Wilde (1998)

71% of critics liked it
(49 reviews)
70% of users liked it
(8,442 ratings)

Literary genius, legendary wit, bon vivant, and gay martyr, Oscar Wilde was a man whose legend has grown to iconic proportions since his death at the beginning of the 20th century. Establishing Wilde (Stephen Fry) as a loving family man, complete with a wife (Jennifer Ehle) and two adorable sons,… More Literary genius, legendary wit, bon vivant, and gay martyr, Oscar Wilde was a man whose legend has grown to iconic proportions since his death at the beginning of the 20th century. Establishing Wilde (Stephen Fry) as a loving family man, complete with a wife (Jennifer Ehle) and two adorable sons, the film takes pains to portray him as a dignified genius who was as pained by what he considered his own sin -- his homosexuality -- as he was delighted by the sins of others. From his initial encounters with Robbie Ross (Michael Sheen), his first male lover, through his tragic affair with the beautiful and bratty Alfred Lord Douglas (a perfectly cast Jude Law), Wilde is seen as a conflicted fellow, warring with his own urges even as he dazzles everyone around him. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 57 min.
Directed By: Brian Gilbert
Written By: Julian Mitchell
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: May 1, 1998 Wide
On DVD: Mar 19, 2002
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

Derek Elley, Variety
A tony biopic that manages to combine an upfront portrayal of the scribe's gayness with an often moving examination of his broader emotions and artistic ideals.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Likely to remain the definitive screen treatment of Oscar Wilde for years to come.
Carol Lloyd, Salon.com
The closest thing the movie has to a point of view is a tendentious and mystifying voice-over, in which Fry reads excerpts from Wilde's fairy tale about a selfish giant who banishes his children from his garden.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Mr. Fry's warmly sympathetic performance finds the gentleness beneath the wit. He conveys the sense of a man at the mercy of forces he cannot control, not least of them his own brittle genius.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Stephen Fry brings a depth and gentleness to the role that says what can be said about Oscar Wilde: that he was a funny and gifted idealist in a society that valued hypocrisy above honesty.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Bosie is one of history's legendary bad boyfriends, and Jude Law plays him to the hilt. He's spoiled and angry, flies into bug-eyed rages and seems bent on destroying Wilde and his work.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Stephen Fry is extraordinary as Oscar Wilde, but the movie lacks balance and finesse and comes across as a TV movie of the week.
Stephen Garrett, Time Out
If anybody was born to play Oscar Wilde, it must have been Stephen Fry: not only does he look like the Green Carnation Man, but he himself is often portrayed as being too clever, too complex for his own good.
Emily Blunt, Blunt Review
Stephen Fry captures Wilde completely.
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
[Stephen Fry] was born to play Oscar Wilde!
Shannon J. Harvey, Sunday Times (Australia)
There's never been a better story about the misadventures of one of the world's greatest writer. Fry should have been Oscar nominated, and Law is equally electrifying.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
Julian Mitchell's script freely doles out all kinds of pithy, self-conscious bon mots among its cast, but doesn't bother to flesh out convincingly the emotional conflicts and dramas in which the characters find themselves.
Rob Vaux, Flipside Movie Emporium
Fry is great, though the film struggles to make a lasting impression.
Brandon Judell, Detour Magazine
Call it "The Picture of Oscar Gray" or "The Importance of Being Overly Earnest." Somberness aside, "Wilde" is still worth placing a green carnation in your lapel for and scampering off to see.

Read all 14 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Julie B

The acting was good, but Jude Law's character is so whiny and hateful, it's almost like watching two hours of an abusive relationship.
Ken S

A melodrama with a wonderful portray of Wilde, but lacking the signature Wilde wit. Fry is genius, Law is less than desirable
Kylie B

Biopic of a genuis, starring a genius.
Marcus W

Great acting by WIlkinson, Law and Fry can't save this plot-less biopic from joining all the others in Mediocre-Biopic Land
Sarah B

Stephen Fry IS Oscar Wilde, Jude Law is amazing and Orlando Bloom is amusing; wish I'd seen this before LOTR and POTC, then I wouldn't have fallen for him. But this film is severely flawed. For enthusiasm this film gets a 10, for character study and loyalty it should get 33… More
Stephen Fry IS Oscar Wilde, Jude Law is amazing and Orlando Bloom is amusing; wish I'd seen this before LOTR and POTC, then I wouldn't have fallen for him. But this film is severely flawed. For enthusiasm this film gets a 10, for character study and loyalty it should get 33 and for Orlando Bloom -126.
Marion R

I could care less about his sex life, I thought this movie was going to be a biography, we only see a piece of his life and I was bored watching it.
Timothy O

Well, what an amazing character study. And Stephen Fry is amazing. A must see.
FanGirl B

Wilde was a brilliant man and so is this film.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings

Cast

Stephen Fry
as Oscar Wilde
Jude Law
as Lord Alfred Douglas
Vanessa Redgrave
as Wilde's Mother

Jennifer Ehle
as Constance Lloyd
Gemma Jones
as Lady Queensberry
Judy Parfitt
as Lady Mount-Temple

See full cast