MovieChat Forums > Great Expectations (1998) Discussion > So I just saw this after reading the boo...

So I just saw this after reading the book.

posted 18 years ago by Kakewalk
10 replies | jump to latest

Terrible adaptation is all I can say. Estella doesn't seem as cold as she was in the book, Flinn (known as Pip in the book) seems confused throughout the entire movie. De Niro's character and Joe seems to be more accurate than the others. Oh ya, and in the book, Flinn's sister dies, she doesn't just go away for no reason, which I think would be a bit more forgiving, but it seemed like they just wanted to get out of Flinn's childhood a tad too fast and move into his adult life.

[–] luvwins 18 years ago

well, i only got halfway through the book, i'd like to finish it though.
but even just the half of the book in comparison to the movie, the book is way better. i felt they changed it around too much. i still thought it was a good movie, just no where near the book.
i'd like to see someone make a movie that is as close to the book as possible.

[–] marianalcf 18 years ago

i just finished reading the book as well and watched the movie after that, i was really dissapointed, the movie was terrible, i was really let down by the character of Estella that was too differet from the character in the book, i agree in the fact that if the movie had been more closely to the book it would have been much better.

[–] breezychic90 18 years ago

I agree. I finished the book a couple months ago and just watched the movie today, and I was pretty upset at some of the things that they changed or left out. The movie by itself was very good, but standing next to the book it's just missing something.

A life you love...

[–] blishxx 18 years ago

Yeah, I personally thought that they could have put a little more, maybe expanded and adapted more from the book, but eh, I wasn't really expecting much from a modern adaption of Great Expectations. As a stand alone movie, it's good, but what I would really like to see is a really good straight from book to movie. Everything the same, time, characters, etc. And done really well. Only a dream though.... :)

[–] jblum315 18 years ago

There have actually been several films based very closely on Dickens' book. This one just used the book as a jumping-off place, I think.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] blueleftshoe 18 years ago

I have to say I really like both the book and the movie they each have their own positives. I think the movie had to make the changes as it was set in modern times I don't think that certain things that worked in the story would work so well in a movie set in modern times. Books never translate into movies as well not as much story can be told and it's less up to the imagination on how things turn out rarely does a book get turned really well into a movie. It's best not to have expectations for the stories to be really that similar but to just look at them alternative versions of the same basic story.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Rogueboi19 17 years ago

I thought this modern virsion was supposed to be based on the book, as opposide to an adaptation of it. either way, i love this film. I read the book a while ago and didn't like it. though, i do think i was probably in the wrong state of mind at the time to enjoy it. i should probably read it again some time.

[–] la_cinematheque 17 years ago

I don't think Finn/Pip's sister was supposed to be a forgivable character. In the book she was mean and selfish. Her death wasn't meant to arouse pity for her, but to make you see how alone Pip was in the world and also how kind and good-hearted Joe was. Since the movie didn't have time to really get into how the sister wasn't a good person it decided to illustrate that point by having her leave the family. I think it worked well in the context and, besides, having her suddenly die could've come off very melodramatic and seemed like it was straight out of the "how to tell a sob story" textbook.