Great Expectations

This is a great adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic, a TV mini-series about young Pip meeting two convicts in a graveyard, which leads to him meeting the mysterious Miss Havisham and her ward Estella.

I first saw this movie in my freshman English class in high school and, from what I remembered, it followed the novel pretty well. The actors were memorable and delivered solid performances, especially Jean Simmons as Miss Havisham and Anthony Hopkins as Magwich. The period setting and costumes were lavishly done and the story and plot flowed at a steady, but gripping pace, keeping the audience engaged. From what I remembered, my class enjoyed the movie.

Like many late 1960s to the 1980s movie/TV adaptations of famous novels, this TV mini-series of Great Expectations ranks high up there with 1968's Romeo and Juliet, 1982's Oliver Twist and 1988's April Morning. It's a good take on the novel and, if I were to select one film adaptation of the story to recommend, I would go with this one.

Grade B+

Even in a lengthier presentation like this, there are elements of the story left out. Everyone knows the story of Phillip Pirrip (Pip) who grows up with his nasty, vengeful sister, and his Uncle Joe, the kind, patient one. Pip is assaulted in a graveyard by a convict named Magwitch (Anthony Hopkins) who threatens him and his family if he doesn't bring him food. Pip manages this at great expense to himself and Joe. The opposite of Pip's situation is the home of Estella, who lives with her Aunt (Miss Havisham) who was left at the altar in her youth and has never recovered. She is very rich but powerful and unhappy woman who taunts Pip's poverty by throwing Estella at him. Estella is a snob and, of course, Pip falls in love with her. The story then involves Pip becoming a gentleman (I think that means a guy that doesn't have to work for a living). He becomes a ward and believes it is Miss Havisham that is supplying his finances. There are numerous turns of events as Pip's "great expectations" are affected by gale force winds. The acting is excellent with a host of wonderful characters. I actually enjoyed this more than the David Lean film.

Disneys version of Great Expectations is the longest and most complete version of the often filmed Book,and probably would have made Dickins himself proud.Attention is paid to even small details,and the entire cast does a fine job. The really stand out performances however are those of the films two big name actors (and the films greatest talents).Anthony Hopkins plays the convict Abel Magwhich,who the main character Pip meets as a boy in a grave yard and befriends,and who re-appears years late.The other really stand out performence is given by Jean Simmons as Miss Havisham,whom Pip meets soon after the grave yard incident.It is interesting to note that Simmons played Estella as a 15 or 16 year old girl in 1946.In this version she has a much more complex role of the mysterious,eerie and somewhat demented Miss Havisham:a woman of ruined and decayed beauty who has become so thin she is spectre-like in appearence.Disney has gone to considerable length to make Simmons look bad enough for the part,and at times she is unrecognizable except for her voice.At other times even the fright-mare make-up cant make her look quite bad enough.Still Jean Simmons gives the part a grace,dignity,and even a regal quality which is not there in previous versions of the charactor.Simmons version of Miss Havisham is fascinating and she dominates/steals every scene she is in.The rest of the cast also does a fine job,and though the film is more than 3 hrs. in length it is well worth the time.

I had the VCR tapes, but I haven't had a VCR in years. I have read many reviews and everyone agrees this is one of if not the best versions.of this Classic. Come on people, you can make money with getting this updated, which we all know is the driving force why companies do what they do.

I admitt, for Great Expectations, I am grateful to Charles Dickens. This adaptation is a very inspired remind about the sources of this gratitude . For acting and magnificent construction, for craft of each detail, for Satis and for the aspects of london, for supporting characters, so easy ignored by other versions and for costumes, for a true Pip and a splendid , realistic Miss Havisham , for the gentle connection of episodes and the pulse of this links.

It is more than a beautiful mini series but a fair / precise exploration of the Dickensian universe.

And the gratitude for novel becomes admiration for this series , provocative and seductive, in so many senses.