Nell

UPC: 024543110361

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Brief Nudity, Adult Situations]

Summary: A woman is brought to civilization after spending her life in the wilds in this drama. Dr. Jerome Lovell (Liam Neeson) happens upon a shack deep in the woods, where he discovers a strange woman who appears to be about 30, speaking an incomprehensible language. The woman, named Nell (Jodie Foster), was raised in the cabin by her late mother, who was incapacitated by strokes (Nell speaks English, but distorted -- as it was by her mother's infirmities); with the exception of her twin sister, who died as a child, Nell has had contact with no other human being. Lovell brings in a psychiatrist, Dr. Paula Olsen (Natasha Richardson) to help determine what, if anything, should be done for Nell; Olsen thinks that Nell should be committed to an institution, but Lovell demands a period of unobtrusive observation instead. When it becomes obvious that the courts will demand that Nell be hospitalized for psychiatric observation, Lovell and Olsen take it upon themselves to gently introduce Nell to the outside world. Jodie Foster's performance in Nell earned her an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress, and she won the Screen Actor's Guild award in that category. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Picture - Drama – null Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama – null Best Original Score – null Best Actress – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Actress – Screen Actors Guild Best Original Score – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: ccDirector commentary by Michael Apted
Actor commentary by Jodie Foster
Behind-the-scenes featurette
Theatrical trailer

Nell

Format: DVD

Release Date: 02/03/2004

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DDS Dolby Digital Surround, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 112 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Main Titles
2. Billy Found Her
3. She's Scared, I'm Scared!
4. The Doctor Needs a Doctor
5. "Strangers Scare Her"
6. Who Will Care for Nell?
7. Nell's Informed Consent
8. Here's What We'll Do...
9. Patient Observation
10. Invading One's Privacy
11. Learning 'Nell Speak'
12. Alone and Free
13. A Tree in the Wild
14. Evil Doers
15. "It's No Big Deal"
16. Popcorn, Daytime and May
17. Twin Speech
18. A Picture and a Thousand Words
19. Mommy Loves Daddy
20. A Good, But Cruel World
21. The Birds, the Bees and Nell
22. Happy for the Wrong Reasons
23. Nell, the Wild Woman
24. Fight Nell, Fight!
25. Thou Art Beautiful
26. Nell's Testimony
27. Friends and Family
28. End Titles

Derek Armstrong

Jodie Foster's beguiling mix of pre-linguistic drawling and moon-eyed curiosity make hers one of the most engrossing portrayals of stunted development captured on film. Although Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson provide strong support as Foster's surrogate parents, Nell lives on the strength of Foster's unselfconscious dedication to her craft. She awards and rescinds trust like a wounded animal, and she's convincingly fluent in a sing-songy language that flows effortlessly. Michael Apted is a fitting director for the project, as the film blends themes from his Gorillas in the Mist and his respected documentary series 7 Up. Acclaimed cinematographer Dante Spinotti captures the Carolina woods with virtuosity, from the helicopter shot that accompanies the opening credits to the moving camera following Nell through the lakes and forest stomping grounds of her memory. Despite talent bursting from every pore, however, Nell can't quite escape its disease-of-the-week trappings. The script follows familiar patterns when it turns into a tug of war between the humanists who prize Nell's happiness and the scientists who yearn to probe and examine her. The fact that this culminates in a courtroom competency hearing with considerably lax standards just underscores the film's conventionality. Still, Foster's Oscar nomination was clearly justified, and one can understand why Neeson and Richardson develop an intense parental affection for her character. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Joe Inscoe  Actor 
Marlon Jackson  Actor 
Dana Stevens  Actor 
Robin Rochelle  Actor 
Michael Apted  Director 
Jodie Foster  Producer 
Mark Isham  Composer (Music Score) 
Renee Missel  Producer 
William Nicholson  Screenwriter 
Mark Handley  Screenwriter 
Jodie Foster  Actor 
Liam Neeson  Actor 
Natasha Richardson  Actor 
Richard Libertini  Actor 
Nick Searcy  Actor 
Robin Mullins  Actor 
Jeremy Davies  Actor 
O'Neal Compton  Actor 

Country: USA