Rupert Everett appears in a scene from "The Happy Prince."

The tragic final days of poet/playwright Oscar Wilde would seem to be an ideal subject matter for a film, yet it never quite clicks like you would expect in “The Happy Prince.”

Rupert Everett gives a stirring performance as Wilde, but is undermined by the writing and direction – both the responsibility of Everett.

“The Happy Prince” focuses on Wilde’s final days before his death in 1900 – a steady decline in health that came for a man whose fame had long proceeded him after his prison sentence for homosexual liaisons.

As Wilde nears death, we see him ponder some of the more important moments in his life through flashbacks and get to witness his interactions with some of the most important people that led up to his exile from public life.

While watching “The Happy Prince” it is easy to see this is a project that meant a lot to Everett, who pours his heart and soul into his performance. But Everett’s labor of love doesn’t translate to the screen – mainly because Everett’s work behind the camera feels like a first time director and the screenplay meanders. The opaqueness completely undermines Wilde’s fascinating and tragic story.

Perhaps in the hands of a more experienced director and writer, “The Happy Prince” could have found a way to build off of Everett’s strong performance. As is Everett has created a film that tries to say so much about Wilde’s final days, but manages to say very little. 

Starring: Rupert Everett, Colin Firth

Directed by: Rupert Everett

Rating: R for sexual content, graphic nudity, language and brief drug use

Playing at: Regal Hollywood 27 (Nashville)

Grade: C