I taped the first hour of this movie last Sunday from WETA Public TV and the last two hours will air this coming Sunday April 8. I watched the first hour today and I'm using Hank Stuever's review in the Wash. Post and David Keirsey's book "Please Understand Me II" (1998) as helps.
The source for this movie is Charles Dickens' 600-page novel. I remember Great Expectations as a reading in English class in High School. I think that we were reading a short version of it for class. The first hour of it that I saw today covered a lot of ground in the book. Sarah Phelps, who wrote the screenplay was skillful in giving the characters depth. In only one hour the main character Pip is a boy, played by Oscar Kennedy, and is a young man, played by Douglas Booth.
Because there was only one hour to develop the characters, either their worst or their best attributes had to be displayed speedily. Pip is living on the blue, watery and marshy homestead of his sister and blacksmith brother-in-law. In the town lives an older recluse, Miss Havisham, played by Gillian Anderson. She has a pivotal role in providing the "great expectations" and a vision of a good future for someone with Pip's character.
Pip seems to be competent, inventive, logical, systematic, compassionate and honest. Ray Winstone plays an adaptable, desperate, and violent escaped convict. Previously, he played Beowulf in the 2007 movie. David Suchet plays Miss Havisham's attorney. Suchet played the efficient and analytical detective Poirot for many years in the Public television show. Miss Havisham's adopted daughter Estella is at first nasty to Pip and then helpful and solicitous to Pip as time goes by.
I'm looking forward to seeing the last two hours of this PBS Masterpiece Classic.
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