Easy Virtue



"Veronica: Smile, Marion.

Marion: I don't feel like smiling.

Jim: You're English, dear. Fake it."

Not long after World War One, the Whittaker family awaits the return of their only son John from the continent. To their dismay, he brings a bride; a glamourous American racecar driver. The bride, Larita, thinks she and John will visit and then move to London, where he'll work and she'll race. But John is the heir to the estate, and his mother, Veronica, is nothing if not a master manipulator. Soon it's all-out war between mother and bride. John's father, Colonel Jim Whittaker, finds himself in the bride's corner, along with the family servants; John's sisters, Hilda and Marion, side firmly with their mother, while their neighbours, the wealthy Hurst family, look on.

Easy Virtue was originally a play by Noel Coward, but has been adapted twice; first as a silent film in 1928, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and again in 2008, directed by Stephan Elliot. The 2008 version is the best known, and starred Jessica Biel, Ben Barnes, Colin Firth, and Kristin Scott Thomas.

The 2008 film contains examples of:
"John: Poor old Marion. Edgar drops by for a cup of sugar, and Mother has his name engraved on the family crypt."
 * All Love Is Unrequited: Hilda for Phillip. Phillip for Larita. Marion for Edgar, but only because her mother wants it.

"Larita: Welcome to the petrified circus. Meet the resident contortionist who can't bend any further."
 * Alcoholic Parent: Jim is rarely seen without a scotch in his hand.
 * Arranged Marriage: Sarah and John were supposed to marry, but John ran away and married Larita; she's a little annoyed, but not particularly torn up, and becomes friends with Larita. Marion is supposed to marry Edgar, who fled as soon as he could, and Veronica wants Hilda to marry Phillip, but he doesn't take the arrangement very seriously.
 * Betty and Veronica: To the audience, Larita is the Betty and Sarah Hurst is the Veronica; to the other characters, Sarah is the Betty and Larita is the Veronica. Subverted as, rather than competing, they actually form a very good friendship, and Sarah becomes one of Larita's closest allies and staunchest defenders within the house. There's also a straight version, with John (Betty) and Phillip Hurst (Veronica) towards Larita. She married John before the story started, but it doesn't stop Phillip from trying.
 * Beneath the Mask: Every single character has put up a facade, with the possible exception of Phillip Hurst.
 * Big Screwed-Up Family
 * Bilingual Bonus: Larita and Jim are both fluent in French.
 * Bratty Teenage Daughter: Hilda and Marion break into histrionics at the drop of a hat.
 * Break the Cutie: Attempted by Veronica on Larita, with mixed success; Larita is just as stubborn as she is, but her efforts do take their toll.

"Larita: You threw me to the wolves in there.
 * Broken Bird:
 * Calling the Old Man Out: Subverted;
 * Conflicting Loyalty: John is torn between his family and his wife.

John: Come now, Marion hardly constitutes wolves.

Larita: Alright, you threw me to the voles. Either way you abandoned me."


 * Cool Big Sis: Larita tries to take on this role for Hilda, but accidentally causes her public humiliation.
 * Crowning Moment of Awesome: When Larita joins in the fox hunt.
 * Dance of Romance: The tango at the Christmas party.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Several, but most notably Jim, Furber, and Larita herself.
 * Despair Event Horizon: crosses this when  and ends up hiding away, crying and incoherent.

"Sarah: You took the opportunity and married for love, and I respect you for it. If we'd've married, it would have been for friendship and convenience. We know each other far too well."
 * Did Not Do the Research: Fatty Arbuckle was never jailed...
 * Evil Matriarch: Larita thinks Veronica is this, but it turns out this is just what happens when you get on the wrong side of a Mama Bear.
 * Genteel Interbellum Setting: A throwaway comment from Jim places the film in 1928, but a different one from Marion implies that it's 1922, so it's hard to say.
 * Girl Next Door: Sarah Hurst, though somewhat subverted in that while she has affection for John, their marriage was arranged, and she's not particularly heartbroken when he marries Larita.
 * Girl Next Door: Sarah Hurst, though somewhat subverted in that while she has affection for John, their marriage was arranged, and she's not particularly heartbroken when he marries Larita.

"Sarah: (about Veronica) She's a lot like drowning. Quite pleasant, once you stop struggling."
 * Grey and Gray Morality: No one is bad or good, despite how they may appear at first.
 * Hair of Gold: This is how Larita used to be; these days, she's very jaded.
 * Iron Lady: Veronica, again.
 * Kick the Dog: The rare comedic version; Larita accidentally kills the family's chihuahua.
 * Mama Bear: Veronica seems like a total bitch, but everything she does is actually in the best interests of her children and the estate.
 * Manipulative Bastard: Veronica, yet again, but she has her family's best interests in mind.

"Veronica: It is true you've had as many lovers as they say?
 * My Beloved Smother: Veronica really wants John to divorce Larita and marry Sarah Hurst.
 * Old Maid: Larita. She and John like to tease eachother about the age difference; he jokingly refers to her as "grandma."
 * Pretty in Mink: When Larita first arrived at the Whitaker house, she's wearing an ermine jacket. Later she dons a grey rabbit stole and muff. Veronica wears a mink stole in some scenes.
 * Really Gets Around: Larita is accused of this, and it's implied there may be some truth to it--

Larita: Of course it's not true, Mrs Whittaker. Hardly any of them actually loved me."

"Larita: Have you been drinking, Furber?
 * Running Gag: Larita's hayfever; Marion finding likenesses of Edgar.
 * Servile Snarker: Oh, Furber.

Furber: Yes, madam. Prodigiously."

"Jim:"
 * She Cleans Up Nicely: Larita is already gorgeous, but when she does herself up for the party, she's spectacular. Sarah, similarly.
 * Shell-Shocked Veteran: Jim went a little bit mad after the war, and "caroused around France and Italy" before pulling himself together and wandering home.

"Veronica: And you can get that ghastly painting out of my house. We do not need any more reminders of your easy virtue!"
 * The Snark Knight: Jim, in grand style.
 * Stepford Smiler:
 * Stiff Upper Lip: Jim and Veronica in particular, but displayed (and lampshaded) by several characters.
 * The Stoic: Several characters adopt a stoic facade, for various reasons; Jim is perhaps the most notable.
 * Title Drop:


 * Unkempt Beauty: Colin Firth's character, which comes as quite a shock considering his previous roles. Not that anyone's complaining ...
 * Upper Class Wit: Phillip Hurst is well-dressed and charming, but totally foppish (and managed to injure himself by failing to get out of the way of a cow he tipped.) Jim Whittaker sits around drinking scotch and being sarcastic.
 * Upperclass Twit: Played straight with Hilda, who is an utter ditz; subverted with Marion,
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Phillip of all people delivers one to


 * There's another one delivered by Larita to Veronica.
 * The White Prince: He's not a prince, just an heir, but otherwise John fits this very well--he's sweet and charming, but very naive.