Happy Birthday Oscar Wilde (2004)

Documentary celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Oscar Wilde. 150 of Wilde's finest lines, epigrams and verses are spoken on camera by 150 public figures.

Director:

Bill Hughes

Writers:

Noreen Doody (script and quote selection), Frank McGuinness (script and quote selection)

Stars:

Simon Williams, Jillian Armenante, Edward Asner

Cast

Credited cast:
Simon Williams	...	Himself / Narrator / Presenter
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jillian Armenante	...	Herself
Edward Asner	...	Himself
Mel B	...	Herself (as Melanie Brown)
Helen Baxendale	...	Herself
Stephanie Beacham	...	Herself
Emma Bolger	...	Herself
Sarah Bolger	...	Herself
Bono	...	Himself
Barry Bostwick	...	Himself
Dawn Bradfield	...	Herself
Barbara Brennan	...	Herself
Roscoe Lee Browne	...	Himself
Jean Butler	...	Herself
Gerard Byrne	...	Himself

Storyline

Documentary celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Oscar Wilde. 150 of Wilde's finest lines, epigrams and verses are spoken on camera by 150 public figures.

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Plot Keywords:

character name in title | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

Ireland Australia UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 December 2004 (Ireland)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amnesty International, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Mind the Gap Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Quotes of Oscar Wilde, on film

About 150 actors and friends of the director, most of whom I had never heard of, were plopped in front of a camera and told to do something. Many said something roughly like this "Happy 150th Oscar baby. I hope you enjoy many more. I wish I had met you and we could have got drunk." I gather these people had no idea who Oscar Wilde was. Many quoted or requoted something Oscar Wilde said. These performances were in general overly hammy, full of extended pauses and strange gestures, in the style of William Shatner. Many blew kisses. Some performances were outright revolting/disgusting especially that woman from SNL with the rubbery lips. There was quite a bit of crude camp which is gay, but not really Oscar. However, there was one performance right near the end by a young Neanderthal of a fellow that was spellbinding.

It is a very international cast. Some of the accents are music to the ears.

There is very little background about who Oscar Wilde was or the trouble he got into. They presume you know who he was. The main appeal of the movie is contrasting accepting modern attitudes to those of his mocking contemporaries. We have come a long way. Oscar was born too soon.