Product Details

• Actors: Rupert Everett, Julianne Moore, Peter Vaughan, Minnie Driver, Cate Blanchett
• Directors: Oliver Parker
• Writers: Oliver Parker, Oscar Wilde
• Producers: Andrea Calderwood, Barnaby Thompson, Bruce Davey, Nicky Kentish Barnes, Paul Tucker
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Miramax
• VHS Release Date: September 19, 2000
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305674116
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,621 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

For truly clever dialogue and a smartly structured plot, you can't go wrong with Oscar Wilde. Wilde's play An Ideal Husband is not his best known, but this film adaptation has all the wit you could ask for and a cast with the chops to deliver it: Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth, Oscar and Lucinda), Julianne Moore (Short Cuts, Boogie Nights), Minnie Driver (Grosse Pointe Blank, Big Night), Jeremy Northam (The Winslow Boy, Emma), and especially Rupert Everett (My Best Friend's Wedding, A Midsummer Night's Dream), who tosses off perfect epigrams with unflappable aplomb. The plot hinges on Northam, a member of Parliament (the British governing body, not the funk band) with a skeleton in his closet who is blackmailed into a shady business deal by a lady of mystery (Moore), who turns out to be a loathed school chum of the parliamentarian's wife (Blanchett). Everything is resolved happily, but not until after some devious twists of fate, several mistaken identities, lots of comic banter, and much social skewering. Wilde, who came to ruin when his homosexuality was brought to light, has a sharp eye for hypocrisy and the artificial poses demanded by society--but political commentary never gets in the way of a smart laugh. Visually sumptuous and briskly paced, An Ideal Husband will satisfy anyone looking for social satire or romantic comedy. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

Sexy leading man Rupert Everett (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING) heads an acclaimed all-star cast in this wonderfully witty story of decadence, romance, and scandal! Sir Robert (Jeremy Northam -- HAPPY TEXAS, MIMIC) is a highly respected politician whose spotless reputation is the pride of his beautiful wife (Cate Blanchett -- ELIZABETH) and adoring sister (Minnie Driver -- GOOD WILL HUNTING, GROSSE POINTE BLANK). But when an old acquaintance (Julianne Moore -- BOOGIE NIGHTS, THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK) threatens to reveal a dark secret from Robert's past, only his womanizing party-loving best friend Goring (Everett) is scheming and dishonest enough to come to his aid! Overwhelmingly acclaimed by critics -- you'll love this fresh, funny motion picture and its stellar ensemble as they elevate the art of blackmail to an elegant game of wit and passion!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Everybody has flaws, May 3, 2003

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: An Ideal Husband (DVD)

Have you ever looked at a person who seems to be perfect in every way, and thought to yourself, "No one is perfect. They must have done something wrong, sometime."

And the dark secrets of a seemingly perfect man are at the heart of "An Ideal Husband," a powerful and witty adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic play. It's not entirely faithful to the play, but it rests on Wilde's brilliant writing and a quartet of formidable actors (although Minnie Driver's character seems... almost unnecessary).

Sir Robert Chiltern (Jeremy Northam) seems to have it all -- a flourishing career in Parliament, his beautiful and perfect wife Lady Gertrude (Cate Blanchett), and the universal respect given to a man with a perfect reputation. He has a vivacious sister (Minnie Driver) and is pals with a charming, womanizing, ironic and very bored playboy, Lord Goring (Rupert Everett).

But when a certain Mrs. Cheveley (Julianne Moore) arrives from Vienna, things take a sudden turn for the worst. She has Robert's dirty little secret, a financial scam from years ago. She'll give him the proof of his misdeed, but only if he sacrifices his principles and supports the Suez Canal motion. Otherwise, she'll make the letter public and wreck his marriage and his career. It's up to Lord Goring to get his pal out of trouble...

