Product Details

• Actors: Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hank Azaria, Chris Cooper, Anne Bancroft
• Directors: Alfonso Cuarón
• Writers: Charles Dickens, Mitch Glazer
• Producers: Art Linson, Deborah Lee, John Linson
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Language: English, French
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• VHS Release Date: February 2, 1999
• Run Time: 111 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (184 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304972857
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #223,637 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The key ingredient in this modern-day version of Charles Dickens's classic is director Alfonso Cuarón, who made the glowing, estimable A Little Princess. If you saw that (and you should), understand that Expectations has those ingredients (great sense of time, place, and timing) but adds modern music and sex appeal; the latter personified by the long-legged Gwyneth Paltrow.

Finnegan Bell (Ethan Hawke as an adult, Jeremy James Kissner at age 10) is the new version of Dickens's Pip. He's a child wise beyond his years, befriending an escaped convict (Robert De Niro) in the warm waters of Florida's Gulf Coast. Finn is also the plaything for Estella (Paltrow as an adult, Raquel Beaudene at age 10), the niece of the coast's richest and most eccentric lady, Ms. Dinsmoor (a fun and flamboyant Anne Bancroft). The prudish Estella likes Finn (catch the best first kiss scene in many a moon) but has been brought up to disdain men; she'll break hearts. As the object of Finn's desires, Estella unfortunately is a one-dimensional character, yet what a dimension! Clad in Donna Karan dresses and her long, sun-kissed hair, Paltrow is luminous. She and Hawke make a very sexy couple.

Mitch Glazer's script does better by Finn. He's a blue-collar worker with a gift for drawing (artwork by Francesco Clemente). Following his Uncle Joe's (Chris Cooper) honest ways, Finn grows up as a fisherman, thoughts of Estella and art drifting away in the hard work. When a mysterious benefactor allows him to follow his dream, Finn finds himself in New York, preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime art exhibit--and in the arms of the engaged Estella.

Filled with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki's golden-drenched light, the film has an irresistible, wildly romantic look. Dinsmoor's place is certainly gothic, Estella and Finn's longing encounters glamorous. Cuarón uses an MTV-friendly soundtrack with a confident touch. Songs by Tori Amos and the band Pulp--along with Patrick Doyle's silky score--create passionate scenes. It all ends far too swiftly with a seemingly tacked-on ending (reflecting the book, as it happens) but the film is splendid storytelling. It's a stylish, sweet valentine. --Doug Thomas

From The New Yorker

Don't have any. This update has to be one of the most ludicrously dumbed-down versions of a classic to date. But it does have a hip, hybrid soundtrack, and, as directed by Alfonso Cuarón ("A Little Princess"), it's so visually stunning that it's almost gripping in its incoherence. With Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft (two parts Melina Mercouri, one part Carol Channing), and Robert De Niro. -Daphne Merkin
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Misunderstood Film, December 6, 2005

By 

Unmastered - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Expectations [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Upon theatrical release this film received many bad reviews, mostly by people who thought they were protecting the reputations of the novel and the 1946 cinematic version. Unfortunately, these reviews unfairly criticized what is a fine film and one that faithfully recreates the central themes of the book. Let's face it, in many ways, Great Expectations can be a dreary book. The many plot twists and turns, while typical of Dickens, merely provide a framework for the core concerns of the book: class inequities, the allure and dangers of retribution, the pain of unrequited love, the human heart's capacity to harden itself, the conflict between the environment and the innate, society's willingness to sacrifice its children, and the power of loyalty and forgiveness, to name a few. This adaptation deals directly with these issues and forsakes unnecessary plot devices. Remember, Dickens published his novel serially for a public who anxiously awaited new installments and wanted many of them. A modern film audience has no interest in such prolonged dramas. This movie wisely does away with what it does not need. And yet, many of the criticisms point to these omissions as evidence of a failed narrative. What these criticisms reveal is their critics' misinterpretation of the novel's strengths and misunderstanding of modern cinema.
This is a fine film, and it is well worth watching for reasons outlined in other positive reviews: the performances, the cinematography, the soundtrack, and the emotional impact.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent adaptation of a classic tale, October 14, 1999

By 

Kelly B. Keister ([e-mail]) (Blacksburg, Virginia (US)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Expectations [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"Great Expectations" (1998)

