Great Expectations

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Great Expectations

PG-13

2012

2h 8m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

68%

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79 Reviews

50%

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5,000+ Ratings

A humble orphan becomes a gentleman with help from a mysterious benefactor.

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Critics Consensus

Not the best version of the oft-filmed Dickens classic but far from the worst, Mike Newell's Great Expectations breathes just enough life into the source material to justify yet another adaptation.

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Annlee Ellingson

Los Angeles Times

It is skillfully made and adeptly performed; even so it doesn't really add anything to the canon.

Nov 10, 2013

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Mary Houlihan

Chicago Sun-Times

This Great Expectations is an absorbing addition to the roster of Dickens films that continues our 21st-century fascination with the worlds created by a 19th-century storyteller.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 8, 2013

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Barbara VanDenburgh

Arizona Republic

Director Mike Newell approaches the sprawling bildungsroman with a stiff formalism, sacrificing all cinematic excitement for the sake of exalting great performances.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 8, 2013

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David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

It is an intelligent and moving version of the book, with a good deal to say in its own right.

Feb 12, 2021

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PJ Nabarro

Patrick Nabarro

Bar running through the dense plot at a rate of knots, it's not obvious what Newell or adaptor David Nicholls' 'take' on the proceedings actually is.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 3, 2019

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Joseph Walsh

CineVue

Designs have an elaborate Pater-esque quality with an 80s Adam Ant twist, in a contemporary turn on Victorian garb. These elements work.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 23, 2018

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Audience Member

Pretty mid. If you haven't read the book, you might like it. If you have, you will hate it. In the book, Estella seems like she should cause a boner. In the movie, she made me feel disgusted.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/26/24

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Georgan G

After the 1946 amazing version of this classic novel, I feared this film would not be as worthy. However, this movie is a delight, with amazing cinematography, plot and acting.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/21/24

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Mike d

Loved every minute of this!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/28/23

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steve d

A fantastic take on one of my all time favorite books. Not to be missed.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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isla s

This is a good, old character drama. The story is mildly intriguing and there are some interesting characters present. Its a fairly typical Victorian set period drama I suppose, with some sentimentality, the odd surprising moment and so on (I haven't personally read the Charles Dickens book its based on). The music is a bit cheesy I suppose (although that can be excused given its age) but for what it is, its good. I'm not sure I'd expressly recommend it as such, no.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Ralph Finnes is always good doing creepy loner

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

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Synopsis

A humble orphan becomes a gentleman with help from a mysterious benefactor.

Director: Mike Newell
Producer: Laurie Borg, David Faigenblum, Elizabeth Karlsen, Emanuel Michael, Stephen Woolley
Screenwriter: David Nicholls
Production Co: iDeal Partners Film Fund, Main Street Movie Company, BBC Films, Lipsync Productions, Doco Digital, Unison Films, Number 9 Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Violence|Disturbing Images)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 30, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $203.9K
Runtime: 2h 8m

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