Such a downer of a story that it’s hard to enjoy, but I will say this is a well made, well acted film. Jennifer Jason Leigh usually really irritates me, and she doesn’t in this film, so that’s saying something — plus Maggie Smith is great. One of the best parts is that Leigh’s character is very awkward, which shows in her dress — interesting to see the unattractive side of mid-Victorian costuming.
I have never regarded “Washington Square” as a downer, especially since Catherine Sloper managed to gain her own agency without her father or Morris Townsend. Or perhaps in spite of them.