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IMDbPro

Great Expectations

  • 20122012
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 8m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
13K
YOUR RATING
Great Expectations US Poster (2013)
A humble orphan suddenly becomes a gentleman with the help of an unknown benefactor.
Play trailer2:18
5 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Romance
A series of events change the orphaned Pip's life forever as he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman.A series of events change the orphaned Pip's life forever as he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman.A series of events change the orphaned Pip's life forever as he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
13K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Mike Newell
  • Writers
    • David Nicholls(screenplay)
    • Charles Dickens(novel)
  • Stars
    • Toby Irvine
    • Ralph Fiennes
    • Jason Flemyng
Top credits
  • Director
    • Mike Newell
  • Writers
    • David Nicholls(screenplay)
    • Charles Dickens(novel)
  • Stars
    • Toby Irvine
    • Ralph Fiennes
    • Jason Flemyng
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 49User reviews
    • 116Critic reviews
    • 60Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 1 win & 8 nominations total

    Videos5

    International Version
    Trailer 2:18
    International Version
    Pip and Estella Share a Kiss
    Clip 1:05
    Pip and Estella Share a Kiss
    "Pip and Magwitch"
    Clip 1:11
    "Pip and Magwitch"
    "A Confession"
    Clip 0:47
    "A Confession"
    "Behind the Scenes"
    Featurette 5:00
    "Behind the Scenes"

    Photos175

    Ralph Fiennes in Great Expectations (2012)
    Helena Bonham Carter in Great Expectations (2012)
    David Walliams in Great Expectations (2012)
    Jeremy Irvine in Great Expectations (2012)
    Holliday Grainger and Ben Lloyd-Hughes in Great Expectations (2012)
    Helena Bonham Carter in Great Expectations (2012)
    Ralph Fiennes in Great Expectations (2012)
    Ralph Fiennes in Great Expectations (2012)
    Jeremy Irvine in Great Expectations (2012)
    Holliday Grainger and Jeremy Irvine in Great Expectations (2012)
    Great Expectations (2012)
    Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Holliday Grainger, and Jeremy Irvine in Great Expectations (2012)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Toby Irvine
    • Young Pip
    Ralph Fiennes
    Ralph Fiennes
    • Magwitch
    Jason Flemyng
    Jason Flemyng
    • Joe Gargery
    Sally Hawkins
    Sally Hawkins
    • Mrs. Joe
    William Ellis
    William Ellis
    • Compeyson
    David Walliams
    David Walliams
    • Mr. Pumblechook
    Bernice Stegers
    Bernice Stegers
    • Mrs. Hubble
    Tim Freeman
    • Mr. Wopsle
    Alan Rushton
    • Mr. Hubble
    Sheila Simpson
    • Mrs. Wopsle
    Ralph Ineson
    Ralph Ineson
    • Sergeant
    Steve Morphew
    Steve Morphew
    • Soldier
    Helena Barlow
    Helena Barlow
    • Young Estella
    Richard James
    Richard James
    • Cousin Raymond
    Roberta Burton
    • Mrs. Raymond
    Helena Bonham Carter
    Helena Bonham Carter
    • Miss Havisham
    Bebe Cave
    • Young Biddy
    Pooky Quesnel
    Pooky Quesnel
    • Sarah Pocket
    • Director
      • Mike Newell
    • Writers
      • David Nicholls(screenplay)
      • Charles Dickens(novel)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Helena Bonham Carter stated in an interview that she wore only one shoe for the filming of Great Expectations, as in the book, Dickens described Miss Havisham as wearing only one shoe.
    • Goofs
      At the very beginning when Pip is running towards the camera he steps into a muddy hole where there seems to be large wide modern tyre marks.
    • Quotes

      Jaggers: To be guilty, and to be found guilty, are different things.

    • Connections
      Featured in 56th BFI London Film Festival (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      Stradella Quadrille
      Written by Johann Strauss Sr. (as Johann Strauss I)

      Performed by Christian Pollack & Slovak Sinfonietta

    User reviews49

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Great expectations just about met
    The past few years have seen an increase in creative adaptations of classic novels. Mike Newell's Great Expectations may seem uninspired compared to challenging and inventive films like Anna Karenina or Wuthering Heights, down to the easy casting of Helena Bonham Carter as a crazy old woman and a score that sometimes sounds lifted piece by piece from Pride & Prejudice. Newell surprises, though, and has imagined a solid and remarkably captivating and evocative counterpart.

