An IPS (In Plane Switching) mode type liquid crystal display apparatus having polarizing plates on both sides of a liquid crystal cell, wherein the polarizing plate protective film used between a liquid crystal cell and polarizer on a backlight light-source side is a cellulose ester film having a thickness of 20-50 .mu.m and a retardation value of 0 nm.ltoreq.Ro.ltoreq.2 nm and -5 nm.ltoreq.Rt.ltoreq.5 nm, and this cellulose ester film is characterized by temperature variation .DELTA.Rt(t) lying in the range 0 nm.ltoreq..DELTA.Rt(t).ltoreq.7 nm and humidity variation .DELTA.Rt(h) lying in the range 0 nm.ltoreq..DELTA.Rt(h).ltoreq.20 nm.