An Ideal Husband (1999)

Director:

Oliver Parker

Writers:

Oscar Wilde (play)
Oliver Parker (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 June 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

He just doesn't know it yet.

Plot:

Sir Robert Chiltern is a successful Government minister, well-off and with a loving wife. All this is...

Plot Keywords:

Blackmail | Social Satire | Oscar Wilde | Remake | Upper Class

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 4 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Cate Blanchett	...	Lady Gertrude Chiltern
Minnie Driver	...	Miss Mabel Chiltern
Rupert Everett	...	Lord Arthur Goring
Julianne Moore	...	Mrs. Laura Cheveley
Jeremy Northam	...	Sir Robert Chiltern
John Wood	...	Lord Caversham
Peter Vaughan	...	Phipps
Ben Pullen	...	Tommy Trafford
Marsha Fitzalan	...	Countess
Lindsay Duncan	...	Lady Markby
Neville Phillips	...	Mason
Nickolas Grace	...	Vicomte de Nanjac
Simon Russell Beale	...	Sir Edward
Anna Patrick	...	Miss Danvers
Delia Lindsay	...	Lady Basildon
Denise Stephenson	...	Gwendolen in stage production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'
Charles Edwards	...	Jack in stage production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'
Nancy Carroll	...	Cecily in stage production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'
Andy Harrison	...	Algernon in stage production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'
Jill Balcon	...	Lady Bracknell in stage production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'
Janet Henfrey	...	Miss Prism in stage production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'
Toby Robertson	...	Canon Chasuble in stage production of 'the Importance of Being Earnest'
Michael Culkin	...	Oscar Wilde
Oliver Parker	...	Bunbury
Doug Bradley	...	Brackpool (as Douglas Bradley)
Stephen May	...	Burlington
Jeroen Krabbé	...	Baron Arnheim
Susannah Wise	...	Young Mother
Peter Parker	...	M.P. No. 1
Oliver Ford Davies	...	Sir Hugo Danforth
Neil Mendoza	...	M.P. No. 2
John Thompson	...	The Speaker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Suzy Kewer	...	French debutante
Charlie Mole	...	Gypsy Violinist
Lars Oostveen	...	Hugo (as Lawrence Ray)

Directed by
Oliver Parker

Writing credits
Oscar Wilde		(play)
Oliver Parker		(screenplay)

Produced by
Nicky Kentish Barnes	....	co-producer
Andrea Calderwood	....	executive producer
Bruce Davey	....	producer
Uri Fruchtmann	....	producer
Ralph Kamp	....	executive producer
Susan B. Landau	....	executive producer
Barnaby Thompson	....	producer
Paul Tucker	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Charlie Mole

Cinematography by
David Johnson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Guy Bensley

Casting by
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
Michael Howells

Art Direction by
Rod McLean

Set Decoration by
Katie Lee

Costume Design by
Caroline Harris

Makeup Department
Tamsin Dorling	....	hair stylist
Paul Gooch	....	chief hair stylist
Peter King	....	hair designer
Peter King	....	makeup designer
Veronica McAleer	....	makeup artist (as Veronica Brebner)
Jamie Pritchard	....	hair stylist
Kirstie Stanway	....	hair stylist
Liz Tagg	....	key makeup artist (as Elizabeth Tagg)

Production Management
Jo Farr	....	unit production manager
Waldo Roeg	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Hewitt	....	assistant director
Marshall Leviten	....	crowd assistant director
Matthew Penry-Davey	....	third assistant director
Toby Sherborne	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Simon Alderton	....	stand-by rigger
Mark Brady	....	stand-by carpenter
Graham Caulfield	....	drapesmaster
Steve Fitzwater	....	assistant construction manager
Joanna Foley	....	art department assistant
Colin Gray	....	dressing props
Elli Griff	....	stand-by art director
Nick Milner	....	stand-by props
Steve Payne	....	dressing props
Julie Philpott	....	assistant art director
Graeme Purdy	....	property master
Malcolm Roberts	....	construction manager
Bob Sherwood	....	dressing props
Alfie Smith	....	chargehand stand-by prop
Jim Staines	....	storyboard artist
Lucinda Sturgis	....	property buyer
Graham Weames	....	supervising carpenter

