An Ideal Husband

PG-13

1999

1h 36m

Romance

Comedy

List

85%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

69%

Audience Score

10,000+ Ratings

Sir Robert Chiltern (Jeremy Northam) is a respected government official and a loving husband. His friend, Lord Arthur Goring (Rupert Everett), is a notorious womanizer who lives a life of casual lounging, meaningless flirtations and multiple illicit affairs. But when old acquaintance Laura Cheveley (Julianne Moore) arrives in London to stir up trouble, the lives of the two men become increasingly complicated and intertwined, and their true natures are revealed.

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Sight & Sound

Parker's shuttlecock technique only succeeds in throwing Wilde's cascading rhythms seriously out of whack and makes it hard to attend to the language as fully as one would like.

Jun 18, 2012

Full Review

Time Out

The bright, crisp design, Wilde's arch eloquence and a classy company help to camouflage the shortcomings.

Mar 2, 2011

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

An enjoyable, minor, lustrously shot revamping of Oscar Wilde's play about the perpetually interlocked manners of love and deception.

Rated: B

Jul 7, 2010

Full Review

James Hannaham

Out Magazine

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

Full Review

Film4

Quality comedy with a sprinkling of romance, skilfully assembled by a director with a clear feel for the material. Performances are universally great and the dialogue, of course, is superb.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 20, 2010

Full Review

Maitland McDonagh

TV Guide

It's lavish, clever entertainment, a welcome opportunity to laugh without shame.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 20, 2010

Full Review

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Rolla A

I really liked this period drama, Cate Blanchett shines once again

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/18/24

Full Review

Alec B

An enjoyably witty farce. Rupert Everett is just perfection here.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

Ramn Argenis U

Es buena película y adolescentes y gran película de ciencia ficción👍👍

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/15/23

Full Review

mike v

An Ideal Husband is a 1999 British film based on the 1895 play. It was directed by Oliver Parker 👨🏽 It's ok, but I feel mixed about this one 😉 I'd recommend it if you like this genre, but if not then probably give it a miss 👍🏼👎🏼 S HE JUST DOESN'T KNOW IT YET

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An enjoyably witty farce. Rupert Everett is just perfection here.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

steve d

Not Wilde's best but it is entertaining.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Oliver Parker

Director

Rupert Everett

Lord Arthur Goring

Julianne Moore

Mrs. Laura Cheveley

Jeremy Northam

Sir Robert Chiltern

Cate Blanchett

Lady Gertrude Chiltern

Minnie Driver

Miss Mabel Chiltern

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Synopsis

Sir Robert Chiltern (Jeremy Northam) is a respected government official and a loving husband. His friend, Lord Arthur Goring (Rupert Everett), is a notorious womanizer who lives a life of casual lounging, meaningless flirtations and multiple illicit affairs. But when old acquaintance Laura Cheveley (Julianne Moore) arrives in London to stir up trouble, the lives of the two men become increasingly complicated and intertwined, and their true natures are revealed.

Director: Oliver Parker
Producer: Barnaby Thompson, Uri Fruchtmann, Bruce Davey
Screenwriter: Oliver Parker
Production Co: Miramax
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 12, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.5M
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Surround