An Ideal Husband (1999)
80%RT Audience Score: 69%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 17 nominations total
Brevity is the soul of wit, eh? This adaptation gets to the nitty gritty of Wilde’s stage piece and plays on eternal human foibles
An Ideal Husband is a witty and charming film that will have you laughing out loud. The cast is top-notch, with Rupert Everett stealing the show as the idlest man in London. The film is a clever adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s play, with smooth-flowing direction and a shrewdly pruned script. While it may not be as inventive as some of the director’s other works, it’s still a delightful and enjoyable movie that’s perfect for a night in with friends. So grab some popcorn and settle in for a fun and lustrously shot revamping of a classic tale about love and deception.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
London, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for brief sensuality/nudity
Year of Release
1999
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jan 18, 2000
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
Keyword(s)
starring Rupert Everett, Julianne Moore, Jeremy Northam, Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver, John Wood, Peter Vaughan, directed by Oliver Parker, written by Oliver Parker, produced by Barnaby Thompson, Uri Fruchtmann, Bruce Davey, comedy, romance, PG-13, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Owen Gleiberman, Derek Elley, Jeff Millar, Peter Matthews, Peter Travers, Kevin Thomas, James Hannaham, Maitland McDonagh, Karina Montgomery, Michael Dequina, Mark Halverson, Sir Robert Chiltern, Lord Arthur Goring, Mrs Laura Cheveley, Lady Gertrude Chiltern, Miss Mabel Chiltern, Lord Caversham, Oscar Wilde, human foibles, eternal love, deception, London, government official, notorious womanizer, multiple illicit affairs, true natures, intertwined, respected, loving husband, old acquaintance, stir up trouble, stage piece, witty repartee, unselfish love, forgiveness, diamond necklace, Hollywood Brits, barbed wit, teamwork, byplay, first rate performances, lavish, clever entertainment, chance to laugh without shame
Worldwide gross: $18,542,974
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $33,285,155
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,511
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 3,629,788
US/Canada gross: $18,542,974
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $33,285,155
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,243
US/Canada opening weekend: $192,802
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $346,085
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,495
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $14,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $25,130,390
Production budget ranking: 1,244
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $13,532,715
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$5,377,950
ROI to date (est.): -14%
ROI ranking: 1,473
Julianne Moore – Mrs. Laura Cheveley
Jeremy Northam – Sir Robert Chiltern
Cate Blanchett – Lady Gertrude Chiltern
Minnie Driver – Miss Mabel Chiltern
John Wood – Lord Caversham
Director(s)
Oliver Parker
Writer(s)
Oliver Parker
Producer(s)
Barnaby Thompson, Uri Fruchtmann, Bruce Davey
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 17 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (66) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (56) | Rotten (10)
An enjoyable, minor, lustrously shot revamping of Oscar Wilde’s play about the perpetually interlocked manners of love and deception.
July 7, 2010 | Rating: B
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Smooth-flowing direction, a shrewdly pruned script and a top-flight ensemble cast that visibly relishes both the dialogue and one another’s perfs make this a tony item for upscale, mature audiences.
June 19, 2008
Derek Elley
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Parker has made a sensible cinematic translation of Wilde’s play, intercutting scenes which would have been played consecutively on the stage.
July 21, 2005
Jeff Millar
Houston Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Moore gives the best display of female Machiavellianism since Bette Davis held court over The Little Foxes.
March 3, 2002
Peter Matthews
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
May 10, 2001 | Rating: 4/5
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
Wilde was always about lots more than witty repartee, and as sparkling as his play is as drawing-room comedy, it reveals his concern with the timeless values of unselfish love and forgiveness.
February 14, 2001 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
As Arthur Goring — “the idlest man in London” — Rupert Everett sparkles brightest in the diamond necklace of Hollywood Brits adorning An Ideal Husband.
May 27, 2022
James Hannaham
Out Magazine
It’s lavish, clever entertainment, a welcome opportunity to laugh without shame.
July 20, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide
It’s a pleasant diversion but sadly, little more than a chance to hear Rupert’s barbed wit.
December 15, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/5
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina
The exquisite teamwork and byplay make the film such a delight to watch.
November 18, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
All the other performances — from Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver, Julianne Moore, John Wood and Peter Vaughan — are first rate.
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
Certain stretches truly sparkle, but the movie is not as inventive as The Winslow Boy, nor as relaxed and goofy as Midsummer[night’s Dream].
May 26, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid…
Plot
Sir Robert Chiltern is a successful Government minister, well-off and with a loving wife. All this is threatened when Mrs Cheveley appears in London with damning evidence of a past misdeed. Sir Robert turns for help to his friend Lord Goring, an apparently idle philanderer and the despair of his father. Goring knows the lady of old, and, for him, takes the whole thing pretty seriously.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Rupert Everett “sparkles brightest in the diamond necklace of Hollywood Brits adorning An Ideal Husband.”
Oliver-Parker.jpg
