The subject of one of Johannes Vermeer's most enduring portraits becomes the focus of this biographical period piece from director Peter Webber. Girl With a Pearl Earring is told from the point of view of Griet (Scarlett Johansson), a teenaged girl who leaves her family's care in the country to become a servant for the Vermeer household in the comparatively bustling, canal-laden burgh of Delft. When she arrives, she finds herself at the low end of the servant totem pole, until she's allowed to clean "the master's" painting quarters. There, she quite literally catches the eye of the taciturn, reclusive Vermeer (Colin Firth), and over a period of time, he begins to craft her portrait. Of course, this does little to further his relationship with his jealous, pregnant wife, Catharina (Essie Davis), or with his most vocal benefactor, van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson), who often dictates what portraits Vermeer should paint. Meanwhile, Griet navigates a sweet, tentative relationship with a peasant boy her age (Cillian Murphy). Girl With a Pearl Earring had its North American premiere at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. — Michael Hastings
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Colin Firth | Vermeer |
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Scarlett Johansson | Griet |
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Tom Wilkinson | Van Ruijven |
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Judy Parfitt | Maria Thins |
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Cillian Murphy | Pieter |
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Essie Davis | Catharina |
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Joanna Scanlan | Tanneke |
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Alakina Mann | Cornelia |
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Chris McHallem | Griet's Father |
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Gabrielle Reidy | Griet's Mother |
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Rollo Weeks | Frans |
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Anna Popplewell | Maertge |
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Anaïs Nepper | Lisbeth |
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Melanie Meyfroid | Aleydis |
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Nathan Nepper | Johannes |
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Lola Carpenter | Baby Franciscus |
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Charlotte Carpenter | Baby Franciscus |
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Olivia Chauveau | Baby Franciscus |
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Geoff Bell | Paul The Butcher |
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Virginie Colin | Emilie Van Ruijven |
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Sarah Drews | Van Ruijven's Daughter |
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Christelle Bulckaen | Wet Nurse |
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John McEnery | Apothecary |
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Gintare Parulyte | Model |
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Claire Johnston | White Haired Woman |
| Director | Peter Webber |
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| Writer | Tracy Chevalier, Olivia Hetreed | |
| Producer | Joep Bannenberg, Bob Bellion, Peter Block, Anna Campeau, Jason Constantine, Jimmy de Brabant, Nick Drake, Philip Erdoes, Matthew T. Gannon, Rebby Gregg, François Ivernel, Daria Jovicic, Cameron McCracken, Tom Ortenberg, Andy Paterson, Duncan Reid, Guy Tannahill, Anand Tucker | |
| Musician | Alexandre Desplat | |
| Photography | Eduardo Serra | |
| Edition | Special Edition |
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| Packaging | Keep Case |
| Nr Discs | 2 |
| Screen Ratios | Anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) |
| Audio Tracks | ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 |
| Subtitles | Dutch | English | English (Closed Captioned) | Portuguese | Spanish |
| Distributor | Lions Gate |
| Layers | Single side, Single layer |
| Edition Release Date | May 04, 2004 |
| Regions | 1 |