Vanity Fair

Date: 2004
Director: Mira Nair
Production Company: Focus Features, Tempesta Films, Granada Film Productions

Stars: Reese Witherspoon, James Purefoy, Romola Garai, Gabriel Byrne, Rhys Ifans, Bob Hoskins, Tony Maudsley, Jim Broadbent, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Meg Wynn Owen, Ruth Sheen, Geraldine McEwen, Eileen Atkins, John Woodvine, Sophie Hunter
Location(s): Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Kent, London, Rajasthan (India), Somerset, Surrey

Region(s): , , ,

Storyline:

Thackeray’s much loved novel about Becky Sharp who climbs the social ladder with cunning. SJ

Additional Information:

Brian Godwin who was ‘on set” during filming has kindly provided some photographs that he took at the time. They can be viewed here.

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Byrne winds his way through busy streets, probably Chatham, Kent.

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Witherspoon prepares to depart from her academy.

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Leaving the academy on the way to adventure.

Purefoy, watched by Ifans, crosses the shallow pond to met Witherspoon and Garai. Chiswick House, London W4.

Unfortunately this area is sealed off for special events only,so this is off-angle as I should be much further round to the left. SJ

Witherspoon charms Maudsley, Garai's brother, next to the obelisk pond at the Orange Tree Garden, Chiswick House.

The Ioninc temple and obelisk. The garden is so called as orange trees used to be there in tubs. SJ

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Arriving at Hoskins' front gate. Stanway House in Gloucestershire. the other side can be seen in capture 29.

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Beyond the gate of Stanway House.

Arriving at "London", or more precisely Bath in Somerset. Great Pulteney Street in Bath, Somerset.

Great Pulteney Street to be precise. This "now" replaces my off-angle shot from January 2019. SJ

Various parts of Bath are being used to represent London. This is Sydney Place just off Pulteney Road, also known as the A36.

Purefoy and Witherspoon alight from their carriage.

The unchanged scene today except for the obligatory RS scaffolding. SJ

A different part of Bath, west across the Avon, Beaufort Square.

I'm not sure when the bollards came in. SJ

The unmistakable topiary in the grounds of Hampton Court in the borough of Richmond upon Thames.

The unmistakable topiary at Hampton Court Palace Festival. (SR)

A crane shot of Hoskins on his way to visit.

Too many cars on the road so I took this one of the pavement to show the lamp and railing base arrangement. SJ

The view from Sydney Place, looking across to the Holburne Museum. which can also be seen in 'Two and Two Make Six' and 'The Duchess'.

Taken from in front of the closed door. SJ

Byrne watches from his house. A close shot of the museum balcony.

Zoom lens very necessary. SJ

Beaufort Square looking west.

Bollards spoil the street now. SJ

A closer shot looking from the square towards Princes Street.

No access to the garden so the camera was lifted freestyle over the railings. SJ

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"Brussels": I thought at first the old Royal Naval College but those pillars look too far apart... Adam Wild has come to the rescue. He was working as a guide when filming was taking place at the Ionic Colonnade on the south side of Clock Court in Hampton Court Palace. (SJ)

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Tricky one. Hampton Court again perhaps.

Witherspoon meets up with Garai as she tries to find news about Rhys-Meyer and stays with her to find him even though he is a casualty of Waterloo... Steve Randall found the Red Brick Bridge at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire which also appears in 'The Buttercup Chain' and 'Overlord'.

Access is not particularly straightforward, so this is off angle. SJ

Sunderland Street just north off Great Pulteney Street.

Unchanged. SJ

Witherspoon crosses Great Pulteney Street with purposeful intent.

The Holburne Museum to the far left. SJ

Sunderland Street again.

A few more cars. SJ

Back to Beaufort Square.

Now. SJ

A nice shot of India as no expense is spared. Probably near Jodhpur which is coming up later... and indeed Steve Randall confirms Jaswant Thada, a memorial to the 19th-century ruler Jaswant Singh II. (SJ)

Couldn't get to the exact same spot unfortunately, but this is the place. (SR)

The corner of Sunderland Street and Great Pulteney Street.

A victim of window tax perhaps. SJ

Purefoy, Witherspoon and son.

A new door? SJ

The Holburne Museum at night.

The very same spot. SJ

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Purefoy and Witherspoon get emotional... Steve Randall found Stanway House, north-east of Cheltenham and adds this is the other side of the gateway seen in capture 6. (SJ)

Hmm: a lying lioness looking left. This is the east facade of West Wycombe Park House, Buckinghamshire, also seen in 'Amazing Grace'. (SR)

The endpoint of an excellent guided tour. (SR)

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Back to India; Mehrangarh fort on the hill in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

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Witherspoon joins Maudsley on elephant looking above the blue city from Mehrangarh.