has too many twists and turns.

This movie is an unusual one for Ms. Tripplehorne in that she plays a glamorous Grace Kelly/Marilyn Monroe-esque movie star instead of her usual supporting actress role. I thought it was a lovely change and she did a stunning job capturing the mannerisms and acting style of the era. The little movie clip of her and "Don Lucas" in the preposterously titled 'A Kiss in the Dark' was so (very bad) Casablanca that I just had to laugh.

The story progressed beautifully with little touches of absurdity in just the right places, such as the poor unfortunate maid walking (read 'running') the dogs across the manor grounds. And because good comedy comes in threes, we see her three times throughout the movie.

But for me, the real winner in this movie is Colin Firth's role as Peter, the ubiquitous nephew-in-residence. His lines are delivered beautifully, but it is his facial expressions, and soft, unspoken mimicry of Miranda Frayle that really clinch it. His smart-aleck remarks are tempered with just enough Britishness to keep them from being outright obnoxious. It's lovely to see him in a role that must have been so much fun.

On the whole, I thought the movie was marvelous. It's full of deliciously sketched characters, masterfully crafted dialogue, very effective camera work, beautiful costumes and props, and of course, ridiculous coincidences that serve to drive the plot towards its inevitable conclusion. A great movie to enjoy yourself and also to recommend to your mother or anyone else with discriminating taste.

Noel Coward was probably Britain's most successful dramatist during the late twenties and thirties, and became immensely popular during the war, when his patriotic songs, plays and film scripts helped to keep up national morale. In the fifties, however, his popularity waned; his type of drawing-room comedies seemed increasingly dated, artificial and mannered. Along with Terence Rattigan and N.C. Hunter he came to represent the sort of middle-class theatre that John Osborne and the other Angry Young Men were reacting against.

"Relative Values", written in the early fifties, is a typical Coward comedy of manners and social class. A young aristocrat, Nigel Earl of Marshwood, announces his engagement to a glamorous film star named Miranda Frayle. Nigel's imperious mother, the dowager Countess, is vehemently opposed to the marriage; in her eyes it is simply not the done thing for aristocrats to marry members of the acting profession, particularly if they come from humble social origins. Contrary to what has been stated elsewhere, however, she is not prejudiced against Miranda because she is American. Although Miranda sounds American, she is actually British by birth. In any case, it had long been acceptable for young American women, if wealthy and from good families, to marry into the British aristocracy. Winston Churchill, for example, was born in the 1870s to an American mother, Jennie Jerome, and the Churchills are an even grander family than the one shown in this film.

Two further complications arise. First, it turns out that Miranda is actually the long-lost sister of the Countess's maid, Moxie. Second, Miranda has been followed to England by her former boyfriend, Don Lucas (another film star), who still has hopes of rekindling their relationship. Lucas represents what was during this period a fairly common stereotype of Americans in Britain, especially in the upper-class circles among which Coward moved. He is a rough diamond, outwardly vulgar and lacking in social graces, but inwardly fairly decent and good-hearted.

He is, in fact, one of the few decent people in the play. The Countess, for all her gracious manners and social polish, is a crashing snob. Nigel is spoilt and selfish, and Miranda is little better. Whereas Nigel and his mother are straightforward snobs, Miranda is an inverted one, who claims to have had a deprived, poverty-stricken childhood in the East End of London, much to Moxie's disgust as the family are actually from the respectably middle-class dormitory town of Sidcup. At this period, in fact, it was quite common for film stars not only to take a false name (Miranda's real name is Freda Birch) but also to invent a false life-story for themselves; Merle Oberon, for example, was actually born in Calcutta of Anglo-Indian descent but claimed all her life to be a native of Tasmania.

Stephen Fry gives a nicely judged performance as the Earl's butler; he speaks to his employer and the house guests with great formality and gravitas in an inch-perfect upper-class accent, but when speaking to his fellow servants reverts to his native Estuary English. ("Estuary English" is the name given to the dialect of Kent, where the film is set, and Essex, the counties immediately to the east of London). Julie Andrews is also good as the supercilious Countess, but not all the other actors are as alert to the niceties of the British class system, which is unfortunate as it is these niceties which are Coward's major preoccupation in this play. Neither Jeanne Tripplehorn as Miranda nor Sophie Thompson as Moxie, for example, seems credible as a native of Sidcup. Miranda sounds far too American, with no hint of her English origins, even though British-born Hollywood stars of this period, such as Audrey Hepburn, Deborah Kerr and Joan Collins normally kept their native accents. Moxie either speaks in an exaggerated faux-genteel voice or else sounds exactly like the working-class Cockney that she indignantly denies being.