This film is a cinematic masterpiece due to its colorful scenes that seem to be painted onto the screen in a perfectly precise style. "Great Expectations" is rich with imagery and a wonderful story line based on Charles Dickens' classic tale. It strays from the novel enough to make the story a more visual experience. The time period is changed to present day, but this adaptation works for the best. It allows a modern audience to identify with this classic tale in a way that would be impossible if the film were set in the 19th century. Finnegan Bell falls hopelessly in love with Estella from the first moment he lays eyes on her and proceeds throughout his life in continual pursuit of her love by attempting to become "worthy" of her. He is an orphan raised by his abusive sister and her fisherman husband, Joe. Estella is the niece of the richest lady in the state, Ms. Nora Diggers Dinsmoor. Ms. Dinsmoor requests Finn's presence at her mansion, Paradiso Perduto, on a weekly basis as a playmate for Estella and to entertain herself. Ms. Dinsmoor was left at the altar by her fiancée in prior years and has become a bitter old lady who scorns all men and believes none can be worthy of a woman's love. She schools Estella in this manner, which explains Estella's cold behavior and her rejection of Finn as anything more than a toy for her to play with his emotions. The story is told through Finn's eyes and from his perspective on what occurs as he grows up and learns about life. He has the ability to paint fabulously, a gift he has had since birth, and he uses this gift to express himself and his emotions throughout his life. It becomes a road to success and to Estella, but he loses sight of his joy and love for the art. Success becomes a trap for him when he realizes that there is more to life than himself and his own feelings. He truly grows up and even though he always loves Estella, learns what he wants out of life and how to accomplish it. "Great Expectations" is wonderfully cast, with Ethan Hawke doing an extraordinary job as the lovelorn Finn. He is believable and invokes much sympathy from the audience. Gwyneth Paltrow is superb as Estella, who conjures some hostility because of her rejection of Finn, but at the same time is capable of evoking sympathy. The way she acts is not her fault because she does not know any better. Robert De Niro puts in an excellent performance as the escaped convict who scares Finn as a young boy and has a major influence on his life. Anne Bancroft is wonderful as the eccentric Ms. Dinsmoor who acts out her hostility towards men through Estella. This film is one of the most picturesque and beautifully cinematic films I have ever seen. From the first scene until the last, each shot is carefully stylized to make the most of the scenery and the story. The theme of Finn's paintings is begun in the opening credits, with his paintings as the background and the credits appearing on the screen as if in rippling water. Each shot is precisely stylized to evoke certain emotions from the audience and to tell the story as Finn remembers it. The film looks as though many different paintings were put together to create a coherent story. The film is very peaceful, as seen through Finn's paintings and the slow, romantic musical background, but at times is jarred to reality by the people coming into Finn's life who influence him. The film can appear as if in a dream state while Finn is thinking about certain occurrences in his life, but then an event happens that shows him just how large and threatening the world is capable of being. This gives him to a new understanding of the world and his place within it. This tragic tale is given an optimistic Hollywood ending, but in my opinion, this is appropriate. It leaves some hope, even though small, of Finn reaching his ultimate goal in life of finding himself and being free of the past, "like love, completely undeserved".

38 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic. lush, and intoxicating, February 27, 2000

By 

Steven G. Harms (Austin, Tejas, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Great Expectations (1998) (DVD)

Those who say that this movie is an insult to the spirit of the book by Dickens are completely missing the point. Textuality dictates that reciting the same story that was amazing in print will turn out contrived and vacuous in celluloid. It shows the spirit of Dickens' work - completely loss in spite of danger, the loss of heart and being. It's a story that hinges on that great tragic moment in love which Romeo and Juliet made so clear to us all (esp. in Shakespeare in Love).

The movie is rich in narration and exploits a directorial narrative. The ebb and flow of visions, places, people, and unrelated occurrences turn into a melange which has all the warped lucidity of one's best and most painful memories.

The direction is fantastic as is the cinematography. The greatest genius of this movie is the use of the hauntingly frozen Life in Mono by Mono. Regrettably, this portishead-ish band's other songs didn't have quite the presence of this song that gave the movie its icy ambience.

Especially loved the Dinsmore character. Much more batty and manipulative than the simply grotesque and warped Havisham of the book.

Additionally, the recounting of Gwyneth (Estella) may seem flat and one-dimensional; however, isn't that the way one remembers the players in one's memories - as automata which reacted to us singularly in the stage of life?

It's an amazing film.