Nell

The story has been presented by other reviewers but I have a little different take. The acting and story were great and Foster gives an outstanding performer. What bothers me is, as a resident the area I have many complaints. Before getting into the factual problems let's cut to the main problem which is government intervention. I know several 'mountain folk' who live in the mountains just outside Robbinsville who live 100% off the land. No electric, water in house, food, etc. They are perfectly happy and Nell was more that capable to take care of herself. The government destroyed her life! Second, the City of Robbinsville is horribly represented with the pool hall scene! There is no way she would have treated like that from anyone in that lovely town! The people of the town and the surrounding counties were horrified!

The subject matter is fascinating. Nell (Jodie Foster) is a young woman raised by her mother in a setting completely cut off from civilization. She knows nothing of the outside world and has had little if any interaction with other people throughout her life, to the point at which she's developed her own language. Discovered by a grocery store delivery boy when her mother died, she comes under the care and tutelage of Drs. Lovell and Olson (Liam Neesom and Natasha Richardson) who have to decide whether or not she should be taken from her isolated environment and introduced to the "real" world.

The dilemma is very powerful. What right does anyone else have to decide for Nell how her life should be lived, especially when she's clearly capable of living on her own in the environment to which she's accustomed? Why should she be subject to court orders about her fate or to living in psychiatric hospitals when there's obviously nothing really wrong with her except that she's living a life that no one in the outside world can understand? Those are tough questions. The movie does a great job of developing the relationship between Nell and Lovell (and then also Olson) in a sensitive way, as both begin to care for Nell and want to be protective of her and her rights to choose. Jodie Foster was - I thought - surprisingly good in this role. She usually plays a stronger type, and - at least as the movie opens - Nell was a very vulnerable figure. I didn't know if Foster would work in such a role, but she pulled it off perfectly.

I would criticize this film only for the overly happy ending. Beginning with Nell appearing in court, this took on a too "syrupy" fell in my opinion; everything in the end was far too happy to be believable - in my opinion anyway. But aside from that I thought this was a very well done movie and a very interesting story. (7/10)

I just watched this movie for the second time. One word: wow!

This is one of the rare gems that you can tell when actors and actresses put everything into their performances, and actually go beyond the role. How can I tell? At the very end of the movie, the emotion of the moment that Jodie's character feels towards the scene with the little girl reminding her of her lost sister is enough to make Jodie herself cry and wipe away a tear. Incredible. It's very rare to see that level of immersion into a role where the actors involved feel real emotion about a scene. I'm willing to bet that moment of grace at the very end of the movie wasn't scripted nor acted on Jodie's part. You simply cannot get more heartfelt emotion into a scene than what was shown at the end of Nell. Brilliant and well-acted movie by all. A definite 10.

Jodie Foster stars in this popular film about a woman discovered in the woods of Carolina having not know civilization as commonly known.

Of course, the ones who found her, Neeson and Richardson, want to take care of her and show her the new world, while their colleagues and other government people as exposed as "bad guys" and want to exlpoit her. A good film but way too predictable and too "hollywood-ized". There are no suprises at all.. Jodie Foster does a great job in the title role. 6 of 10

I've watched this last time when I was a teenager. It left a mark like many similar movies that came out around that time. Philadelphia, Gilbert Grape, Rain Man. Movies that shed a spotlight on the less fortunate of society, of scientific curiosities. And it was a time when actors were trying to win an Oscar by portraying difficult characters. It was a time shortly after the cold War ended and the outlook on the future was bright. When we shot the Hubble space telescope into space, and watched jurassic dinosaurs come to life in cinema. It was a great time to grow up in.

Movies had the freedom to focus on greatness, empathy for the less fortunate, improving the world. Characters in this movie are smart and empathetic. Science is being portrayed as a tool to improve life.

While the portrait of Nell is a bit over the top, watching it again today, it's still impactful and delivers the message. Someone who has been completely disconnected from society is being rediscovered, and people try to understand and help. The main characters are all over the top great character models as well, but I enjoyed watching them nontheless. Everyone is trying their best, trying to help, trying to improve. Watching this today, it seems exaggerated. But it brings back fond memories of a time where we believed that everything is going to turn out well.

Overall can recommend, this kind of movies and characters kind of have been lost in time.