Book to Screen
‘The Age Of Innocence’ Hits Netflix: 6 Facts You Need to Know About the Romance Movie
Obsessed with period dramas? Well, you’re in luck because Netflix just added one of the most iconic romantic dramas to its roster – Martin Scorsese‘s The Age of Innocence.
Although not as romantic as Pride & Prejudice or Wuthering Heights, the adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel still has its swoonworthy moments. When a young lawyer falls in love with a woman separated from her husband while still engaged to his fiancée, you know it’s bound to get messy. With a cast that includes Winona Ryder, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Michelle Pfeiffer, The Age of Innocence is a must-watch Gilded Age era drama.
Filled with societal expectations, longing glances, and a whole lot of subtext, The Age of Innocence is a movie worth rewatching to discover something new every time. Scroll down to learn behind-the-scenes secrets about the 1993 film.
1. Martin Scorsese’s family members have cameos in the film.
Legendary director Scorsese didn’t only have his daughter, Domenica Cameron-Scorsese, briefly appear in the film, but his parents, Catherine and Charles, popped up as well. All three have been in other productions helmed by Scorsese. In 1974, he even created the documentary Italianamerican about his family’s Sicilian heritage and current life in New York. The film also focuses heavily on Catherine and Charles’ love story.
Columbia Pictures / Everett Collection
2. Winona Ryder felt ‘f**king lucky’ getting the role.
The actress has starred in countless films, but The Age of Innocence remains one of her most coveted projects. “Age of Innocence felt like a graduation,” she told Esquire. “It felt like everything I wanted to do. It was such a complicated role, and a huge turning point in my career. It’s also weird because you don’t want to peak at 21. Like, ‘How does it get better?'” She later added, “It doesn’t.” The Stranger Things star acknowledged that she was “so fucking lucky” to get the role of May Welland.
Ryder has always been a force to be reckoned with on the big and small screens, but it wasn’t until her performance in The Age of Innocence that the Academy took notice of it. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role but lost to Anna Paquin. Paquin made her acting debut in The Piano and won the prestigious title at 11 years old.
In 1995, Ryder was once again up for an Oscar, this time around for her performances as Jo March in Little Women.
3. Daniel Day-Lewis’ sister took over a small role in the movie.
She wasn’t supposed to be in The Age of Innocence, but Tamasin Day-Lewis stepped in when Scorsese’s then-girlfriend, Ileane Douglas, was unable to make it to set. Douglas was slated to have a small role in the feature, but she was filming another project at the time. Tamasin, who had no acting experience, stepped into the role of a lady at the Beaufort Ball.
4. Martin Scorsese appears in the film.
It wasn’t just Scorsese’s family who had a few minutes of screen time in the movie. The director himself also inserted himself into the adaptation. He took on the role of a wedding photographer. While in Gilded Age era gear, he also operated the heavy-duty camera.
5. The Age of Innocence was unlike anything Scorsese had directed before.
Scorsese’s filmography is quite robust. His signature style has influences of nihilism, Catholic guilt, and his Italian-American background.
The director told BFI in 1994 that he had “always wanted to make a romantic piece, and The Age of Innocence fell into his lap at the perfect time. Scorsese was drawn to the “emotional intensity” of the film. “A touch of the hand has to suffice for months; the anticipation of a two-hour ride to a train station is so sweet, it’s almost overwhelming. That was the real reason I wanted to make the film – the idea of that passion which involved such restraint.”
His other narrative features with a central romance plot are Boxcar Bertha, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and New York, New York.
6. The feet scene took five days to film.
Do you remember the feet-kissing scene? Yes, the one where Day-Lewis’ Newland Archer goes down to Pfeiffer’s Countess Ellen Olenska’s feet and shows his admiration with a delicate smooch. This was one of the spiciest moments in the film.
When asked about the feet-kissing scene, Pfeiffer admitted to Empire, “Um…it’s kind of nice.” She didn’t elaborate on that further, but the Scarface alum did reveal that she’s “not sure how Daniel felt about groveling around my ankles. I didn’t mind it.” All in all, the “whole scene took about five days and was a toughie.”