When I have seen Tripplehorn in the past, I have always been surprised that such a glamorous actress should have spent so much of her career playing supporting roles in, for example, "Basic Instinct" or "Sliding Doors". Here, however, she gets to play a leading role, and I cannot really say that she makes the most of it. I was rather surprised to see Colin Firth, one of Britain's major stars, here playing a minor role as Nigel's cousin.

The film has a rather dated feel to it; this is the only one of Coward's plays to have been made into an English-language feature film since the sixties. Even when it was written, this play represented an old-fashioned, conservative kind of theatre, and it was a rather odd choice to make it into a film some fifty years later. Like a lot of Coward's work it resists being updated to a later age, so the film-makers had no choice but to make it as a fifties period piece. The final result, however, is little more than an examination of outdated social conventions that no-one really cares about any more. 5/10

What can I say?

I loved this movie. It is a classic comedy of manners. Written by bitch extrodinaire Noel Coward, the movie sparkles with wit and one-liners. Colin Firth plays the resident bitch (very much a Noel Coward type characture). Julie Andrews is in fine form as the matriarch fearing her son is going to marry beneath the family by marrying Hollywood starlet Jeeane Tripplehorn, who looks gorgeous in this film.

Mad servants and stuck-up butlers abound, this movie is a real find.

And final praise must go to the person who steals this movie from under the very esteemed company, and that is Sophie Thompson as ladies maid Moxie. The dinner scenes where she is getting drunker, and drunker is the funniest parts of a very funny movie.

To be recommended.

This has to be one of the very worst films I've seen. Admittedly, getting free on the front of a magazine didn't bode well, but this was beyond all expectation, it was truly awful.

Not in the least bit funny, just plain boring, my family and I endured this travesty of a film in the hope that it might get a bit better. Even the high profile cast (Julie Andrews, Colin Firth and Stephen Fry) failed to redeem.

Most of the film time was spent discussing with my Dad the fact that it was filmed near my cousin's house, a conversation a whole lot more enthralling than the dragged out dialogue dirtying my television set.

This truly is an awful film.

This film, based on a Noel Coward play, stars Julie Andrews, as Lady Felicity Marshwood, who is upset to learn that her son, Lord Nigel (Edward Atterton) is engaged to be married to Hollywood film star Miranda Frayle (Jeanne Tripplehorn). However, the situation soon becomes even more complicated when Nigel plans to bring Miranda to meet his aristocratic family, only for the family's maid Moxie (Sophie Thompson), to announce that Miranda is in fact her sister! Throw in Miranda's co-star and former lover Don Lucas (William Baldwin) who is coming to England to try and stop the marriage, and Colin Firth and Stephen Fry as respectively Nigel's cousin Peter, and the family butler Crestwell, and the stage is set for a fine comedy!

I loved this film – it did remind me somewhat of another Noel Coward adaptation – Easy Virtue, which like Relative Values, also starred Colin Firth, and which also featured the son of an upper-crust English family bringing his vivacious American girlfriend to meet his relatives, but the films play out quite differently (I loved easy Virtue too).

All the cast were excellent – in particular, Thompson, Andrews and Firth. Stephen Fry was playing a role which could have been written for him, and although he is one of the supporting rather than main cast members, he certainly makes the most of his screen time. Baldwin is also very funny as the often drunk Lucas, who throws a spanner in the works of Miranda's plan to transform herself from a starlet to a Lady of the Manor. And Moxie, who is transformed from a maid, into a wealthy family friend (so that Miranda won't recognise her) is the centre of one of the funniest scenes, when Moxie gets drunk to try and overcome her fear at meeting her sister who she hasn't seen for some 20 years. Colin Firth is just adorable as Peter – it could have been a nothing role in the wrong actor's hands, but Firth is perfect.

