There’s every reason in the world to read the book, and to do it before you see the movie (so that you don’t let the movie images saturate what you read). The only good reason to see the film version is Vanessa Redgrave’s performance as Olive Chancellor.

''The Bostonians'' is, from its opening shot to last, a rare delight, a high comedy with tragic undertones, acted to passionate perfection by a cast of the best actors ever assembled by the Merchant-Ivory-Jhabvala team.

James' story is so fascinating and Redgrave so urgently fine that you can lose sight of these lapses and have an eminently satisfying time.

Although the film is basic in its production and camera work, the story is not without profound depth in the concept that the battle continues to rage for women to have equal rights and freedoms with men no matter the time and place.