Frosty, G-Max, and I decided to indulge ourselves by going to the Esquire to see THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. I saw the play performed twice when I was a young whippersnapper and have been fond of it ever since; it may well be the silliest comedy ever written. The movie version is completely faithful to the giggly, nonsensical spirit of the original, and when the cleric excuses himself "to top off the font," Frosty squealed with delight -- the first time I've heard her laugh out loud at a movie in years!

The performances are uniformly excellent; everyone keeps a straight face and a haughtily dignified demeanor, especially when the dialogue becomes totally ridiculous. I liked Reese Witherspoon and Judi Dench best, but the whole cast rises to the occasion. And the director has succeeded in opening up the settings and giving the story a measure of cinematic appeal, something that's not easy to do when making a movie out of a play. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST is as light and sprightly and inconsequential as a champagne bubble.

My rating on the Watson scale: 4.5