Nell (1994)

Wow! Such a good movie.

Instant Favorite.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

The 1994 film, "Nell", is an acting triumph for Jodie Foster. The screenplay is by William Nicholson and it was adapted from the remarkable play by Mark Hadley. Foster grows up as a Yeti in a remote forest having been raised by her mother who suffered from a speech disorder or aphasia after running to the woods escaping the rapist who had attacked her. "Nell" then grows to adulthood with little to say in favor of men, and little speech to begin with anyway. Modern society attempts to "treat" her, but Liam Neesam is able to convince the doctors to allow her some space for growing room and a period of adjustment in order to make a more gradual adjustment to society. This film is compelling from the moment it begins and holds ones attention to the very end. It is deserving of much praise for handling a delicate subject with loving care and empathy that permeates the film. The cinematography is overwhelming and makes one jealous of Nell's environment. It is a very good rent now on DVD and well worth the time involved. Neesam's portrayal of a family physician turned naturalist is equally as compelling as is that of Foster making for a very satisfying picture.

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)

Having previously watched Nell one night on my own, I prevailed upon my wife and children (when they were coming up to their teens) to watch it with me one evening.As expected, they fell about laughing as soon as Jodie Foster started talking in "chickabee" language. And then, also as expected, they were utterly absorbed as this unusual and involving story unfolded. For, make no mistake, the quality of Jodie Foster's performance is such that Nell becomes absolutely real, and the audience is intrigued at discovering the explanation for her strange development, and dreadfully, dreadfully worried about what will happen to her.Others have written much better informed and more thoughtful reviews about this film - I will just say that I thought it was an excellent film, and so did my family.

Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson play a couple of doctors who discover a wild child named Nell, a woman who's grown up completely isolated from human contact, and who as a result has developed her own language, mode of communication, etc.I can understand what drew Jodie Foster to the role of Nell, because on paper it's a serious actress's wet dream. However, the results, while earnest, are rather embarrassing. Something about the film, and Foster's performance, never quite works, and I found myself laughing at her performance, never a good sign.The whole thing is just a little too nauseating to be completely enjoyable.Grade: B-