An Ideal Husband (I) (1999)

Cate Blanchett: Gertrude

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Quotes 

• Lord Arthur Goring : Gertrude, it is not the perfect, but rather the imperfect who have need of love.

  Gertrude : You seem to know a great deal about it all of a sudden.

  Lord Arthur Goring : Oh, I hope not. All I know, Gertrude, is that it takes great courage to see the world in all its tainted glory, and still to love it. And even more courage to see it in the one you love. Gertrude, you have more courage than any woman I have ever known. Do not be afraid now to use it.

• Gertrude : Yes, Arthur, it is Robert himself who wishes to retire from public life.

  Lord Arthur Goring : Rather than risk losing your love, he would do anything. Has he not been punished enough?

  Gertrude : We've both been punished. I set him up too high.

  Lord Arthur Goring : Do not set him down now too low.

• Gertrude : The truth is, when I agreed to the story about the letter being intended for you and not for Arthur... well, the truth is... the truth is...

  [whispers] 

  Gertrude : I lied.

  [everyone laughs] 

  Gertrude : Oh, I need a drink!

• Gertrude : Lord Goring, you are talking quite seriously.

  Lord Arthur Goring : You must forgive me, Lady Chiltern. It won't occur again.

  Gertrude : No, I like you to be serious.

  [Enter Mabel] 

  Mabel : Gertrude, please don't say such a dreadful thing to Lord Goring. Seriousness would be very unbecoming to him. Good morning, Lord Goring. Pray be as trivial as you can.

• Gertrude : Oh, Arthur... what a good friend you are to him, to us.

  Lord Arthur Goring : Yes, but we're not out of danger yet. In fact, I believe there's a rather popular saying about frying pans and fires, except now it is you and I, dear Gertrude, who are to be roasted.

• Gertrude : We have, all of us, feet of clay, Robert. Women as well as men.

• Sir Robert : One mustn't believe everything one reads in the newspapers.

  Gertrude : Yes, in the old days we had the rack. Nowadays we have the press. Your own newspaper being the notable exception, Sir Edward. Where truth shines out like a beacon and lies run vainly for the shadows.

• Gertrude : Robert, you are telling me the whole truth?

  Sir Robert Chiltern : Why do you ask me such a question?

  Gertrude : Why do you not answer it?

• Gertrude : [to her husband]  All your life, you have stood apart from others. To the world, as to myself, you have been an ideal, always. Be that ideal still.

• Lord Arthur Goring : I'm only talking in the most general terms on a subject about which I know absolutely nothing.

  Gertrude : I thought those were your favorite subjects, Arthur.

  Lord Arthur Goring : Yes, indeed. Indeed.

• Lord Arthur Goring : Once a man has set his heart and soul on getting to a certain point, if he has to climb the crag, he has to climb the crag. If he has to walk in the mire...

  Gertrude : Well?

  Lord Arthur Goring : Well, then, he has to walk, my dear Gertrude, in the mire.

• Gertrude : I thank you for your sympathy, but it is your departure I would prefer.

• Gertrude : I'm sorry, Mabel, I'm not in the mood for modern art. You don't mind, do you, if Arthur escorts you in my place?

  Mabel : As long as he promises not to be too serious. For I have observed a worrying trend.

  Sir Robert Chiltern : I swear on my life to be utterly trivial and never to keep my word.

  Mabel : In which case I shall be delighted.

• Gertrude : You were to me - something apart from common life. A thing noble, pure. The world seemed to me finer because you were in it - and goodness more real because you lived.

• Mabel : Gertrude, are you quite well?

  Gertrude : Me? Yes, of course. No, I'm not at all.

• Laura : You've got a good man there, Gertrude. You should try to hold on to him.

  Gertrude : It occurs to me this whole business is really just about you and me.

• Gertrude : You know Laura, I can't help thinking that all this is about you and I