Compare and contrast the film adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest with the play.

The Miramax Films movie adaptation of The Importance of Being Ernest, directed by Oliver Parker, follows Oscar Wilde's original script quite well. Most of Wilde's hilarious dialogue is preserved word for word in the movie. The characterization of the rakish Algernon, the ostensibly more respectable Jack, the fearsome Aunt Augusta, and the naive Cecily is delivered brilliantly by Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Judi Dench, and Reese Witherspoon, respectively. One can hardly imagine the characters...

The Miramax Films movie adaptation of The Importance of Being Ernest, directed by Oliver Parker, follows Oscar Wilde's original script quite well. Most of Wilde's hilarious dialogue is preserved word for word in the movie. The characterization of the rakish Algernon, the ostensibly more respectable Jack, the fearsome Aunt Augusta, and the naive Cecily is delivered brilliantly by Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Judi Dench, and Reese Witherspoon, respectively. One can hardly imagine the characters being brought to life more skillfully. The movie starts and ends basically the same way, and the action proceeds without much modification.

The movie version takes advantage of its medium when it can, however, to add a little more to the play than a stage production allows. Thus there are more and briefer scene changes, with readers being treated to a big party scene in London at the beginning of the play where Algy reveals he has Jack's cigarette case, a hot air balloon ride, a tattoo parlor, Gwendolyn's painful car trip, and Dr. Chasuble's inner sanctum. The added subplot of Gwendolyn's tattoo, which is followed up in the closing credits with Jack's corresponding ceremony, provides extra humor. Several cutaway scenes depicting Cecily's romantic fantasies create a visual feast and more hilarity. Greater suspense is added by Miss Prism's flight through the cemetery and hazy memory-like scenes of baby Jack in the capacious handbag. 

The ending of the movie varies slightly from the play. In the play, Jack is the older brother, but in the movie, Algy is older. Aunt Augusta confirms at the end of the movie that Jack's name is indeed John, but she declines to divulge her findings. In the play, it is clear that Jack's given name really is Ernest. The movie ends with a vignette of Bunbury's funeral that is not shown in the play. 

Finally, the serenade Jack and Algy perform for Gwendolyn and Cecily is an unforgettable addition which, when reprised at the end, makes movie viewers keep watching to the very last second. 

Although it might seem impossible to improve upon Oscar Wilde's original play, Oliver Parker succeeds in that unlikely effort with his 2002 movie.