Vanity Fair

[JaneJeffer]

I'm finding Rebecca annoying. I haven't read the book so have no idea if she's meant to be.

I read it was the last one and I didn't see how, still got 25 mins left but can't believe what an appalling hash they've made of it

The fact that Amelia is just as dreadful as Becky in her own way is really rammed home in the last paragraph of the book when it's clear that she sees her daughter as a rival for Dobbins love.

Well that was 💩💩💩💩

And they implied Becky became Jos's wife

Jos Lives!!! Screw-up. Ok, they wanted to make feel-good TV but the point of VF is that it is deliciously nasty feelgood, not haribo & no brain cells.

Downton works because it's salty sweet - why didn't the producers stick with that formula and keep the book, which is a masterclass in bittersweet, intact.

I'm honestly quite flummoxed that they managed to do quite well all series, with one or two bum notes (cheap scenery, magic pregnancies and quick aging kids) to royally piss all good will away by using 60 minutes to tell a good 50% of the book !

Oh this is bollocks! Can’t believe they are doing the ‘emotional scene in the rain’ cliche.

I’m less than half way through. The actor playing Mr Osborne is good but he just died!

Now Jane Osbourne is doing a version of ‘you go girl!’. Make it stop.

The actor playing Jos is pretty mediocre but I just realised who he reminds me of: a young Brian Blessed. If only he would shout ‘DIVE! DIVE!’ to liven it up a bit.

I really enjoyed it. Never read the book so for me it was a story in its own right.

I thought the cast were good and enjoyed the costumes ect. I thought the ending was a shame. Amelia who had doted so much for her son now reacts like that to her daughter? Thought Rawdon was so dreamy and a great actor. The fellow riding in on his horse changing so much.

That's accurate to the book about the daughter the point was that she (Amelia) wasn't worth having she was vain and self centred and as awful as Becky in her way.

I watched this with my 12 year old and we enjoyed it way more than some on here.

I saw it more like a theatrical play, and so the colours and the lack of dirt (how did those soldiers keep their trousers so white!) and the comedic costumes all contributed to the sense that life is a game.

Underneath all that colour, though, was the point where I disagreed with Thackary/Palin's message- what she was striving for was worth having, because Becky had nothing, and so for women who had nothing, they had few choices- become a governess and get hit on by Pitt the elder (sexual abuse/harassment of servants being common), try to marry well, try to run a business (which Becky does without any actual money behind her) or basically sell yourself which is made clear what has happened with Lord Steyne. What real choices does she have than to suck up to privileged people and hope one of them takes pity on her. Even Amelia is in the same boat, depending on Dobbin's money for years. These are non-economically independent women, it looks terrifying to me.

The ending- the two 'players' , Jos (who may well be gay or just very camp, it's unclear in the adaptation) and Becky are shown together. It's not an authentic ending, but I kind of liked it.

I don't always want dreary brown dresses from the BBC costume department, so I quite enjoyed this one!

It's funny Amelia gets a hard time then, and rightly so, but Dobin is a fool. He has no backbone and waits years and years pining after a fairy tale. I think equally they should be seen as vacuous and lacking gumption. It's actually sad two people, who are 'meant to be' together, out of love before they were really in love.

Oh the disappointment!

They completely ignored the strong implication in the book that Becky murders Jos.

Also, the Amelia/Dobbin misty lakeside reconciliation was just crap! Why did it have to be turned into some stupid Hollywood cliche?

I do agree though that Becky suddenly having a child was most bizarre as was her utter hatred of the child, it seemed quite inexplicable, and didn't have a reason, plus surely she would have been indifferent to him, not shouting randomly on sight given her concern with her image.

Yes, the pouring rain was a corker, reminiscent of the Four Weddings and a Funeral panto 'is it raining, I hadn't noticed' line.

@Orchiddingme the annoying bit for me about that was that though she probably wasn't as severe in the book as in the series, she definitely neglected Rawdy and was careless with him. It was actually her SIL not Rawdon who was appalled at her and volunteered to take him on to spare him from her

What I don't understand is why, if money was so important to Becky, she married a penniless man who would then not inherit?

I thought it showed she loved Rawdon so I was so upset when she was hiding all the money.

I can't get over the fundamental contradiction.

She believed she could manipulate his wealthy aunt and they'd get the inheritance - she is shown, more in the book I think to regret not marrying Sir Pitt instead.

Thanks Pawnee. I suppose it did show that, but all seemed a desperate afterthought than a determined plan that failed.

Makes more sense now.

That's why the tv show isn't as good - her motives are always really obvious in the book, not sure she ever did really love Rawdon, it was just that his being his wealthy aunts favourite made him a step up from Pitt. Everyone's a stepping stone.

What a dreadful end to the dreadful series. It has been a huge disappointment to me, but I carried on hoping I would suddenly enjoy it!

The script kept missing key points. DH kept asking why things were happening as the story jumped about so much. The ending missed what happened next with Jos and Becky.

George never appears the spoilt brat he is. Amelia only appears the spoilt brat she is at the end when she suddenly developed a backbone. Then became jealous of her daughter - very unbecoming.

It's so just so unsatisfactory. I'll be finishing the book again this week to see what elements I've forgotten!

BOO!!! What a cop out.

I was angry that Andrew Davies in his much superior 1998 version changed the ending as he really liked Becky but at least he told the story through. I also really feel for Becky, she's had a shit life, she did deserve some respite but life isn't fair, especially back in the 19th century. They show a stupid battle that isn't needed and then leave out lots of the book instead.

This version seemed to be based on the Resse Witherspoon film school of saccharine puke. What a waste. Why do adapters thick they can improve on the source material. If a book is still around over 100 years after it was written there is a god reason for it so don't mess with it.

Boo!!

Enjoyed it. VF lite but is tv. Impossible to do it justice without more time and money. Anyone who feels cheated should read the book. For itv, that was a success.

@PawneeParksDept I haven't read the book. What was untold at the end?

@MyOtherProfile it is strongly implied that she murders Jos

Becky "nurses" Jos through a fatal illness on the Continent. When he dies it is found that she is named as a beneficiary of his life insurance. It is heavily implied that she killed Jos and his family suspect as much.