The plot itself is rather daft – why didn't they just tell Miranda that her sister was working for the family, rather than try and cover up the fact (and surely Miranda would have recognised her own sister!), but I think that it's just something that you need to go with, accept, and enjoy. Overall, this was a very funny and hugely delightful film. At just under one and a half hours, it never gets boring, the cast is top-notch, and I would certainly recommend it.

This is great fun and a reminder of when actors and actresses just weren't welcome in polite society (and why). Just watching Colin Firth's face is delicious, he is subtle, funny and brilliant! The star-struck maid alone is worth the price of admission; and Stephen Frye is a perfect butler to Julie's elegant, polished master of each successive situation. Sophie Thompson steals the dinner scene and just about every other one she is in. This is a fabulous, literate comedy of manners with everyone spot-on with their characters. Every time I watch it I find something clever, witty and subtle that I missed the previous time. Just sit back and have fun watching all the stereotypes get skewered.

For anyone who enjoys British class distinctions and the upstairs-downstairs culture of life among the manor born, this stylish tale of a Hollywood actress who is preparing to marry into a quirky aristocratic family is sumptuously designed and a great deal of fun. Julie Andrews shines, as does Jeanne Triplehorn and Stephen Fry as the butler who is impeccably correct amid the chaos which ensues when things inevitably begin to go awry. It is a farce that absolutely works. The 1950s era is captured with elegant attention to detail and the characters, for all their foibles, are likable and thoroughly engaging. Great entertainment for anyone who is lucky enough to happen upon it!

This film, though a remake, is worth watching. It's set in England in the 1950ies where an English lord takes his bride, a famous American actress home to mother Lady Marshwood (great Julie Andrews). The trouble starts when it's discovered, that the maid of the Lady is the sister of the actress and she discovers that the American actress is lying. There's even more trouble when the ex-lover of the actress flies to England to win her back. Sounds confusing? Not at all. It is great fun to watch Julie Andrews and Colin Firth (as her posh nephew) plotting together but always having a smile on their face and pretending that everything is good the way it is. If you liked "The Importance of Being Earnest", this is a film you will very much enjoy. And for all others who want to know where the difference between English and American people is, here you can definitely find it.

I enjoyed this film very much. Lovely cast (the British actors are marvellous, the Americans less so), great costumes (charming 50s flair), good plot. Reminded me a bit of Oscar Wilde... I just loved Colin Firth as Peter Ingleton - he plays the obnoxious nephew in residence just so well. I love his performance - he's funny, charming and delightful. Light and fluffy - quite an entertaining little comedy for a Sunday afternoon. Be warned: It's very British!

loved this film! superb cast. extraordinary acting. charming noel coward. the period, costumes, writing, charm, wit - all very clever. Steven fry, Sofie thompson, julie andrews, ted atterton, william baldwin, jeanne tripplehorn, Colin firth - all top flight. i wish more films like this were made. Hollywood need to have more faith in these types. loved seeing the clash of cultures. atterton vs. william baldwin with tripplehorn in the middle - makes for some lovely hi-jinx. found it to be a bit daring to take on an obscure coward piece in the first place. joy that they had the courage to do so. Steven fry is superb as always. i would recommend this to all. it was fab! i give it a 9.999!

Brilliant acting from a superb cast. Dialogues are great and subtle. Stephen Fry is a marvelous butler. Fans of "Mad Max 12" and "Lethal Weapon 123" pass your way ; it is not for you.... For the rest of the world, it is a good movie with a charming - though predictable sometimes - opposition between British and American values -and way of life...

Absolutely and utterly delightful in every way. A triumph!!!!! The story is a bubbling confection of the highest order and the cast is sheer perfection. Colin Firth, one of my favorites was never better. Julie Andrews as always was wonderful. But the cast was uniformly good, a perfect ensemble acting tour de force. My only quibble was Julie Andrews' atrocious costumes - good grief were they AWFUL - wrong colors, wrong cuts, wrong everything. At least finally in the last scene her outfit was attractive, but all through the film I groaned every time Andrews entered the scene with another positively awful costume. Geez! In a major production such as this you would think they would have a designer who understood color and line. But everything else in the film was great. In fact, Jeanne Tripplehorn appears at the end in one of the most beautiful outfits I have ever seen in film - a bright yellow pantsuit that is sublime. She looked fantastic throughout the film. William Baldwin truly looked like the most popular movie star in the world, the character he played. And with Tripplehorn they were a smashing pair. Romance everywhere!