Wilde (film)

Last updated

Wilde
Wilde Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Brian Gilbert
Screenplay by Julian Mitchell
Based onOscar Wilde
by Richard Ellmann
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMartin Fuhrer
Edited byMichael Bradsell
Music by Debbie Wiseman
Production
companies
Distributed by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Release dates
  • 1 September 1997 (1997-09-01)(Venice)
  • 17 October 1997 (1997-10-17)(United Kingdom)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£5.6 million [1]
Box office$2.2 million [2] [3]

Wilde is a 1997 British biographical romantic drama film directed by Brian Gilbert. The screenplay, written by Julian Mitchell, is based on Richard Ellmann's 1987 biography of Oscar Wilde. It stars Stephen Fry in the title role, with Jude Law, Vanessa Redgrave, Jennifer Ehle, Gemma Jones, Judy Parfitt, Michael Sheen, Zoë Wanamaker, and Tom Wilkinson in supporting roles.

Contents

The film premiered at the 54th Venice International Film Festival on 1 September 1997, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 17 October 1997, by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. It was praised for the performances of the cast, particularly that of Fry, who received critical acclaim and a Best Actor nomination at the 56th Golden Globe Awards. Ehle and Wanamaker were both nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 51st British Academy Film Awards.

Plot

The film opens with Oscar Wilde's 1882 visit to Leadville, Colorado during his lecture tour of the United States. Despite his flamboyant personality and urbane wit, he proves to be a success with the local silver miners as he regales them with tales of Renaissance silversmith Benvenuto Cellini.

Wilde returns to London and weds Constance Lloyd. They have two sons in quick succession. While their second child is still an infant, the couple hosts a young Canadian named Robbie Ross, who seduces Wilde. Ross's love for Wilde endures. On the opening night of his play Lady Windermere's Fan , Wilde is re-introduced to the dashingly handsome and foppish poet Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas, whom he had met briefly the year before. The two fall into a passionate and tempestuous relationship. The hedonistic Bosie is not content to remain monogamous and frequently engages in sexual activity with rent boys while his older lover plays the role of voyeur.

Bosie's father, the Marquess of Queensberry, a violent and cruel man, objects to his son's relationship with Wilde and demeans the playwright shortly after the opening of The Importance of Being Earnest . When Wilde sues the Marquess for criminal libel, his homosexuality is publicly exposed. He is eventually tried for gross indecency and sentenced to two years' hard labour. Constance is advised by friends to go abroad and change her name to protect the children.

Prison life is grueling; the penal treadmill permanently wrecks Wilde's health. Bosie tells Robbie he will look after Wilde in some pleasant sunny place when he is released. Constance visits him in prison. She is sending Cyril to school in Germany, and she may need back surgery. He tells her he has always loved her, and that he did not know himself in the beginning. She tells him she does not want a divorce. The children love him and he is welcome to visit as long as he never sees Bosie again.

Loyal friend Ada Leverson meets Wilde when he is released from prison in May 1897, carrying the manuscript of De Profundis . He goes straight into exile, to continental Europe. He puts flowers on Constance's grave. Since she died (in April 1898) he is no longer allowed to see his children. He eventually meets with Douglas. A printed epilogue notes that they parted after three months and describes Wilde's death in Paris in November 1900 at age 46 and the fates of Bosie and Ross.

Portions of the beloved Wilde story "The Selfish Giant" are woven throughout the film, beginning when Wilde tells the story to his children, then as Constance reads the book to them and so on until Wilde almost finishes the story in a voice-over as the film nears its end.

Cast

Production

In a featurette on the film's DVD release, producer Marc Samuelson confesses casting Stephen Fry in the title role was both a blessing and a problem. Everyone agreed he was physically perfect for the part and more than capable of carrying it off, but the fact he was not a major presence in films made it difficult for them to obtain financing for the project.

In the DVD commentary, Fry, who is gay, admitted he was nervous about the love scenes with his heterosexual co-stars. He says Jude Law, Michael Sheen, and Ioan Gruffudd were quick to put him at ease. Orlando Bloom made his film debut in this film, with a brief appearance as a rentboy.

