Lolita (1997)

A man marries his landlady so he can take advantage of her daughter.

Director:

Adrian Lyne

Writers:

Vladimir Nabokov (novel), Stephen Schiff (screenplay)

Stars:

Jeremy Irons, Dominique Swain, Melanie Griffith

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Irons	...	Humbert Humbert
Melanie Griffith	...	Charlotte Haze
Frank Langella	...	Clare Quilty
Dominique Swain	...	Dolores 'Lolita' Haze
Suzanne Shepherd	...	Miss Pratt
Keith Reddin	...	Reverend Rigger
Erin J. Dean	...	Mona
Joan Glover	...	Miss LaBone
Pat Pierre Perkins	...	Louise (as Pat P. Perkins)
Ed Grady	...	Dr. Melinik
Michael Goodwin	...	Mr. Beale
Angela Paton	...	Mrs. Holmes
Ben Silverstone	...	Young Humbert Humbert
Emma Griffiths Malin	...	Annabel Lee (as Emma Griffiths-Malin)
Ronald Pickup	...	Young Humbert's Father

Storyline

In early adolescence, Humbert fell hopelessly and tragically in love with a girl his own age, and, as he grew into adulthood, he never lost his obsession with "nymphets," teenagers who walk a fine line between being a girl and a woman. While looking for a place to live after securing a new teaching position, he meets Charlotte Haze (Melanie Griffith), a pretentious and annoying woman who seems desperately lonely and is obviously attracted to Humbert. Humbert pays her little mind until he meets her 13-year-old daughter Lolita (Dominique Swain), the image of the girl that Humbert once loved. Humbert moves into the Haze home as a boarder and eventually marries Charlotte in order to be closer to Lolita. When Charlotte finds out about Humbert's attraction to her daughter, she flees the house in a rage, only to be killed in an auto accident. Without telling Lolita of her mother's fate, Humbert takes her on a cross-country auto trip, where their relationship begins to move beyond the ...

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Plot Keywords:

14 year old | lolita | promiscuous daughter | foot fetish | forbidden love | 

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Taglines:

A forbidden love. An unthinkable attraction. The ultimate price.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for aberrant sexuality, a strong scene of violence, nudity and some language

Details

Country:

USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 September 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Лолита

Filming Locations:

New Orleans Athletic Club, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$62,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,492, 26 July 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,400,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Guild,Lolita Productions,Pathé

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Since actress Dominique Swain was only 15 at the time of filming, a pillow had to be placed between her and Jeremy Irons' lap during all their scenes together.

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Goofs

Lolita speaks to man in all white car while at gas station, but both before and after this scene, that car is black and white.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Humbert: [voiceover] She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks, she was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always - Lolita. Light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin. My soul.
[whispered]
Humbert: Lolita.

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Crazy Credits

After the credits are over there is a brief clip where Lolita is shown juggling a red apple.

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Alternate Versions

Two scenes involving nudity from the body double were originally intended to be included as supplemental footage in the UK DVD release but were refused a certificate by the BBFC.

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Connections

Referenced in Riverdale: Chapter Four: The Last Picture Show (2017)

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Soundtracks

My Carmen
Written by Michael Blue and Vladimir Nabokov
Performed by Dominique Swain and Jeremy Irons

User Reviews

Lyne's Lolita emphasizes tragedy of Nabokov's novel

Lyne's point of departure from the Kubrick version of Nabokov's great novel lies primarily in tone: the later version focuses more on the tragic, dramatic elements of the book and less on the comedic ones. I will not go so far as to suggest that Lyne made a better film; he did not. I do think, however, that he did pinpoint one of the key components of the novel's genius: a capturing of life on the newly paved highways of mid-century America. As Humbert, Jeremy Irons is as good as his predecessor James Mason. Frank Langella's interpretation of Quilty entirely diverges from the one given by Peter Sellers (and rightfully so; who wants to compete with Sellers?). But it is Dominique Swain, outdoing Sue Lyon, who comes closer than what ever seemed possible to embodying the essence of the doomed Dolly Haze.