10 'gilded glamour' movies and shows to get you in the mood for the 2022 Met Gala
Gabbi Shaw
- The 2022 Met Gala is on May 2, and the theme is "In America: An Anthology of Fashion."
- The dress code is "gilded glamour," a reference to the Gilded Age, which was from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.
As you might've guessed from the title, HBO's "The Gilded Age" is the perfect binge for this weekend.
"The Gilded Age" premiered on HBO in January 2022, and it was renewed for a second season by February.
The series, which was created by "Downton Abbey" creator Julian Fellowes, stars Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Cynthia Nixon, and more as people in and around New York City's high society in the 1880s, the peak of the Gilded Age in the US.
You can stream the first season of "The Gilded Age" on HBO Max.
"Hello, Dolly!" stars Barbra Streisand as a matchmaker in the 1890s.
The 1969 musical "Hello, Dolly!" is based on the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name, and tells the story of Dolly (Streisand), a matchmaker, arriving in 1890s NYC to make some well-placed matches in high society, as well as make a match for herself.
"Ragtime" is also set in New York at the turn of the century, though it's a decidedly more dramatic tale.
"Ragtime" was released in 1981, six years after the novel it was based on by E.L. Doctorow was published. The movie (and book) was based on real events, including the murder of architect Stanford White, played by Norman Mailer, at the hands of famed industrialist Harry Kendall Thaw, played by Robert Joy.
The cast of "Ragtime" is sprawling, and it is one of the first screen appearances for many now-legends, like Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Daniels, Debbie Allen, Mandy Patinkin, Fran Drescher, Mary Steenburgen, and more.
It was also the last film role for legendary actor James Cagney.
You can watch "Ragtime" on Starz, or on Prime Video, Hulu, or the Roku Channel if you have the Starz add-on.
The film adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel "The Age of Innocence" was directed by Martin Scorsese.
Scorsese directed (and co-wrote) 1993's "The Age of Innocence," which focuses on Newland Archer, a New York City attorney played by Daniel Day-Lewis, and his marriage to Winona Ryder's innocent May Welland — and his inconvenient attraction to May's cousin Countess Olenska, played by Michelle Pfeiffer — in 1870s New York City.
You can rent "The Age of Innocence" on Prime Video for $3.99.
"Moulin Rouge!" takes place right at the tail end of the Gilded Age, in Paris.
Director Baz Luhrmann's over-stuffed, maximalist, musical epic is a must-see for anyone who wants to get into the "gilded glamour" mood — it's filled with amazing costumes, set design, and musical numbers.
The 2001 film stars Ewan McGregor as Christian, a writer who arrives in Paris at the turn of the century to become a "bohemian." Along the way, he meets other struggling artists and Satine, played by Nicole Kidman, who performs at the legendary Parisian venue the Moulin Rouge.
You can watch "Moulin Rouge!" on Starz, or on Prime Video, Hulu, or the Roku Channel if you have the Starz add-on.
"The Magnificent Ambersons" was originally released in 1942, but it still holds up.
"The Magnificent Ambersons," which is based on the Booth Tarkington novel of the same name, was legendary director and screenwriter Orson Welles' follow-up to "Citizen Kane."
The 1942 film focuses on the rise and fall of the Amberson family, the richest dynasty in an unnamed Midwestern city in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This film has everything: unrequited love, commentary on industrialization, the invention of automobiles, and iconic Welles collaborator Joseph Cotten.
You can rent "The Magnificent Ambersons" on Prime Video for $2.99.
"The Great Gatsby" technically takes place after the Gilded Age, but it's still worth a watch.
"The Great Gatsby" takes place on Long Island in the early 1920s. It's based on the iconic 1925 F. Scott Fitzgerald novel of the same name, which is seemingly taught in every high school across the US.
But, if you somehow missed it, the titular Gatsby, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is a mysterious business tycoon who throws extravagant parties. A writer, Nick, played by Tobey Maguire, moves in next door and soon becomes intrigued with Gatsby and the sadness that surrounds him.
"Washington Square" stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Albert Finney, and Ben Chaplin.
Based on the 1880 Henry James novel of the same name, "Washington Square" stars Leigh as Catherine Sloper, a young woman living in 1850s Manhattan, whose father (Finney) resents her after the death of her mother.
Catherine is determined to marry Morris Townsend (Chaplin), but her father doesn't approve. Classic period drama hijinks ensue.
If you prefer horror movies, Guillermo del Toro's "Crimson Peak" might be the pick for you.
"Crimson Peak" stars Mia Wasikowska as Edith Cushing, a young heiress living in Buffalo, New York, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. She meets a mysterious and charming inventor, Thomas (played by Tom Hiddleston) and the two marry.
Of course, when Mia moves back to his family's estate, she learns that there might be more to Thomas' relationship with his sister Lucille (played by an always-excellent Jessica Chastain) than meets the eye.
"The House of Mirth" skillfully shows the dark underbelly of New York's high society.
Gillian Anderson stars as Lily, the protagonist of Edith Wharton's 1905 novel of the same name, who, while trying to find a husband she loves, is taken advantage of by almost all of the men in her life and various family members who all have their own ulterior motives.
You can rent "The House of Mirth" on Prime Video in the UK, but unfortunately it's not available in the US — however, you can always read the book!
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