Sound Department
Christopher Ackland	....	sound effects editor (as Chris Ackland)
Peter Burgis	....	foley artist
Andie Derrick	....	foley artist
Mark DeSimone	....	adr engineer
Steve Finn	....	sound assistant (as Stephen Finn)
Susan French	....	assistant sound editor (as Sue French)
Max Hoskins	....	supervising sound editor
Peter Lindsay	....	sound
Miriam Ludbrook	....	foley editor
Mike Prestwood Smith	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Adrian Rhodes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Malcolm Rose	....	sound maintenance
Steve Hancock	....	sound technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Angus Cameron	....	digital effects supervisor
Antony Hunt	....	visual effects supervisor
Daniel Pettipher	....	digital artist
Andy Stevens	....	visual effects camera assistant: Millfilm
Max Dennison	....	digital matte artist (uncredited)
Rick Mietkowski	....	visual effects supervision/photography (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David Appleby	....	key grip
Alex Bailey	....	still photographer
Robert Binnall	....	focus puller
Kevin Brookner	....	video assist
Matthew Butler	....	electrician
Peter Chester	....	best boy
Martin Kenzie	....	camera operator
Robert Palmer	....	clapper loader
Aaron Walters	....	electrician
Gavin Walters	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Alex Johnson	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Emily Bradbury	....	assistant costume designer
Katherine Burchill	....	costume assistant
Lee Clayton	....	tailor
Ali Goss	....	costume supervisor
Joe Hobbs	....	wardrobe master
Melissa Layton	....	costume assistant
Marcus Love-McGuirk	....	costume master
Marnie Ormiston	....	costume assistant
Rupert Steggle	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Tania Blunden	....	post-production (as Tania Windsor Blunden)
Mike Fraser	....	negative cutter
Steve Harrow	....	post-production consultant
Steve Mercer	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Geoff Alexander	....	conductor
Geoff Alexander	....	orchestrator
John Bell	....	additional orchestrator
James Seymour Brett	....	music co-producer
Matt Dunkley	....	music preparation
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Michael Higham	....	music editor
Nick Ingman	....	conductor
Nick Ingman	....	orchestrator
Michael Lustig	....	music consultant
Eliza Thompson	....	music supervisor
Mike Townend	....	additional orchestrator
Gavyn Wright	....	orchestra leader
Bjorn Ole Schroeder	....	music editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert Ahrens	....	assistant to executive producer
Jean Bourne	....	script supervisor
Derek Boyes	....	production runner
Simon Crawford Collins	....	location manager
Teresa Darby	....	location scout (as Teresa Hidalgo)
Mike Fraser	....	rushes transfer
Muriel Gérard	....	unit publicist
Lisa Grimes	....	location assistant
Rachelle Gryn	....	assistant: Oliver Parker
Erol Hunt	....	production runner
Sarah Lee	....	location supervisor
Sarah Lucraft	....	production accountant
Judith Nora	....	production assistant
Roger Phillips	....	title designer
Asha Radwan	....	assistant production coordinator
Mari Roberts	....	floor runner
Jo Rogers	....	assistant to producer (as Joanna Rogers)
Jo Rogers	....	head of development
Bevan Walsh	....	production runner

Production Companies

• Arts Council of England (presents) (in assocation with) (as The Arts Council of England)
• Canal+
• Fragile Films
• Icon Entertainment International (presents)
• Icon Productions (in association with) (as Icon Pictures)
• Miramax Films (in association with)
• Pathé Pictures International (presents) (as Pathé Pictures)

Distributors

• Pathé (1999) (UK) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (1999) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Pyramide Distribution (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (1999) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Lauren Films (2000) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Crest International (2000) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Independent Films (2000) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Yorin (2004) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Filmes Lusomundo (200?) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)
• Gativideo (200?) (Argentina) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Anvil Post Production  sound re-recording
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Mike Fraser  telecine rushes transfers
• Sapex Scripts  post-production services

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief sensuality/nudity.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #36196) | Australia:PG | UK:PG | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | New Zealand:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Arts Council of England

Trivia:

Rupert Everett starred in the film version of The Importance of Being Earnest (2002), the play they attended in the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: Lord Goring's jacket is buttoned, then unbuttoned, then buttoned again as he explains Lady Chiltern's letter to Lord Chiltern, Mabel and Lady Chiltern herself near the end of the film.

Quotes:

Lord Arthur Goring: [to statue] It is a great nuisance. I can't find anyone else to talk to. I'm so full of interesting information, I feel like the latest edition of something or other. Well, after some consideration... so much to do, there's only one thing to be done. There comes a time in every son's life when he must, indeed, follow his father's advice: I shall go to bed at once.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.45)" (2005)

Charming, clever, and contrived.

"An Ideal Husband" is a charming though contrived little 19th century English period comedy with the subtly sardonic sense of humor typical of Oscar Wilde. The film, which deals with the politics of society first, the politics of the heart second, and the politics of the state last, features all the trappings of the period, a solid cast, and a clever script. An amusing and enjoyable watch for those into 19th century English period films.