:
John Mills,
John Mills,
Valerie Hobson,
more...
:
David Lean,
David Lean
see all cast/crew...
: Not Rated
: Criterion
: Classics, Drama, Foreign, Costume Drama/Period Piece, Classic Drama, British Drama, Classic Drama, UK, Criterion Collection
: 118 min.
: English
see additional details...
|
|
Immediately grabbing the audience's attention with a heart-stopping opening scene in a dark graveyard, acclaimed British director David Lean realizes the cinematic potential of Charles Dickens' classic 1861 novel, and the result is considered by many to be one of the finest literary adaptations ever made as well as one of the greatest British films of all time. Crystallized into a tight 118-minute running time by Lean, Ronald Neame, and a corps of uncredited contributors, this is the story of young Pip, a lad of humble means whose training as a gentleman is bankrolled by a mysterious benefactor. Along the way, Pip falls in love with the fickle Estella, befriends the cheerfully insouciant Herbert Pocket, has memorable encounters with the escaped convict Magwitch and the lunatic dowager Miss Havisham, and almost (but not quite) forgets his modest origins as the foster son of kindhearted blacksmith Joe Gargery. The role of Pip is evenly divided between Anthony Wager as a child and John Mills as an adult; Alec Guinness makes his starring film debut as the jaunty Pocket; Jean Simmons and Valerie Hobson are costarred as the younger and older Estella; and Martita Hunt is unforgettable as the mad Miss Havisham ("It's a fine cake! A wedding cake! MINE!") Remade several times, Great Expectations resurfaced in 1989 as a TV miniseries, with Jean Simmons, originally the young Estella, tearing a passion to tatters as Miss Havisham; and in 1998 it was remade again, in a contemporary version, with Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert DeNiro, and Anne Bancroft in the Miss Havisham role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
|
| Timeless
by talltale
July 18, 2004 - 2:28 PM PDT
|
|
|
2 out of 4 members found this review helpful
|
| This very well-done version of the Dickens classic stars a far too-old John Mills in the lead (he does a good job nonetheless), while a sterling cast fills out the other roles. The Alfonso Cuaron remake holds up surprisingly well against this one, however. If you're a Dickens fan, see them both. |
|
|
GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.37)
102 Votes
add to list 
|
 |
| BFI's Top 100 British Films of the 20th Century |
|
|
| In 1999 the BFI surveyed 1000 people from the world of UK film and television to produce this list. A few of the selected films were wholly or partly produced by non-UK companies, but but were perceived by voters as having significant British involvement |
etaviotal
|
|
 |
| By the time I was 12... |
|
|
| These all had a big impact on me when I was a kid. Most are great, some are schlock. But I have a soft spot for them all - horror, musicals, and syrupy sweetness! |
chloemonster
|
|
|
see all lists |
|
|
Your cart
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.