Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (Une robe pour Mrs. Harris) is a 2022 British-French historical comedy-drama directed by Anthony Fabian, and an adaptation of the 1958 novel Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico.
Lesley Manville stars as Ada Harris, a widowed cleaning lady who falls in love with a client's haute couture Dior dress. Despite its hefty price tag of £500 (equivalent to nearly $13,000 in 2023), Ada becomes determined to buy a dress of her own, and a trip to Paris to complete her mission leads to her inadvertently changing the destiny of the designer house. The cast includes Isabelle Huppert, Jason Isaacs, Lambert Wilson, Alba Baptista and Lucas Bravo.
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and won the BAFTA in the same category.
This film provides examples of:
- Adaptational Alternate Ending: In the book, after Ada's dress catches fire while Pamela borrows it, she doesn't receive a replacement from Dior. The damage is less extensive than in the film and it can be repaired, but Ada comes to the realization that her experiences in Paris are more important than the dress.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: In the book, the Marquis de Chassagne is an old man, and there's no romantic tension between him and Ada.
- Black Best Friend: Vi, Ada's best friend.
- Canon Foreigner: Archie didn't appear in the book or in previous adaptations.
- Costume Porn: The film pays loving attention to the many Dior dresses on display. Unsurprisingly, it garnered many Costume Design nominations.
- Determinator: Ada is determined to go to Paris and get her dress by any means necessary.
- Deus ex Machina: Ada is suddenly able to get the brunt of the money to afford a trip to Paris and a Dior dress, because she's informed that the recent confirmation of her husband's death means that she's entitled to 13 years of backpay for a war widow's pension. Lampshaded when Ada believes this to be a sign from her husband that he wants her to go.
- Downer Beginning: Ada has held out hope for 13 years that her husband (who went missing in action) might someday return, but finally receives a letter revealing that he's been Dead All Along after the wreckage of his plane was found. Much of her journey in the film is dedicated to not only finding a silver lining in getting closure, but also feeling guided by his spirit.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Ada learns that her husband is dead, is treated poorly by her boss, stumbles a few times on her journey to afford a trip to Paris, suffers classism at the hands of Claudine and others at Dior, nearly loses her opportunity for a dress, then she unwisely loans the dress to a friend and sees it go up in flames before she has a chance to wear it... Fortunately, all of her friends back at Dior team up to send her the dress that she really wanted, and she shares a dance with Archie.
- Hidden Depths: Natasha is best-known for her stunning looks, but she's also well-read in philosophy and loves Sartre.
- Hope Spot: At the dog races, Ada thinks she sees a sign in a dog named Haute Couture, and puts all of her money on it, despite Archie's warnings that the contender is useless. Nevertheless, Haute Couture starts off strong and in a big lead... only for it to stop abruptly and lose.
- Ice Queen: Claudine. She's played by Isabelle Huppert, what do you expect? Though when Ada comes to her apartment after Claudine quits, she realizes why Claudine feels the need to be tough — she has a husband suffering from debilitating disabilities from the war, and she's his full-time caregiver. Ada encourages her to return to Dior, which warms Claudine up to her.
- Important Haircut: After Natasha leaves Dior, she cuts off her long hair into a chic bob.
- Jerkass: Ada's boss, who repeatedly delays her pay and threatens to fire her "to cut back on the budget" whenever Ada attempts to get her earnings, even after bragging about funding an expensive event and flaunting her designer wardrobe.
- Love at First Sight: The scene of Ada seeing her client's Dior dress is shot exactly as one would shoot a romantic scene.
- Maybe Ever After: Archie spends the movie harboring obvious feelings for Ada (secretly recouping some of her betting losses, checking up on her with Vi after she's bedridden with depression, requesting she save him a dance), and in the end she seems to begin to reciprocate his feelings.
- Meaningful Echo: Claudine warns Ada that she doesn't deserve a Dior dress, because she would have no opportunity to wear it, and it deserves to be seen. Later, when Vi asks Ada why she loaned her precious dress to a loser, Ada admits that it deserved to be seen.
- Moment Killer: When Ada visits the Marquis de Chassagne at his home to try to further their relationship, he begins to speak of his late wife... but then reveals that the person Ada reminds him of his not her, but one of his old servants from childhood, leaving Ada humiliated.
- Nice to the Waiter: Some of Ada's clients are nicer to her than others, which is why she chooses to lend her Dior dress to Pamela, as she treats Ada like a friend.
- Plucky Girl: Ada may no longer be a girl, but she has the optimistic determination of one. She will get a haute couture Dior dress, and she won't stand for the classism and prejudice of those getting in her way. She also organizes a strike for the Dior workers just because she can't stand to see their mistreatment.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Natasha finds André attractive because of his kindness and intelligence.
- Stepford Smiler: Part of Natasha's angst is her fear that she'll never be seen as anything but the role she plays for Dior, but she maintains the act because she doesn't know what else to do. By the end of the film, she's inspired by Ada to strike out on her own path.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Ada lends her new Dior dress to Pamela before she's even had a chance to wear it, and Pamela accidentally sets it on fire. It's completely ruined, and Pamela doesn't even offer any form of repayment.
