Good start, but then it gets ruined

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

I went to see this movie when it came into the cinema in 1998. The preview was gut-bustingly funny. What was shown had to be the funniest film to come out in a long time. I eagerly awaited the release date, rushed down to the cinema and watched 94 minutes of the worst cinema I've ever had to see. Quite literally every funny moment was in the preview.Although the story in itself was quite amusing, I felt completely cheated by the promise not meeting the actuality. Maybe the film is worth a couple more stars but after what happened, I can't bring myself to award higher than a 3.

This film is a glorious tribute to so many 'stiff' period pieces as well as such comedies as 'Carry on up the Kyber'. It is also beautiful to watch with real locations used in the UK, Italy and India (rather than at the back of Shepperton studios).While the plot may lag in some places, the references and in-jokes are so dense that you can blink and miss many of them.The list of movies and television series that are lampooned is massive, but a few include 'Chariots of Fire', 'Brideshead Revisited', anything with Helena Bonham-Carter, 'Upstairs Downstairs', 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Gandhi'.Peter Ustinov (Horace) letches like Sid James, Prunella Scales (Aunt Agnes) stands her ground like Joan Sims, Sam West (Edward) bumbles like Charles Hawtree and Robert Portal (Cedric) sneers almost like Kenneth Williams. Sean Pertwee (George) saves the day a la Jim Dale and Georgina Cates (Emily) is feisty like Barbara Windsor etc. etc.The scene where Cedric meets Aunt Agnes is priceless, if only for the 'Daughter of Zeus' gag.'Stiff Upper Lips' is definitely worth seeing more than once.

I love a good parody, and this movie is right on the money! I am an American, and I've enjoyed many British films over the years, particularly Merchant-Ivory fare. I was so (pleasantly) surprised to find that the Brits made such a clever, funny film, and I thought the running gag of the 'typical' American tourist couple, very witty and on target, too! I saw this on Masterpiece Theater, of all things, and I have seldom laughed so hard at anything on PBS since Jeeves and Wooster. What a great movie, I just wish it had more of a theatrical release in America, but I'm not surprised that it didn't. I don't think many Americans 'get' this type of humor anyway. It ranks up there with the best American parodies of genre films. Besides 'Howard's End', 'Room with a View', 'Passage to India', and Brideshead references, there were definite pokes at the Jane Austen-type of films, as well. Very worth renting and/or buying a copy!

A rigid and proud young Edwardian lady refuses to marry a dim-witted English friend and falls in love with a handsome peasant.Reasonably vapid and longwinded travesty of the Merchant-Ivory period dramas with performances ranging from sophisticated to wildly ham. It does manage, however, to raise an occasional smile.