 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Great Expectations
- Review Date: June 14, 2007
- NR
- Genre: Classic
- 1947
Common Sense Media says
Dickens' suspenseful tale a great classic for 10+.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Pip faces a lot of abuse, threats, and difficult situations, complete with foreboding music and characters who are scary to look at. Two main characters die (one engulfed in flames) and Pip nearly dies once. Pip sees criminals hanged. Estella and Miss Havisham are also models of man-hating women, which may offend both sexes and be worth discussing.
What's the story?
John Mills stars in GREAT EXPECTATIONS as the adult Pip, the orphan raised by his abusive sister (Freda Jackson) and kindly blacksmith brother-in-law (Bernard Miles). When as a child he's accosted by a fugitive (Findlay Currie) and brings him food and alcohol, Pip begins a journey he never would have expected. He meets the creepy Miss Havisham (Martita Hunt) at her cobwebbed wedding banquet, and the beautiful but cruel Estella. When he inherits a fortune, Pip tries to become the gentleman he's always wanted to be and to win Estella's cold heart. But will he be able to? And who is his mysterious benefactor?
Is it any good?
It's a classic, yes, and it's in black and white, but it's Dickens, so you can still keep your expectations great that kids will find something to capture their attention and imaginations here. Especially when they meet Pip, the incurably optimistic and big-hearted main character, and following him through all the crazy plot twists and turns.
Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations like many of his other works, as serials for magazines. That means they're set up with plenty of twists and cliffhangers to string readers along. This makes for an even more exciting story, full of mistaken identities, secrets, manhunts, and double-crosses -- all the things many young viewers love. And the characters are fascinating, right down to their names: Uncle Pumblychook, Magwitch, Havisham, Mr. Jaggers. Pip's family may be one J.K. Rowling's inspirations for the Dursleys, the mean guardians in Harry Potter.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how Pip keeps his optimism throughout his life. How important is class standing to him? Why? Does he give up anything about himself to be the kind of gentleman he always wanted to be? Do you ever try to give up or ignore parts of yourself because you want others to like you? It's also a good opportunity to introduce children to the book Great Expectations.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Great Expectations
It is a wonderful movie to watch with family.
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Studio: | Criterion Collection |
| Director: | David Lean |
| Cast: | Alec Guinness, John Mills, Valerie Hobson |
| Genre: | Classic |
| Run time: | 118 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | May 22, 1947 |
| DVD release date: | January 12, 1999 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
