Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Anthony Fabian
Screenplay by	Carroll Cartwright Anthony Fabian Keith Thompson Olivia Hetreed
Based on	Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico
Produced by	Anthony Fabian Xavier Marchand Guillaume Benski Jonathan Halperyn (Co-Producer) Daniel Kresmery (Co-Producer)
Starring	Lesley Manville Isabelle Huppert Lambert Wilson Alba Baptista Lucas Bravo Ellen Thomas Rose Williams Jason Isaacs
Cinematography	Felix Wiedemann
Edited by	Barney Pilling
Music by	Rael Jones
Production companies	eOne Features Superbe Films Moonriver Content Hero Squared
Distributed by	Focus Features (United States) Universal Pictures (international)[1]
Release dates	11 July 2022 (2022-07-11) (Paris) 30 September 2022 (2022-09-30) (United Kingdom) 6 October 2022 (2022-10-06) (Hungary) 2 November 2022 (2022-11-02) (France)
Running time	115 minutes
Countries	United Kingdom France Hungary[2][3]
Languages	English French[4][5]
Budget	$9–13 million[6][7]
Box office	$31.4 million[8][9]

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a 2022 historical comedy drama film directed and produced by Anthony Fabian, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Carroll Cartwright, Keith Thompson, and Olivia Hetreed. It is the third film adaptation of the 1958 novel Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico. The film stars Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson, Alba Baptista, Lucas Bravo, Ellen Thomas, Rose Williams, and Jason Isaacs. The film enjoyed strong box office success in the United States arthouse circuit.^[10] Manville received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for her performance.^[11] The film also won a British Independent Film Award (BIFA)^[12] and received a nomination for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design.

Plot

In London in 1957, Mrs Ada Harris, a widow, works as a cleaning lady. Though she is hardworking and generous, Ada's clients offer her little consideration in return. She has two close friends in Vi and Archie, both her own age.

Ada becomes obsessed with a client's haute couture Dior dress and longs for a similar dress of her own. After unexpectedly receiving a war widow's pension, she travels to Paris to try to purchase one. She stumbles into a showing of Dior's 10th-anniversary collection and is befriended by André, the Dior accountant, and Natasha, a Dior model. However, the Dior director, Claudine, resents Ada's intrusion into the exclusive world of haute couture and initially declines to accept Ada as a client. Fortunately for Ada, Dior has fallen on hard times and the company eventually agrees to accept a commission for payment in cash. Ada falls in love with a red dress called the Temptation, but a high-profile client spots her interest and spitefully places a competing order. Dior prioritizes the high profile client, a regular, and Ada has to make do with a different style, in green.

While in Paris for fittings, Ada stays with André and encourages him to express his affection for Natasha, who shares his interest in existential philosophy. Ada herself catches the attention of a Marquis, who shows her kindness and invites her to spend time with him. She faces disappointment when the Marquis reveals he was only interested in Ada because she reminded him of a cleaning lady he had adored as a child. When Claudine sacks several Dior workers for financial reasons, Ada organises a strike and forces Claudine and Christian Dior to listen to André's ideas to modernise the business, including making the shop more accessible to less affluent buyers like Ada. Claudine resigns in disgust, but is convinced by Ada to return, citing her leadership skills. Ada convinces André to reveal his romantic feelings for Natasha, leading to the two becoming a couple.

Ada returns to London with her dress, intending to show it off at a community dance. Before the dance, she lends it to a client, Pamela, an up-and-coming actress, who wears it to a social event. Pamela stands too close to a heater, the dress catches fire and is ruined. When Ada's friends from Dior read about it in the newspaper, they send her the red dress she had originally wanted, after the buyer failed to pay. Ada wears the dress to the dance, where she becomes the centre of attention. Seeing her resplendent in her dress, Archie tells Ada that she is a beautiful person, both inside and out. Archie and Ada dance.

Cast

• Lesley Manville as Ada Harris
• Isabelle Huppert as Claudine Colbert
• Lambert Wilson as Marquis de Chassagne
• Alba Baptista as Natasha
• Lucas Bravo as André Fauvel
• Ellen Thomas as Violet "Vi" Butterfield
• Rose Williams as Pamela Penrose
• Jason Isaacs as Archie
• Anna Chancellor as Lady Dant
• Christian McKay as Giles Newcombe
• Freddie Fox as RAF officer
• Guilaine Londez as Madame Avallon
• Philippe Bertin as Christian Dior
• Roxane Duran as Marguerite

Production

In October 2020, it was announced that Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Jason Isaacs, Lambert Wilson, Alba Baptista and Lucas Bravo had joined the cast of the film, with Anthony Fabian directing and producing the film, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Caroll Cartwright, Keith Thompson and Olivia Hetreed, based upon the novel Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico. Manville was set as executive producer.^[13][14]

Principal photography began in October 2020.^[15] Filming took place over 40 days in Budapest, before production moved to London and Paris.^[3]

The film was supported by the National Film Institute Hungary with 279.5M HUF.^[3]

Release

In March 2021, Focus Features acquired worldwide distribution rights to Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris for approximately $15 million and distributed the film in the United States, while parent company Universal Pictures distributed it internationally.^[1] It was released theatrically in the United States on 15 July 2022,^[16] though it was originally scheduled to be released on 6 May.^[17] It was released in the United Kingdom on 30 September 2022,^[18] in Hungary on 6 October 2022,^[19] and in France on 2 November 2022.^[20]

