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Great Expectations

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Great Expectations

PG-13

2012

2h 8m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

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79 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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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

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Audience Member

This movie is a terrible bastardization of Dickens' story, complete with zero character development whatsoever. Casting is all wrong, save Ralph Fiennes's portrayal of Abel Magwitch, and Olly Alexander shining as Herbert, though he is sadly made a far less important character in this adaptation. Helena Bonham Carter seems perfectly cast as Miss Havisham but falls flat in her interpretation of the character. An entire major plot point and villain was left out of this movie, and we are never given insight into the development of the friendship between Pip and Herbert which was a substantial factor in Pip's development as a protagonist. Skip this, read the book instead if you have not.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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Mike Newell

Director

Helena Bonham Carter

Miss Havisham

Ralph Fiennes

Magwitch

Jason Flemyng

Joe Gargery

Robbie Coltrane

Mr. Jaggers

Jeremy Irvine

Pip

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56%

74%

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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, BBC Films, Unison Films, Lipsync Productions, Doco Digital, Number 9 Films, Main Street Movie Company
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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