Scenes were filmed at Knebworth House in Hertfordshire; Lulworth Cove, Studland Bay, and Swanage Pier in Dorset; Houghton Lodge in Hampshire; Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire; Magdalen College in Oxford; Lincoln's Inn in Holborn and Somerset House in the Strand.

Brothers Marc and Peter Samuelson produced the film in association with Dove International, NDF International, Pony Canyon, Pandora Film, Capitol Films, and BBC Films. [4]

Release

Wilde had its world premiere at the 54th Venice International Film Festival on 1 September 1997, and was released in the United Kingdom by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment on 17 October 1997. In February 1998, it was announced that Sony Pictures Classics acquired North American distribution rights to the film, and set it for a 1 May 1998 release. [4]

Home media

Altitude Film Distribution released the film on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on 14 December 2015. [5] Sony Pictures later released it on Blu-ray in the United States on 14 June 2022. [6]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 72% of 50 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10.The website's consensus reads: "Wilde can't hope to communicate the entirety of its subject's fascinating life or outsize talent, but Stephen Fry's stellar performance offers abundant compensation." [7] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [8]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times called the film "a broad but effectively intimate portrait" and lauded Fry's performance, writing that he "looks uncannily like Wilde and presents a mixture of superciliousness and vulnerability. Though the film suffers a case of quip-lash thanks to its tireless Wildean witticisms, Mr. Fry's warmly sympathetic performance finds the gentleness beneath the wit." Maslin concluded her review by stating, "Wilde and Mr. Fry fare better at shaping an arch, vivid impersonation than in telling a cautionary tale." [9]

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times opined that "Wilde has found a perfect Oscar in the formidably talented Stephen Fry, who brings an uncanny physical resemblance to the Victorian playwright along with a profound grasp of the great wit's psyche" and described the film as "a lustrous period piece with a high degree of authenticity in decor and costume." Thomas also stated, "A work of superior craftsmanship, Wilde moves quite briskly, and the idea of approaching an unconventional life with a traditional narrative style pays off." [10]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said the film "has the good fortune to star Stephen Fry, a British author, actor and comedian who looks a lot like Wilde and has many of the same attributes: He is very tall, he is somewhat plump, he is gay, he is funny and he makes his conversation into an art. That he is also a fine actor is important, because the film requires him to show many conflicting aspects of Wilde's life ... [He] brings a depth and gentleness to the role." [11]

Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle called it "a sympathetic and, for the most part, nicely realized look into the private life of the flamboyant author" and commented, "Stephen Fry has the title role, and it's hard to imagine a more appropriate actor ... In the last third, the film derails somewhat by turning preachy ... While [it] captures its subject's singular charm, it ultimately doesn't do justice to his complexity." [12]

In the San Francisco Examiner , David Armstrong said the film "benefits from its lush period costumes and settings but gains even more from an accomplished cast of British film and stage actors ... Stephen Fry ... slips right under the skin of the title character [and] presents a multidimensional portrait of a complex man ... However, Wilde, like Wilde, is flawed. Gilbert's direction is sturdy but uninspired, and Ehle's part is underwritten. To her credit, Ehle movingly conveys the sad frustration that Wilde implanted in his lonely wife; but Ehle has to do the work, playing her feelings on her face, with little help from Julian Mitchell's screenplay." [13]

Derek Elley of Variety observed, "Brian Gilbert, till now only a journeyman director, brings to the picture most of the qualities that were memorably absent in his previous costumer, Tom & Viv – visual fluency, deep-seated emotion and first rate playing from his cast." [14]

In the Evening Standard , Alexander Walker called the film "an impressive and touching work of intelligence, compassion and tragic stature" and said Stephen Fry "returns to the top of the class with a dominating screen performance." [15]

In his review in Time Out New York , Andrew Johnston observed that "The first hour – filled with sharp humor and steamy gay sex – delivers a thoroughly modern portrait of Wilde, and Fry (who in costume bears an astonishing resemblance to the writer) plays him with a pitch-perfect combination of smugness and warmth." [16]

Box office

The film opened on 15 screens in the United Kingdom and grossed £146,495 ($237,128) in its opening weekend for a per-screen average of £9,766 ($15,803). [17] [18] It grossed $2,158,755 in the United States and Canada. [2] [3]

