Plot synopsis from Mark Deming, All Movie Guide: A made-for-TV production of one of Oscar Wilde's peerless stage comedies, this frothy satire concerns Lord Arthur Goring and his close friend Sir Robert Chiltern. Arthur is a wealthy man who is proudly lazy and uses his knowledge and wit for no profitable purpose, other than verbally sparring with Mabel Chiltern, Sir Robert's sister and a woman of no small beauty and charm. Robert is a member of Parliament who is well-known for his firmly held principles and his devotion to his loving wife, Lady Gertrude. When a proposal is placed before Parliament to build a British canal through Argentina, Robert makes it clear he regards the project as a huge mistake and will speak out against it. However, one Laura Cheveley soon arrives on the scene, telling Robert it is in his best interest to support the canal plan -- and if he does not, Laura has incriminating information that could ruin his career in politics.