An Ideal Husband. Image shows from L to R: Miss Mabel Charlton (Minnie Driver), Lord Arthur Goring (Rupert Everett). Copyright: Miramax Films
An Ideal Husband

An Ideal Husband (1999)

  • 1999 film

Film based on Oscar Wilde's play, starring Rupert Everett as Lord Arthur Goring, described by his friends as "the idlest man in London". Also features Jeremy Northam, Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver, Julianne Moore, John Wood and more.

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An Ideal Husband. Image shows from L to R: Lord Arthur Goring (Rupert Everett), Miss Mabel Charlton (Minnie Driver), Gertrude Charlton (Cate Blanchett). Copyright: Miramax Films

Key details

Genre
Film
Released
1999
Stars
Rupert Everett, Jeremy Northam, Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver, Julianne Moore, John Wood, Peter Vaughan, Lindsay Duncan and more
Writers
Oscar Wilde and Oliver Parker
Director
Oliver Parker
Producers
Barnaby Thompson, Uri Fruchtmann, Bruce Davey, Susan B. Landau, Ralph Kamp, Andrea Calderwood, Nicky Kentish Barnes and Paul Tucker
Companies

Comedy of social manners and political scandal.

Amidst the heady London season of 1895, Lord Arthur Goring - "the idlest man in London" - is facing pressure from his father to marry and to make something of his life. He is, to put it lightly, not convinced.

His close friend, Sir Robert Charlton, meanwhile, is facing a dilemma of an altogether much more troublesome nature: a Member of Parliament, he is due to deliver an anticipated assessment of a high-profile business venture to build a canal in Argentina. He is already known to believe the project a fools' errand, and it seems his full report will be even more damning.

The arrival in London of a former fiancée of Arthur's, Mrs Cheveley, who now resides on the continent after marrying a wealthy Baron, brings with it a rude surprise: she has discovered the secret - and scandalous - source of Goring's family wealth, and intends to make the truth public, ruining his social and political interests, unless he reverses his decision and publicly backs the Argentinian project.

Whilst Robert is rocked by the dilemma posed by her blackmail, Arthur attempts to help his friend. But it's not long before Robert's wife, Gertrude, and younger sister, Mabel, are also entangled in the plotting. Friendships and marriages alike are soon teetering on the precipice of Cheveley's destruction.

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Additional details

UK certificate
PG
Duration
98 minutes
UK release
Friday 16th April 1999
Distributors

Pathe

Production
Location
Camera set-up
Single camera
Picture
Colour

Website links

Broadcast details

Most recent repeats
  • Saturday 14th July 2018 at 2:45pm on BBC1
  • Friday 22nd December 2017 at 1:20pm on BBC2
  • Saturday 18th February 2017 at 1:30pm on BBC2

Recording details

  • Old Royal Naval College (Greenwich) and Waddesdon Manor - Locations
  • Leavesden Studios - Studios

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