Overview
A tale of ambition and deception unfolds in the heart of British politics.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- elegant
- sardonic
- date night
- literary adaptation night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the adaptation enjoyable, visually lustrous, brisk, and faithful to Wilde's wit, while noting that its tidy moral resolution is somewhat facile.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The London drawing-room exchanges turn aristocratic etiquette, political respectability, and romantic propriety into targets of Wildean humor.
Mrs. Cheveley uses evidence of Sir Robert Chiltern's past misdeed to pressure him over a consequential government investment.
Sir Robert's reputation as a successful minister and ideal husband conflicts with the concealed act that made his fortune and career possible.
The adaptation foregrounds ornate late-Victorian settings, costumes, and composed staging while preserving the play's verbal architecture.
Films like An Ideal Husband, and why
The Importance of Being Earnest
witty period manners, romantic entanglements, and social deception adapted from nineteenth-century literature
Lady Windermere's Fan
Oscar Wilde adaptation built around sparkling dialogue, mistaken identities, and comic social hypocrisy
Gosford Park
elegant period romance with class performance, marriage negotiations, and sharply observed social satire
The Remains of the Day
literary period comedy balancing political intrigue, scandal, and romantic dilemmas within polished ensemble performances
Movie Details
- Director
- Oliver Parker
- Release Date
- 1999-01-14
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (228)
Cast
- Cate Blanchett
- Minnie Driver
- Rupert Everett
- Julianne Moore
- Jeremy Northam
- Peter Vaughan
- Ben Pullen
- Marsha Fitzalan
- Lindsay Duncan
- John Wood
Common questions
- What is An Ideal Husband about?
- A sparkling Oscar Wilde adaptation turns political blackmail and marital ideals into an elegant comedy of secrets, reputation, and forgiveness.
- What is An Ideal Husband like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of An Ideal Husband as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is An Ideal Husband violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in An Ideal Husband.
- What did critics think of An Ideal Husband?
- Critics broadly found the adaptation enjoyable, visually lustrous, brisk, and faithful to Wilde's wit, while noting that its tidy moral resolution is somewhat facile.
- Which films are like An Ideal Husband?
- Films with a similar feel include The Importance of Being Earnest, Lady Windermere's Fan, Gosford Park, and The Remains of the Day.
- How long is An Ideal Husband?
- An Ideal Husband runs 97 minutes.
