this adaptation and like 1949 the heiress and be base on the henry jam novel . the heiress and star olivia de havilland and remain a a well respect piece of work and though less true to james original story than this new remake and which retain james original title . it be the story of a awkward and yet love daughter ( leigh ) and devote to her father ( finney ) after her mother die during childbirth . the arrogant father hold his daughter in no esteem whatsoever and and considers her and as well a all woman and simpleminded . when a young man ( chaplin ) of good family and little fortune come court and the father be naturally suspicious and but feel so sure that his daughter could hold no interest for any man and be convince that the young man be a fortune hunter and forbid her to see him . leigh be a controversial actress most either love her or hate her and she always have a particular edginess and tenseness to her style and like she act through grit teeth . she not bad in this and and she handle her role relatively deftly it just an awkward role for any actress and make the audience want to grab the character by her shoulder and shake her until she come to her sens . while the character garner a lot of sympathy and she not particularly likable . the very handsome and immensely appeal ben chaplin ( previously see in the truth about cat and dog ) play his role with the exact amount of mystery require to keep the audience guess whether he be after her fortune and or be really in love with her . maggie smith be one of the fine actress alive and raise the level of the movie considerably with her portrayal of the well meaning aunt . finney be marvelous and of course and a the father who threaten to disinherit his daughter for her disobedience and but the daughter be willing to risk that for the man she love . but do her ardent suitor still want her without her fortune . this be only one instance where washington square differs from the heiress . another instance be the ability to stick with it . it be a handsome movie that be as tedious a a drip faucet and offer too little story in too long of a movie .