Nell (1994)

“I like it here. It’s a quiet place. You’ve got the right idea, Nell. You live with people, you get problems. First they screw you up, then they leave you, right? ” – Jerry

Number of Times Seen – 1 (16 Oct 2019)

Brief Synopsis – A local doctor and an autism scientist try to discover why a young girl living in a secluded cabin speaks a different language.

My Take on it – This is a film that I never had much of a desire to watch but since I came across it in my quest to watch all films that have garnered Oscar nominations for their performances, I decided to finally give it a try.

The premise of this film is actually quite fascinating especially given the nature vs nurture aspect of things but the ineffective script and boring presentation absolutely destroys any real potential that this movie has.

Jodie Foster stands out in the lead role and was very deserving of all of the accolades that she received for this very complex performance.

Among those accolades, she garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Actress but even she can’t help make this film more enjoyable to watch unfold since it is done in a paint by numbers predictability fashion.

Liam Neeson is a great actor, but he takes this role to an over the top place that makes it very difficult to like his character or what he is trying to do despite him supposedly being the sympathetic one.

His chemistry with co-star Natasha Richardson is almost non-existent which is a shame to see since off screen the two of them met during this shoot and eventually married.

The film is drawn out too much and feel overly long.

Perhaps if things were shortened it might be more effective, but that is just a start for the numerous changes needed here in order to make this film much more palatable to take in.

Bottom Line – Fascinating idea that is destroyed by a really boring and ineffective script. Foster is great in the lead and was quite deserving of her award nominations and wins for her performance including an Oscar nomination for Best Actress but even that can’t help make this story any more interesting since it all plays out much too predictably. Neeson is a bit over the top as the town doctor trying to help her adjust to society and his chemistry with Richardson is non-existent on screen despite the fact that off screen their work on this film led to them getting married. The film is a bit over long and might have been much better if shortened a bit, but that is just a start for the changes needed here in order to make this story more unique and enjoyable to watch.

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Jodie Foster originally planned to direct the film herself, but turned it over to Michael Apted instead. (From IMDB)

Rating – Razzie Worthy (4/10)