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Film Versions
Here is information about some of the best and most noteworthy film adaptations of Great Expectations:
Great Expectations
1946
Director: David Lean
Not Rated
This is an excellent adaptation of Dickens' original work. It follows the original storyline very closely, although the ending is given a Hollywood treatment. Even still, to paraphrase one reviewer, the film brings the story's characters so perfectly to life it's as if the director had been reading over our shoulder. The film features beautiful cinematography and excellent acting, and the set designs eerily capture the frightful sadness which surrounds much of the story. The film was nominated for Oscars for best picture, Director, writing; and won the Oscars for best art design and cinematography.
Great Expectations
1999
Director: Julian Jarrold
Not Rated
A beautifully filmed made-for-TV adaptation broadcast on the Public Broadcasting Service by WGBH, Boston. PBS really knows how to make the classics come alive, and this production is no exception. The casting is perfect and the cinematography is stunning. The screenplay follows the original novel perfectly, and expertly leaves out much of the cloying sentimentality that the original story can sometimes evoke. Nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries in 1999.