The Age of Innocence

directed by Martin Scorsese
Category: "Drama"
Year of Release:1993
Date Added:07/16/2025
Date Watched:07/16/2025
Description:It's 1870 (ish) in NYC and Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a member of the upper crust with its conceit and its strict standards. He's engaged to May (Winona Ryder), who puts on an air of naive innocence but is much wiser than she appears. May's cousin Ellen (Michelle Pfeiffer) has just arrived back in the city after fleeing, amid hints of scandal, a bad marriage to a European Count. Society shuns her, but Archer, as a soon-to-be member of the family, stands up for her and gets her accepted by the best families. In the process, he falls for her, and she for him, although it's not clear whether, on her part, it's just a desire to belong. To try to resist Ellen, Archer marries May. Still, he grabs every opportunity to see Ellen. She finally agrees to "come to him" (for a fling, I assume) one time and then leave. But May, who knows what's going on, tells Ellen she's pregnant, and Ellen scurries off to Europe to live on her own in Paris. Archer makes the best of his life and even learns to love May. Years later, after May dies, Archer's son reveals that May understood all along about Archer's feelings for Ellen and appreciated that he gave up what he really wanted for her. When Archer learns this, he feels closer than ever to May and gives up an opportunity to see Ellen.
My Rating:6

Reviews for The Age of Innocence

Review - Age of Innocence, The

Slow moving. Day-Lewis seemed pretty wooden in his role, and Pfeiffer didn't portray an irresistible woman, especially not compared to Ryder, who was the highlight of the movie. The whole upper-class pomp and conceit just seemed dull to me and makes me glad I'm decidedly middle-class.

Reviewed by Roger on 2025-07-16 12:10:12

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