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Wilde

Play trailer Poster for Wilde R,  1997,  1h 55m,  Biography/ LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 74% 47 Reviews Tomatometer 73% 5,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
74% Tomatometer 47 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Oscar Wilde (Stephen Fry) is a married writer who has occasionally indulged his weakness for male suitors. After much toil, Wilde debuts a stage comedy in London, and a chat at the theater with Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas (Jude Law) leads to a full-on romance. Wilde ends up in a legal dispute with Lord Alfred's father, the Marquess of Queensberry (Tom Wilkinson) and, given the anti-gay local laws, is sent to jail. Wilde's vast intellect helps him survive until he regains his freedom.
Wilde

What to Know

Critics Consensus

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.

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Critics Reviews

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Derek Elley Variety Mar 26, 2009
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. Go to Full Review
Stephen Garrett Time Out Jan 26, 2006
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. Go to Full Review
Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times Feb 14, 2001
4/5
Likely to remain the definitive screen treatment of Oscar Wilde for years to come. Go to Full Review
Philip French Observer (UK) Sep 22, 2025
What it does -- through a combination of Julian Mitchell's intelligent, literate script and Stephen Fry's magnificently rounded and wholly convincing performance -- is to produce a remarkable portrait of the man. Go to Full Review
Matthew Sweet Independent on Sunday Sep 22, 2025
Although Fry manages to make something of the film's emphasis on Wilde's conventional streak, this seems to be more than his director can manage. Go to Full Review
Stefan Pape Common Sense Media Dec 8, 2021
3/5
British actor Fry is such a natural fit as the intelligent, witty dandy, Wilde, that when his casting was secured, the makers of this biopic must have known their work was pretty much done. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Luke M Sep 9, 2017 Quite poorly made. They manage to strip the live out of this.
George W Aug 24, 2017 I'm not wild about wilde, but this sometimes graphic, no-holds-barred look at his life was enjoyable. The acting is very good and as equally good is the casting. Not bad film. See more
Hermione S Mar 11, 2017 The film is ok, Stephen Fry's nuanced, sympathetic and accurate portrayal of Wilde is the only reason I watched this film. I knew very little about Oscar Wilde's life before viewing. Interesting to watch, but not one for the DVD collection See more
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Wilde

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Cast & Crew

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Brian Gilbert

Director

Stephen Fry

Oscar Wilde

Jude Law

Lord Alfred `'Bosie'` Douglas

Vanessa Redgrave

Lady Speranza Wilde

Jennifer Ehle

Constance Lloyd Wilde

Gemma Jones

Lady Queensberry

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Wilde

Wilde (1997) Wilde (1997) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Oscar Wilde (Stephen Fry) is a married writer who has occasionally indulged his weakness for male suitors. After much toil, Wilde debuts a stage comedy in London, and a chat at the theater with Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas (Jude Law) leads to a full-on romance. Wilde ends up in a legal dispute with Lord Alfred's father, the Marquess of Queensberry (Tom Wilkinson) and, given the anti-gay local laws, is sent to jail. Wilde's vast intellect helps him survive until he regains his freedom.
Director
Brian Gilbert
Producer
Marc Samuelson, Peter Samuelson
Screenwriter
Julian Mitchell, Richard Ellmann
Rating
R
Genre
Biography, LGBTQ+
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.1M
Runtime
1h 55m
Sound Mix
Surround
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