‘There’s nothing I like more than to be congratulated, though invariably I find the pleasure increased when I know what for.’ What is unfashionable is what other people wear. (One-line gems from Arthur, Lord Goring): Everett seems born to play Lord Goring and handles the role with aplomb. Goring (as Sir Robert’s closest friend) becomes involved in the subsequent subterfuge and also provides a romantic subplot – (will he remain a confirmed bachelor, or will he fall for one of the ladies?) And, if so, which one? In effect, his character provides an outlet for Wilde’s more outrageous proclamations regarding society, love and marriage. He must either support the scheme in parliament, or expect the lady to make public her knowledge of the origins of his wealth, thereby ruining both his reputation and his marriage in the process. Cheveley is a blackmailer bent on making money from a fraudulent scheme that Sir Robert Chiltern is pledged to expose. Without revealing the tale’s plot in its intricacy, I shall simply say that Mrs. Oscar, I readily confess, is so much easier to grasp for my limited intellect. Appreciating Bill the Bard requires a lot more work on my part if I am to have any hope of unravelling his obscure phrasing. I wholeheartedly admit to a preference for being entertained on the screen, and Oscar usually fills that need with most of his works. Hopefully, such an admission might save me from being accused of this by all and sundry. I have always preferred Wilde to Shakespeare clear evidence of my lack of intellect, I hasten to add. ![]() But who cares? Certainly not this writer. As usual with Wilde’s plays, the story merely serves as a framework for his observations on society and life in general. Everett as Lord Goring is blessed with most of Wilde’s best lines and pretty much steals the film. ![]() ![]() Cheveley, Rupert Everett as Lord Goring, Jeremy Northam as Sir Robert Chiltern, Cate Blanchett as his wife Gertrude, and Minnie Driver as Mabel. This version features a wonderful cast, headed by Julianne Moore as the scheming Mrs. It at least covered expenses, grossing about eighteen and a half million, all of which was accumulated in Canada and the USA. This more recent (1999) version was made on a $14 million budget. ![]() I have not seen it myself so I cannot offer an assessment here, but I have watched the 1999 version several times and enjoyed it every time. Although it was one of the most popular pictures released in Britain in 1948, it did not fare well in other markets. In 1947 it was made into a feature film starring Paulette Goddard, Michael Wilding, Diana Wynyard, Hugh Williams and Glynis Johns. His Broadway play titled An Ideal Husband first opened at the Lyceum Theatre in 1895 and ran for forty performances. Most of his one-line ‘truths’ tend to hit the mark one way or another, albeit in an upper-crust, often snide, way. Indeed, the only thing I share with him is his profound appreciation of the English language. He was high society (I am not), he was homosexual (I am not), he was a vain man (I hope I am not), and he was possessed of a super intellect, (sadly, I am not that fortunate). I suppose there are those who dislike the works of Oscar Wilde, but I am not one of them.
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