It was released on VOD platforms on 2 August 2022, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on 6 September 2022.^[21]

Reception

Box office

In the United States, the film made $2 million from 980 theaters in its opening weekend; 44% of its audience were women over the age of 55.^[22] It eventually grossed more than $10 million in the United States theatrically.^[8] Deadline Hollywood described its box office performance as "strong."^[10]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 175 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Led by a luminous Lesley Manville, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a good old-fashioned story charmingly told."^[23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[24] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.^[22]

Accolades

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
British Independent Film Awards	4 December 2022	Best Costume Design	Jenny Beavan	Won	[25]
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association	18 December 2022	Best Costume Design		Nominated	[26]
San Diego Film Critics Society	6 January 2023	Best Costumes		Runner-up	[27]
Golden Globe Awards	10 January 2023	Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical	Lesley Manville	Nominated	[28]
British Academy Film Awards	19 February 2023	Best Costume Design	Jenny Beavan	Nominated	[29]
Costume Designers Guild Awards	27 February 2023	Excellence in Period Film		Nominated	[30]
Academy Awards	12 March 2023	Best Costume Design		Nominated	[31]
AWGIE Awards	17 November 2022	Best Screenplay, Feature Film - Adaptation	Anthony Fabian & Carroll Cartwright, Keith Thompson, Olivia Hetreed	Won	[32]

References

1. Wiseman, Andreas (31 March 2021). "Focus Features Sews Up World Rights To Period Drama 'Mrs Harris Goes To Paris' With Lesley Manville & Isabelle Huppert". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
2. "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris". Crew United. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
3. Varga, Denes (2 April 2021). "Focus Features Picks Up British/Hungarian Coproduction Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris". Film New Europe. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
4. Verniere, James (15 July 2022). "Dior fans will love lighthearted lark 'Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris'". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
5. "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris". Ragtag Cinema. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
6. "Mrs Harris Goes to Paris review – Lesley Manville charms in light soufflé". theguardian.com. 14 July 2022. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
7. "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know". www.movieweb.com. 18 August 2022. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
8. "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
9. "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
10. "Will Superhero Hiatus Power Arthouses? 'Emily the Criminal', 'Summering' & 'Fall' Test Market – Specialty Preview". 12 August 2022. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
11. Chuba, Kristen; Lewis, Hilary (12 December 2022). "Golden Globes: List of Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
12. "About BIFA". BIFA. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
13. Grater, Tom (8 October 2020). "Lesley Manville & Isabelle Huppert Pic 'Mrs Harris Goes To Paris' Underway In Budapest For EOne". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
14. Kay, Jeremy (8 October 2020). "Production in Eastern Europe underway on eOne's 'Mrs Harris Goes To Paris'". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
15. "Mrs Harris Goes to Paris Begins Production with Entertainment One Financing" (Press release). Entertainment One. 7 October 2020. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
16. D'Alessandro, Anthony (9 February 2022). "Focus Features Moves Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris To Midsummer". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
17. D'Alessandro, Anthony (11 May 2021). "Focus Features Sets Early 2022 Release For 'Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
18. Echebiri, Chike (8 July 2022). "'Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris': Release Date, Trailer, Cast, and Everything You Need to Know". Collider. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
19. Miklós, Vincze (1 May 2022). "A Zeneakadémia és a Keleti pályaudvar is feltűnik a Mrs. Harris Párizsban előzetesében" [The Academy of Music and Budapest Keleti station also appear in the preview of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris]. 24.hu (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
20. Vincent, Anthony (15 July 2022). "Isabelle Huppert dans la comédie british haute couture Une robe pour Mrs Harris s'annonce hilarante et drama" [Isabelle Huppert in British haute couture comedy Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris promises to be hilarious and dramatic]. Madmoizelle (in French). Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
21. "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris DVD Release Date". DVDs Release Dates. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
22. Goldsmith, Jill (16 July 2022). "'Mrs. Harris' Dresses Up With $1.9M Opening; 'Marcel The Shell' Has Wind Behind Its Snails – Specialty Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
23. "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
24. "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
25. Ntim, Zac (18 November 2022). "British Independent Film Awards: 'Aftersun' Leads Craft Winners". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
26. Neglia, Matt (11 December 2022). "The 2022 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Nominations". Next Best Picture. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
27. "2022 San Diego Film Critics Society Nominations". San Diego Film Critics Society. 3 January 2023. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
28. "Golden Globes 2023: Nominations List". Variety. 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
29. Ntim, Zac (19 January 2023). "BAFTA Film Awards Nominations: 'All Quiet On The Western Front,' 'Banshees Of Inisherin' & 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Lead — The Complete List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
30. Tangcay, Jazz (12 January 2023). "'Tár, 'Elvis,' 'Top Gun: Maverick' Among Costume Designers Guild Nominations 2023". Variety. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
31. Lewis, Hilary (24 January 2023). "Oscars: Full List of Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
32. "Australian Writers' Guild - News Details - Writers of Girl Like You, Horizon, The Newsreader, Fires, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris and Ithaka among winners at the 55th Annual AWGIE Awards". awg.com.au. Retrieved 9 January 2024.

External links

• Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris at IMDb