Moll Flanders (1996)

The daughter of a thief, young Moll is placed in the care of a nunnery after the execution of her mother. However, the actions of an abusive priest lead Moll to rebel as a teenager, ... See full summary »

Director:

Pen Densham

Writers:

Daniel Defoe (character from novel), Pen Densham (screen story),

Stars:

Robin Wright, Morgan Freeman, Stockard Channing

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robin Wright	...	Moll Flanders
Morgan Freeman	...	Hibble
Stockard Channing	...	Mrs. Allworthy
John Lynch	...	Artist
Brenda Fricker	...	Mrs. Mazzawatti
Geraldine James	...	Edna
Aisling Corcoran	...	Flora
Jim Sheridan	...	The Priest
Jeremy Brett	...	Artist's Father
Britta Smith	...	Artist's Mother
Cathy Murphy	...	Polly
Emma McIvor	...	Mary
Maria Doyle Kennedy	...	Alice
Ger Ryan	...	Orphanage Woman
Harry Towb	...	Magistrate

Storyline

The daughter of a thief, young Moll is placed in the care of a nunnery after the execution of her mother. However, the actions of an abusive priest lead Moll to rebel as a teenager, escaping to the dangerous streets of London. Further misfortunes drive her to accept a job as a prostitute from the conniving Mrs. Allworthy. It is there that Moll first meets Hibble, who is working as Allworthy's servant but takes a special interest in the young woman's well-being. With his help, she retains hope for the future, ultimately falling in love with an unconventional artist who promises the possibility of romantic happiness.

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Plot Keywords:

wagon | abbey | assault | britain | england | 

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Taglines:

The remarkable story of one woman's unbreakable spirit.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, nudity and sex-related material

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 June 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

I istoria mias gynaikas

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

ITL 424,167,000 (Italy) (22 November 1996)

Gross:

ITL 678,078,000 (Italy) (29 November 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Spelling Films, Trilogy Entertainment Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital Stereo (QSound)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jeremy Brett's last film.

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Goofs

Mrs. Allworthy puts lip rouge and a beauty mark on Moll. Moll wipes off the lip rouge walking down the stairs but not the beauty mark. When we next see her face, the beauty mark is gone.

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Quotes

Moll Flanders: I always thought I had to be rich to own the stars.

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Connections

Version of The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965)

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Soundtracks

"Full of Grace"
Written by Sarah McLachlan
Performed by Sarah McLachlan
Produced by Pierre Marchand
Courtesy of Nettwerk Productions & Arista Records

User Reviews

Moll who?

The plot of this film has nearly nothing whatsoever to do with Daniel Defoe's novel; in place of Defoe's brilliant and compelling heroine it substitutes bushels full of ersatz-18th century drivel, pretentious neo-Irish music, and annoying children. Nunneries in England? An unexplained Afro-British man sent on a mission to read a book to an annoying child across the sea? A charitable organization which adopts adult women only if they are virgins? I am certain that if one made a film of "A Christmas Carol" with no Scrooge, no Tiny Tim, and Bob Cratchit as an alcoholic schoolmaster with an illegitimate one-legged daughter living in Sweden, viewers would complain that the story had gone missing -- why not here? It's a shame, as Morgan Freeman gives a memorable performance even in a role which seems dislocated from history, novelistic and actual.