Moll Flanders (1996 film)
| Moll Flanders | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Pen Densham |
| Produced by |
John Watson Richard B. Lewis Pen Densham |
| Written by | Pen Densham |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Mark Mancina |
| Cinematography | David Tattersall |
| Edited by | James R. Symons Neil Travis |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
|
Release date
|
June 14, 1996 |
|
Running time
|
123 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$6,000,000 (estimated) |
Moll Flanders is a 1996 film starring Robin Wright and Morgan Freeman. The film was directed by Pen Densham. The original music score was composed by Mark Mancina. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Defoe.
The daughter of a thief, young Moll is placed in the care of a nunnery after the execution of her mother. However, the actions of an abusive priest lead Moll to rebel as a teenager, escaping to the dangerous streets of London. Further misfortunes drive her to accept a job as a prostitute from the conniving Mrs. Allworthy. It is there that Moll first meets Hibble, who is working as Allworthy's servant but takes a special interest in the young woman's well-being. With his help, she retains hope for the future, ultimately falling in love with an unconventional artist who promises the possibility of romantic happiness.
Based on reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, Moll Flanders currently has a 47% approval rating from critics. A problem many critics had was with the movie largely throwing out the original Defoe story and structuring it like Forrest Gump (in which Wright was prominently featured). While the original book was about a woman's struggle to survive a male-dominated era (the early 17th century) and her turning to illegal actions to make it through (stealing and prostitution, among other means), the movie dealt with Moll's working on herself and improving her life.
Roger Ebert gave the movie three stars and said of the film "it's an original; Densham took only the name, the period, and a few notions from Defoe, and has made up the rest."
The International Press Academy nominated Moll Flanders for four awards: Robin Wright for Best Actress in a Drama, John Lynch for Supporting Actor in a drama, for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, and a nomination for Costume Design.
...
Wikipedia