Plot

Lucy Honeychurch shares a brief romance with George Emerson in Florence. Yet as she tries to move on with her life and look for marriage elsewhere, can she truly forget the events of that summer?

When Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter) and chaperone Charlotte Bartlett (Dame Maggie Smith) find themselves in Florence with rooms without views, fellow guests Mr. Emerson (Denholm Elliott) and son George (Julian Sands) step in to remedy the situation. Meeting the Emersons could change Lucy's life forever, but once back in England, how will her experiences in Tuscany affect her marriage plans?—Bridget Jones

It's the Edwardian era. The Honeychurches - Marian Honeychurch (Rosemary Leach) and her two just of age children Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter) and Freddy Honeychurch (Rupert Graves) - are a carefree and fun-loving family that live in the country town of Summer Street, Surrey. Regardless, Lucy is a proper young woman. Some can tell by the way she plays Beethoven on the piano that there is a seething passion underneath her proper demeanor. She and her older cousin, her chaperon Charlotte Barlett (Dame Maggie Smith), who is officious in a slyly undermining way, travel to Florence, Italy for a week-long respite. The Pensione Bertolini where they are staying is popular amongst British tourists. Amongst the disparate group of other British guests at the pensione are a Mr. Emerson (Denholm Elliott), who Charlotte considers vulgar because of his forwardness, and his son, the bright, but brooding, George Emerson (Julian Sands). As their stay progresses, George feels that Italian life is opening his eyes to what is important in life, and he feels the same is happening to Lucy. On a group outing, an incident occurs which both Charlotte and Lucy consider improper, which leads to the two leaving Italy early and heading back to England. Shortly thereafter, Lucy gets engaged to the upper crust and passionless Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis). And Mr. Emerson moves to Summer Street, with George visiting on the weekends. As George befriends the Honeychurches, Lucy begins to tell a series of lies, mostly to herself, about what and who she really wants for and in her life.—Huggo

Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter), a young Englishwoman, is touring Italy with her older cousin, Charlotte Bartlett (Dame Maggie Smith). At a hotel in Florence, Lucy meets the charming and free-spirited George Emerson (Julian Sands). Although intrigued by George, once she's back in England, Lucy ponders settling down with the wealthy, staid Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis). When George reappears in her life, Lucy must decide between him and Cecil.—Jwelch5742

Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter), a young Englishwoman, makes her first visit to Florence, Italy in the early 1900s. There, she meets a quiet, yet eccentric young man named George Emerson (Julian Sands). Upon her return to England, Lucy must decide whether to follow through with her marriage to her stoic fiancé, Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day-Lewis), or follow her heart and her growing attraction to George.—Liza Esser <essereli@student.msu.edu>

Lucy Honeychurch and her chaperon, Charlotte Bartlett, arrive in Florence. They are troubled by the fact that they don't have rooms with a view. Later that night at supper, fellow guests Mr. Emerson and his son George offer to exchange their rooms for those of Lucy and Charlotte. This exchange is the first of many events where Lucy and Charlotte are involved in the plans of Mr. Emerson, George and other guests from the hotel they are staying at. Lucy and George realize their passionate feelings for one another when George kisses Lucy, and it is not a simple matter of boy likes girl, but boy likes girl and girl is engaged to another. Now Lucy begins to doubt her feelings for her husband to be and gets caught up in a web of lies to convince herself, George and everyone else that she isn't in love with George. How will it all turn out in the end?