    For those who never took freshman year English, Great Expectations is the story of a common orphan, Pip (Toby and Jeremy Irvine), who lives with his horrid shrew of a sister (Sally Hawkins)and kind-hearted father figure husband (an excellent Jason Flemyng). One day, Pip runs into an escaped convict (Ralph Fiennes) who terrifies him into stealing food and a file; the convict takes a liking to him before he is recaptured and taken away.

    Pip is later selected by neighborhood freak Miss Havisham (Helena Bonham Carter, stretching herself) to play with her adopted daughter Estella (Helena Barlow and Holliday Grainger). He believes Miss Havisham wants to mold him into a gentleman so he can marry and provide for Estella, until she helps him become a blacksmith and bids him goodbye. Years later, Pip falls into a large fortune from an anonymous benefactor, and after making himself presentable, he returns to Estella.

    I've been careful to limit my excitement since Newell's involvement was announced. 20 years ago he would have been the perfect choice, but after he attempted to make an action scene out of every dramatic beat in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and bastardized the poetic beauty of Love in the Time of Cholera, I'd lost faith. Great Expectations, though, is a return to form for a once-upon-a-time master of the genre. While it occasionally suffers from genre confusion (Bonham Carter's scenes play out more comedically than they perhaps should have), his habit of making things more action-y than they really are actually enhances the material here - the fire and boat scene are a thousand times more adrenaline- packed than in the novel - and the enthralling pacing, expertly crafted visuals, and lively dialogue and performances add up to a very fine film.

    The visual aspects deserve special mention for how much they bring to the movie. It feels as if the cinematography and art direction are working to illustrate and expand on the writing, rather than simply constructing a picturesque background (which Newell was guilty of in Cholera). Scenes at Pip's home look heavenly, with golden lightning and wide shots making his world look endless and welcoming. By contrast, when he becomes a gentleman, close-ups, dreary costumes and dark, windowless rooms contribute to a more claustrophobic and icy atmosphere. The cleverness of the lighting is particularly pronounced when Pip and Estella reunite after years: we see a close-up of Irvine, with only darkness behind him, then one of Grainger in a hallway lit by brassy lanterns, positioned almost as if they are lighting a path for him to follow. The last time we see Estella, as a changed woman open to Pip's affections, is the first time we see her in a wide open space. These visual cues are simple and unintrusive, but enhance subtext and recreate the poetry of Dickens' novel.

    Irvine is a capable and likable enough lead, but the film belongs to the supporting cast. Bonham Carter's interpretation of Miss Havisham is intriguing, if not perfectly executed. It recalls her performance in Big Fish, where she toes the line between outlandish and pathetic. Grainger's Estella is beautifully acted - her delivery of "I am what you made me" is chilling. Jessie Cave and particularly Jason Flemyng give adorably heartfelt and rustic performances, while Olly Alexander is hilarious and brings heaps of life to a normally dull character. The true star, though, is Ralph Fiennes. It's a shame this didn't get an Oscar push, because with a strong narrative and a proper campaign, he could have been a serious threat. Fiennes completely sinks into his character; there isn't a trace of his past performances as well-groomed, eloquent gentleman. He's frightening and savage, but oddly sympathetic, and in his more intimate scenes he absolutely devastates. There are memories of an entire life behind his eyes. Without a doubt this is one of his best performances and sadly it seems it will go unrecognized.

    It's not quite a perfect film - it's very short and so some characters and themes get lost in the shuffle, and certain tonal shifts feel jarring and inappropriate - but it's a damn good one. Newell seems to have finally found a functional dynamic for a period piece, a happy balance between contemplative and spirited. Due as well to his phenomenal cast and production team, he's done a wonderful job of bringing a difficult and gloomy novel to life.
    helpful•32
    7
    • Emma_Stewart
    • Apr 14, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 8, 2013 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Những Kỳ Vọng Lớn Lao
    • Filming locations
      • Englefield House, Theale, Reading, Berkshire, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • BBC Films
      • Unison Films
      • Lipsync Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $258,656
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $88,500
      • Nov 10, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $6,202,879
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 8 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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