Accolades

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscar Wilde</span> Irish poet and playwright (1854–1900)

Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and his criminal conviction for gross indecency for homosexual acts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoë Wanamaker</span> American-British actress (born 1949)

Zoë Wanamaker is an American-British actress who has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. Wanamaker was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2001 by Queen Elizabeth II. She has received numerous accolades including a Laurence Olivier Award and nominations for three BAFTA Awards, and four Tony Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry</span> British nobleman (1844–1900)

John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry, was a British nobleman of the Victorian era, remembered for his atheism, his outspoken views, his brutish manner, for lending his name to the "Queensberry Rules" that form the basis of modern boxing, and for his role in the downfall of the Irish author and playwright Oscar Wilde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord Alfred Douglas</span> English poet and journalist (1870–1945)

Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas, also known as Bosie Douglas, was an English poet and journalist, and a lover of Oscar Wilde. At Oxford University he edited an undergraduate journal, The Spirit Lamp, that carried a homoerotic subtext, and met Wilde, starting a close but stormy relationship. Douglas's father, John Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry, abhorred it and set out to humiliate Wilde, publicly accusing him of homosexuality. Wilde sued him for criminal libel, but some intimate notes were found and Wilde was later imprisoned. On his release, he briefly lived with Douglas in Naples, but they had separated by the time Wilde died in 1900. Douglas married a poet, Olive Custance, in 1902 and had a son, Raymond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jude Law</span> English actor (born 1972)

David Jude Heyworth Law is an English actor. He began his career in theatre before landing small roles in various British television productions and feature films. Law gained recognition for his role in Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rupert Everett</span> English actor (born 1959)

Rupert James Hector Everett is a British actor. He first came to public attention in 1981 when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film Another Country (1984) as a gay pupil at an English public school in the 1930s; the role earned him his first BAFTA Award nomination. He received a second BAFTA nomination and his first Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), followed by a second Golden Globe nomination for An Ideal Husband (1999). He voiced Prince Charming in two Shrek films: Shrek 2 (2004) and Shrek the Third (2007). He also played John Lamont/Mr. Barron in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016).

<i>Whats Eating Gilbert Grape</i> 1993 American film

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a 1993 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, and starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Leonardo DiCaprio and John C. Reilly. The film follows the story of Gilbert, a 25-year-old grocery store clerk who is caring for his morbidly obese mother, as well as his mentally disabled younger brother, Arnie. The film takes place in the fictional rural town of Endora, Iowa.

<i>The Trials of Oscar Wilde</i> 1960 film by Ken Hughes

The Trials of Oscar Wilde, also known as The Man with the Green Carnation and The Green Carnation, is a 1960 British drama film based on the libel and subsequent criminal cases involving Oscar Wilde and the Marquess of Queensberry. It was written by Allen and Ken Hughes, directed by Hughes, and co-produced by Irving Allen, Albert R. Broccoli and Harold Huth. The screenplay was by Ken Hughes and Montgomery Hyde, based on an unperformed play The Stringed Lute by John Furnell. The film was made by Warwick Films and released by Eros Films.

<i>Oscar Wilde</i> (film) 1960 British film

Oscar Wilde is a 1960 biographical film about Oscar Wilde, made by Vantage Films and released by 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Gregory Ratoff and produced by William Kirby, from a screenplay by Jo Eisinger, based on the play Oscar Wilde by Leslie Stokes and Sewell Stokes. The film starred Robert Morley, Ralph Richardson, Phyllis Calvert and Alexander Knox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merlin Holland</span> British writer

Christopher Merlin Vyvyan Holland is a British biographer and editor. He is the only grandchild of Oscar Wilde, whose life he has researched and written about extensively.

<i>Across the Universe</i> (film) 2007 romantic drama film directed by Julie Taymor

Across the Universe is a 2007 American jukebox musical romantic drama film directed by Julie Taymor, centered on songs by the Beatles. The script is based on an original story credited to Taymor, Dick Clement, and Ian La Frenais, and based on the song of the same name by Lennon–McCartney. It incorporates 34 compositions originally written by members of the Beatles. The film stars Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson and T.V. Carpio, and introduces Dana Fuchs and Martin Luther McCoy as actors. Cameo appearances are made by Bono, Eddie Izzard, Joe Cocker, and Salma Hayek, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constance Wilde</span> Author, wife of Oscar Wilde (1858–1898)

Constance Mary Wilde was an Irish writer. She was the wife of Irish playwright Oscar Wilde and the mother of their two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan.