"An Ideal Husband" is an enjoyable and witty play, with a plot that twists right up to the final scenes and a genuinely romantic subplot -- the only downside is the exclusion of one subplot from the original play The study of morality, payback for one's sins, the power of words and the need for forgiveness is much more interesting than the typical period-dress drama.

And the movie flows along well, with a brisk pace and plenty of emotionally charged scenes, although one early scene where Everett strings together and rattles off a bunch of Wildean witticisms feels like they were informing us "See? This is a witty, ironic movie!" But the rough spots are soon smoothed out in an elegant barrage of exquisite costumes, sleek dialogue, and some clever in-jokes (Robert and Gertrude go to watch "The Importance of Being Earnest").

But the strongest part of the movie is the central quartet of actors: Northam gives a powerful performance as a man torn between self-preservation and honesty, while Blanchett is enchanting as a woman whose love for her husband is disrupted by her excessively high standards. Moore is brilliantly slimy, charming and sexual, and she has great chemistry with Everett's lazy, witty playboy-with-a-heart-of-gold.

The one downside is Minnie Driver, who gives a strangely twitchy performance. Her character is meant to be a love interest for Everett, but since he has zero chemistry with her (and plenty with Northam and Moore), she feels... unnecessary.

"An Ideal Husband" is a cool, elegant little period piece, with a powerful underlying message about facing up to your past sins. And the best part is the four lead actors.

No person is perfect, and the movie isn't either. But Blanchett, Moore and Northam are excellent and the movie is a visual feast. A pleasant diversion.

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RUN, DON'T WALK, FOR THE VHS/DVD OF THIS FILM!..., July 27, 2002

By 

Elaine Campbell "Desert Dweller" (Rancho Mirage, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ideal Husband [VHS] (VHS Tape)

One may wish to watch this movie many times, for there are witticisms galore, so much so that one can hardly keep up with them. While laughing at one, another takes place, and so on. The dialogue is glittering.

This is the greatest production of an Oscar Wilde play I have ever seen, and leaves me on pins and needles waiting for the release later this year of The Importance of Being Earnest because it also stars an actor who seems born to perform in Wilde's plays/movies: Rupert Everett.

The performances: wonderful all. Rupert Everett's work nears the genius level. Jeremy Northam as a not-so-perfect parliamentarian is great. John Wood as his father stands out. And there are the ever-so-essential ladies: Cate Blanchett as Northam's wife (would you believe she is Australian?), who believes she has a perfect husband. Julianne Moore as one of the most charmingly wicked women ever to grace the screen (would you believe she is from North Carolina?), and the very strong presence of Minnie Driver (yes, she actually is from England). All together, they create an effervescent champagne of a film.

The perfect find out they are not so perfect. The expecters of perfection find out they themselves are also not so perfect. Love finally lowers its standards to include the imperfection of the beloved. Even the loser at evildoing turns out to have an unexpected side to her. This is the film's theme. The actors and the director of this film, however, ironically bring this film close to, if not at, the peak of perfection.

The final scene is an ode to joy. Watch it and have fun!

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Witty Dialogue, Great Acting Ensemble, January 19, 2000

By 

Courtney (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Ideal Husband (DVD)

If you're as tired as I am with the Action/Special effects explosion in Hollywood, An Ideal Husband will prove to boost your low opinion of the film industry. Beautifully cast, written, and directed, it's no wonder why it's been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards. The first of course, going to the actor, Rupert Everett. He delivers his lines with such an aire and grace of an English gentleman and takes such care to wrap each word in a delightful sarcastic tone-- which fits his character perfectly. Although he is, in some ways, considered a nasty man of arrogance, Everett's charm shines through and draws the viewer into his oh so romantic embrace. The rest of the cast is equally entertaining--mostly because they mesh so well together. The period costumes and cinematography are also important to note. The movement from scene to scene, the juxtaposition of the placement of the characters in the scenes are particularly amusing to watch. Enough is enough already. If you don't mind watching "period" films, this is a breath of fresh air to the genre.