An Ideal Husband

Sir Robert Chiltern is a rising member of the British government, admired for his integrity and married to Lady Gertrude, who holds him to equally high standards. His comfortable position is disrupted by the arrival in London of Mrs. Laura Cheveley, who possesses evidence of a dishonest act from his early career and uses it to pressure him. Fearing the loss of his reputation, his career and his wife's trust, Sir Robert turns to his friend Lord Arthur Goring, a witty idler known for avoiding responsibility, who becomes entangled in the schemes surrounding the Chilterns. The film is based on Oscar Wilde's play.

Oliver Parker wrote and directed this adaptation, his second feature after Othello (1995) and the second of nine films he has directed to date. Rupert Everett plays Lord Goring, with Jeremy Northam as Sir Robert, Cate Blanchett as Lady Gertrude, Julianne Moore as Mrs. Cheveley and Minnie Driver as Mabel Chiltern, among a credited cast of twenty-one.

Made for about 14 million dollars, the film took roughly 19 million dollars worldwide, a modest return on its budget. Critics rated it 7.4 out of 10 from 66 reviews, a warmer response than that of audiences, who gave it 6.8 out of 10 on IMDb and 6.5 out of 10 on TMDB. It sits among the director's period literary adaptations, between Othello and The Importance of Being Earnest (2002).