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Based on Evelyn Waugh's novel Vile Bodies, a biting a satirical look at London society in the 1920s, Bright Young Things centers around a young hero named Adam (Stephen Campbell Moore) who needs to acquire enough money to marry his beautiful fiancée, Nina (Emily Mortimer). To that end, he writes novel after novel in an effort to obtain a decent monetary advance from his publisher. In the meantime, he rents a room at a nearby boarding house replete with other renters who are complete idiots. In their midst is even the deposed king of Ruritania.

Though Adam appeals to Nina's father for some financial assistance, he's just too eccentric to allow his purse strings to be pulled. Not only is the man too frugal to purchase a car or pay for bus fare, but he's curiously enthusiastic about the movies - so much so that he blows all his cash on a film about Methodist church founder John Wesley.

Adam finds a life buoy thrown his way, though, when the local gossip columnist (who writes under the pseudonym Mr.Chatterbox) commits suicide. Adam takes over for the writer, following the antics of the social set and creating details and stories to make the affairs more interesting both for himself and his readers.

Directed and adapted by Stephen Fry, affectionately known to many of us at BOP as Blackadder's Lord Melchett, Bright Young Things looks to be a comedy with plenty of social commentary. Where Gosford Park looked at similar subject matter with a slightly more serious tone (though that film is hardly serious), Fry's portrayal of similar cultural mores and attitudes looks to follow a much more absurdist approach. Already available on DVD in Great Britain, Miramax has acquired the film for distribution in the U.S. (Kim Hollis/BOP)

Vital statistics for Bright Young Things Main Cast Stephen Campbell Moore, Jim Broadbent, Emily Mortimer Supporting Cast Dan Ackroyd, Bruno Lastra, Stockard Channing, Larry Randall, Simon Callow, Stephen Fry, Jim Carter, Guy Henry, Richard E. Grant, Ivan Marevich, Hugh Laurie, Julia McKenzie, John Mills, Peter O'Toole Director Stephen Fry Screenwriter Stephen Fry Distributor ThinkFilm Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://iconmovies.co.uk/brightyoungthings/index.html Rating R Running Time 106 minutes Screen Count 3 Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture