Great Expectations

"Prepare for a life of great expectations."

2012 2h 8m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 361

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Orphan Pip discovers through lawyer Mr. Jaggers that a mysterious benefactor wishes to ensure that he becomes a gentleman. Reunited with his childhood patron, Miss Havisham, and his first love, the beautiful but emotionally cold Estella, he discovers that the elderly spinster has gone mad from having been left at the altar as a young woman, and has made her charge into a warped, unfeeling heartbreaker.

“Prepare for a life of great expectations.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Cast

Jeremy Irvine
Philip 'Pip' Pirrip
Helena Bonham Carter
Miss Havisham
Ralph Fiennes
Abel Magwitch
Holliday Grainger
Estella Havisham
Robbie Coltrane
Mr. Jaggers
Sally Hawkins
Mrs. Joe
Jason Flemyng
Joe Gargery
Ewen Bremner
Wemmick

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mike Newell
Writers: David Nicholls
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 14 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mike Newell, shot by John Mathieson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Richard Hartley. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tariq Anwar shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jeremy Irvine and Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Prepare for a life of great expectations.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1836808 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mike Newell directs. John Mathieson behind the camera. Richard Hartley scores. Tariq Anwar cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 14 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by Mike Newell, shot by John Mathieson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Richard Hartley. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Tariq Anwar shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jeremy Irvine and Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Prepare for a life of great expectations.".
8IMDB entry: tt1836808 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: John Mathieson
Original score: Richard Hartley
Editing: Tariq Anwar
Production design: Jim Clay
Costume design: Beatrix Aruna Pasztor
Makeup / hair: Jenny Shircore
Sound: Robert Farr
Runtime: 128 min · 2h 8m
Status: Released
Box office: $6,202,879
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Great Expectations (2012)

Also by

Mike Newell

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-04-29
★ 6/10
Well the Irvine's decided to keep this in the family! The young "Pip" (Toby) is out one night when he encounters the escaping convict "Magwitch" (Joseph Fiennes). Terrified for his life, he feeds the man and returns home to his kindly uncle "Joe" (Jason Flemyng) and his rather domineering wife (Sally Hawkins). Scoot on a few years and now big brother Jeremy takes over the leading role and is introduced to the solicitor "Jaggers" (Robbie Coltrane) who informs the young man that he is now a man of means. The conditions of his mysterious benefaction are that he live in London as a gentleman and that he make no enquiries as to the source of his newfound wealth. Now he, and we, make certain assumptions about the eccentric "Miss Havisham" (Helena Bonham Carter) but he is in London now, befriending old sparring partner "Herbert Pocket" (Olly Alexander) and leading a life of comfortable leisure. In truth, though, he's a bit rudderless and lacking in purpose until he returns home late one evening to be reunited with his former nemesis and told a few home truths that altogether change his agenda. It's not my favourite Dickens story this, but this adaptation does an adequate enough job more in the afternoon tea-time drama vein rather than the grand scale cinematic one. The easy-on-the-ey (elder) Irvine is charismatic enough and Alexander delivers quite cheekily as his pal "Pocket" but I thought Fiennes just over-egged his part - way too theatrical - and HBC doesn't really have the clout to deliver the "Havisham" part in the overbearing yet sad style of, say, Martita Hunt. I always find that colour photography can be an enemy to stories like this. The issues of poverty and privilege that underpin so many of this author's stories always work better in grimy monochrome, and this one is just a bit too well produced. It's perfectly watchable, but not really one to remember.

Production companies