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There, he presses May to shorten their engagement. May becomes suspicious and asks him if his hurry to get married is prompted by the fear that he is marrying ...
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Newland Archer couldn't be more pleased with his recent engagement to the beautiful debutante May Welland. However, his world is thrown upside down by the sensational arrival of May's cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska. Recently returned to America after separating from her husband, a philandering Polish count, Countess Olenska shocks the staid New York aristocracy with her revealing clothes, carefree manners, and rumors of adultery. Because the Countess's family, headed by the powerful Mrs. Manson Mingott, have chosen to reintroduce her into good society, Archer and May feel it necessary to befriend her. As Archer comes to better know the Countess, he begins to appreciate her unconventional views on New York society. Meanwhile, Archer becomes increasingly disillusioned with his new fianceé, May. He begins to see her as the manufactured product of her class: polite, innocent, and utterly devoid of personal opinion and sense of self. The Countess Olenska soon announces her intention of divorcing her husband. While Archer supports her desire for freedom, he feels compelled to act on behalf of the Mingott family and persuade Ellen to remain married. At a friend's cottage near Hudson, Archer realizes that he is in love with Ellen. He abruptly leaves the next day for Florida, where he is reunited with May and her parents, who are there on vacation. There, he presses May to shorten their engagement. May becomes suspicious and asks him if his hurry to get married is prompted by the fear that he is marrying the wrong person. Archer reassures May that he is in love with her. Back in New York, Archer calls on Ellen, and Archer admits that he is in love with her. Just then, a telegram arrives from May, announcing that her parents have pushed forward the wedding date. After their wedding and honeymoon in Europe, Archer and May settle down to married life in New York. Over time, Archer's memory of Ellen fades to a wistful image. But on vacation in Newport, he is reunited with her, and Ellen promises not to return to Europe as long as she and Newland do not act upon their love for each other. Back in New York, Archer learns that Count Olenski wants his wife to return to him and that Ellen has refused. After the stroke of her grandmother, Ellen returns to New York to care for her. She and Archer agree to consummate their affair. But suddenly, Ellen announces her intention to return to Europe. May throws a farewell party for Ellen, and after the guests leave, May announces to Archer that she is pregnant and that she told Ellen her news two weeks earlier. Twenty-five years pass. In that time, the Archers have had three children and May has died from pneumonia. Now Archer's son convinces him to travel to France. There, they arrange to visit the Countess Olenska at her Paris apartment. However, at the last minute Archer sends his son alone to visit her, content instead to live with his memories of the past.
Cast
Daniel Day-Lewis ... Newland Archer Michelle Pfeiffer ... Ellen Olenska Winona Ryder ... May Welland Alexis Smith ... Louisa van der Luyden Geraldine Chaplin ... Mrs. Welland Mary Beth Hurt ... Regina Beaufort Alec McCowen ... Sillerton Jackson Richard E. Grant ... Larry Lefferts Miriam Margolyes ... Mrs. Mingott Robert Sean Leonard ... Ted Archer Siân Phillips ... Mrs. Archer Jonathan Pryce ... Rivière Michael Gough ... Henry van der Luyden Joanne Woodward ... Narrator (voice) Stuart Wilson ... Julius Beaufort
Memorable quotes (with notes on difficult vocabulary)
Ellen Olenska: I think we should look at reality, not dreams. Newland Archer: I just want us to be together! Ellen Olenska: I can't be your wife, Newland! Is it your idea that I should live with you as your mistress? Newland Archer: I want... Somehow, I want to get away with you... and... and find a world where words like that don't exist! mistress = amante
Ellen: Newland. You couldn't be happy if it meant being cruel. If we act any other way I'll be making you act against what I love in you most. And I can't go back to that way of thinking. Don't you see? I can't love you unless I give you up. to give up = rinunciare
Newland: You gave me my first glimpse of a real life. Then you asked me to go on with the false one. No one can endure that. Ellen: I'm enduring it. glimpse = sguardo, occhiata; to endure = sopportare
Ellen Olenska: How can we be happy behind the backs of people who trust us? behind the backs = alle spalle di, all’insaputa di
Newland: We should travel everywhere. Louisa van der Luyden: But not Naples. Doctor Bencomb says there is a fever there. there is a fever = c’è un’epidemia
Ted Archer: Annie made me swear to do three things in Paris: get her the score of the latest Debussy songs, go to the Grand Guignol, and see Madam Olenska. score = spartito
Mrs. Mingott: I gave up arguing with young people 50 years ago. to argue = discutere
Sources http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/ageofinnocence/summary.html http://www.imdb.com/title/tt