Brian Gilbert is a film director. Born in England, he spent much of his childhood in Australia, where he was a child actor of film, television and radio. Returning to England at the age of fourteen, he attended the Harrow County Grammar School for Boys and completed his education at Oxford University.

<i>Fried Green Tomatoes</i> 1991 film by Jon Avnet

Fried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 American comedy-drama film directed by Jon Avnet and based on Fannie Flagg's 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Written by Flagg and Carol Sobieski, and starring Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker and Cicely Tyson, the film tells the story of a middle-aged housewife who, unhappy with her life, befriends an elderly lady in a nursing home and is enthralled by the tales she tells of people she used to know.

Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde is a 1997 play written and directed by Moisés Kaufman. It deals with Oscar Wilde's three trials on the matter of his relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas and other men.

<i>The Sweet Hereafter</i> (film) 1997 film

The Sweet Hereafter is a 1997 Canadian drama film written and directed by Atom Egoyan, adapted from the 1991 novel by Russell Banks. It tells the story of a school bus accident in a small town that kills 14 children. Survivors and grieving parents file a class-action lawsuit. This proves divisive in the community and becomes tied with personal and family issues. The ensemble cast includes Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, Maury Chaykin, Bruce Greenwood, Tom McCamus, Gabrielle Rose, Arsinée Khanjian and Alberta Watson.

Ty Keegan Simpkins is an American actor. His notable film credits include Insidious (2011), its sequel Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013), Jurassic World (2015), and Insidious: The Red Door (2023). He is also known for his appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Harley Keener in Iron Man 3 (2013) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), as well as the independent film The Whale (2022).

Oscar Wilde's life and death have generated numerous biographies.

<i>The Judas Kiss</i> (play) 1998 play by David Hare

The Judas Kiss is a 1998 British play by David Hare about Oscar Wilde's scandal and disgrace at the hands of his young lover Bosie.

<i>The Happy Prince</i> (2018 film) 2018 film

The Happy Prince is a 2018 biographical drama film about Oscar Wilde, written and directed by Rupert Everett in his directorial debut. The film stars Everett, Colin Firth, Colin Morgan, Emily Watson, Edwin Thomas and Tom Wilkinson. It premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and was shown at the 2018 BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival. At the 9th Magritte Awards, it received a nomination in the category of Best Foreign Film.

References

  1. ↑ Walker, Alexander (2004). Icons in the Fire: The Decline and Fall of Almost Everybody in the British Film Industry 1984–2000. Orion Books. p. 276.
  2. 1 2 "Wilde". Box Office Mojo . IMDb. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Wilde". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 Roman, Monica (12 February 1998). "Sony nabs 'Wilde' rights". Variety . Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "Wilde Blu-ray (United Kingdom)". Blu-ray . Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  6. ↑ "Wilde Blu-ray (United States)". Blu-ray . Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "Wilde". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  8. ↑ "Wilde". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Maslin, Janet (1 May 1998). "FILM REVIEW; Wilde's Antics: Victorians Were Only Half-Amused". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (1 May 1998). "Full-Blooded 'Wilde' Offers Definitive Portrait of Oscar". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Ebert, Roger. (12 June 1998). Wilde :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews Archived 20 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine . Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  12. ↑ LaSalle, Mick. (8 May 1998). "The Importance of Being `Wilde'". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  13. ↑ Armstrong, David. (8 May 1998)."A dandy of a film". San Francisco Examiner . Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  14. ↑ Elley, Derek. (25–31 August 1997). "Wilde life makes for artful pic". Variety . Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  15. ↑ Walker, Alexander. (23 October 1997). "Stephen Fry's Oscar winning performance". OscarWilde.com. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  16. ↑ Johnston, Andrew (7 May 1998). "Wilde". Time Out New York.
  17. ↑ Scott, Mary (24 October 1997). "Wilde King". Screen International . p. 27.
  18. ↑ "UK Top 15". Screen International . 24 October 1997. p. 26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.