Great Expectations Raises Hopes
But Don't Expect Dickens

I haven't read Charles Dickens' classic novel Great Expectations since 9th grade English. (Forgive me, Mrs. Koenigsdorf.) This isn't to say that I didn't love the novel. In fact, I did. Over the years, though, several of the plot intricacies have escaped me, so I feel I can't honestly compare it to the new movie.

Actually, it's probably better this way. I've always hated film makers who borrow from literature but do not give the original work the respect it deserves. It's apparent from the very beginning of the movie that it is not completely faithful to Dickens.

The essential story of Great Expectations hasn't changed much. Young Finn (played remarkably well by Jeremy James Kissner) is a ten-year old dreamer who loves to draw. In the opening scene of the movie, he has piloted his boat across the bay to draw the fish. His serenity is shattered when he encounters a runaway criminal (Robert DeNiro) who forces him to supply food and bolt cutters. Despite Finn's attempt to help the criminal, he sees on the news that the mysterious man -- a convicted murder -- has been recaptured.

The next day, on a gardening job with his uncle Joe (Chris Cooper), Finn visits the estate of Ms. Dinsmoor (Anne Bancroft) -- the richest and craziest lady in town. Finn soon receives an invitation to entertain Dinsmoor's niece, young Estella (Raquel Beuadene). On his first visit, he sketches a portrait of the young girl which she tosses aside with indifference. Ms. Dinsmoor, insane from being left at the altar 30 years hence, has promised Finn that Estella will only break his heart. That doesn't keep him from pursuing the object of his desire -- something which becomes an obsession over the next several years.

The first moment past childhood deals with Finn as a young man in high school. The adult Finn (played by Ethan Hawke) shows his desperation toward Estella (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) by offering to escort her to a formal dinner. Instead of allowing him to escort her, she suggests they return to his house where she instantly leads him into the bedroom. The sexual tension in the room becomes almost palpable, but she abruptly ends the moment as quickly as it began.

Estella leaves Florida to school abroad, and Finn puts both her and painting out of his mind. He joins his uncle Joe in commercial fishing and moves on with his life. Seven years later, an attorney arrives to announce that a benefactor has arranged for Finn to have a show in New York. Finn is promised that his dreams of becoming an artist can finally come true. He reluctantly goes to New York City, meets Estella again, and resumes both his old obsessions: the girl and his art.

The modern version of Great Expectations has moved the setting to America, namely Florida and New York, and all the names have been changed (undoubtedly some marketing ploy). While I agree there are no boys named Pip nowadays, one must ask if Finn is a better choice. (Perhaps it's the fishing motif, there seems to be a lot of that here.)

The cinematography is truly outstanding. From the decaying Dinsmoor estate to the swirling madness of New York City, every scene is visually vibrant. Even Finn's art (by internationally acclaimed Italian painter Francesco Clemente) plays a part in telling the story. The art -- which does not progress much despite the passing of years -- tells of an untrained innocence and childlike view of the world. Each piece Finn completes only reveals how little he understands his world, especially his subject: the cold, emotionless Estella.

The cast is excellent, from Hawke's obsessive naivete to DeNiro's ruthlessness. (And what's with DeNiro? Is he taking parts in every movie lately?) Bancroft is delightful as the insane Ms. Dinsmoor, always enigmatic and sometimes frightening. Hank Azaria does a great spin as Estella's nasty, yuppy fiance, Walter. Only Paltrow, who seems to have been cast more for her body than her ability, fails to carry her character beyond two-dimensions.

MY RATING: 7 out of 10.

RATED: R
RUN TIME: 111 min.