Movie Title: Great Expectations

Movie Title: Great Expectations
Rating: 3
Reviewed By: Michael Stevens

Review:

In high school I read Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, and amazingly I liked it. This was rather odd since I normally don't enjoy books that I am forced to read. But alas, this is the Hollywood version of the classic tale of unattainable love starring the always lovely Gwyneth Paltrow. Hello again and welcome to the Out & About Movie Review with me, Mike Stevens your movie dude. This version of Great Expectations has Ethan Hawke playing opposite Paltrow as the character Finnegan Bell, or Finn for short. Now in the book the kid's name is Pip. Anyway Paltrow's character, Estella, is raised by some rich and mentally not well old lady who was left at the altar, after which she vowed to destroy men. Finn is a young boy who likes to draw, and one who lives with relatives because his parents died when he was even younger. He lives with his uncle, played by Chris Cooper, who does odd jobs to make ends meet. One day 10 year-old Finn and Uncle Joe go to the old lady's place, the old lady being Ms. Nora Diggers Dinsmoor, where they are to do some yard work. Anne Bancroft plays the old coot. This old lady takes a liking to Finn and so she starts to pay him to come and dance with the young Estella. Meanwhile Finn helps this escaped prisoner hide from the authorities. This is foreshadowing. Robert De Niro makes an appearance here as the prisoner. Anyway, back to the plot that has us jump ahead about ten years and change cities from somewhere in Florida to the Big Apple. Now the original Dickens novel is set in merry old England. At this point in the movie Finn is an up and coming artist, while Estella is busy hobnobbing with the rich trying to land a wealthy hubby. Of course Finn is in love with Estella, and Estella could care less. I think I'll stop here with the plot. Others in this 20th Century Fox film are Hank Azaria as Walter Pane, Josh Mostel, Gabriel Mann, Nell Campbell, and Kim Dickens-I doubt she's related to Charles. Alfonso Cuaron directs great Expectations. This film was rather disappointing for me, but this is mainly since I read the book. Paltrow puts in a another good performance as does Ethan Hawke, someone not to be confused with Etham Frome. The modern adaptation just doesn't work for me. I guess you just can't beat the original. AS to the rating, I give Great Expectations three couches on the scale of ten. For the Out & About Movie Review, this is Michael Stevens flipping you off.