- Title: USA: FILM STARS ATTEND THE WORLD PREMIERE OF "GREAT EXPECTATIONS"
- Date: 18th January 1998
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 18) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) ALFONSO CUARON SAYING, " WHEN RECIEVED THE sCRIPT I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO READ THE SCRIPT BECAUSE IT SAID "GREAT EXPECTATIONS" AND IT'S DICKENS, IT'S DAVID LEAN, THERE'S A MASTERPIECE BY DAVID LEAN BASED UPON DICKENS SO I SAID NO WAY, I DIDN'T EVEN OPEN THE SCRIPT AND I SAID NO." (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) GWYNETH PALTROW SAYING OF COMPARISONS WITH "ROMEO AND JULIET", "I THINK UNDOUBTEDLY THERE WILL BE CERTAIN COMPARISONS I MEAN, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE OBVIOUSLY IS THAT THE "ROMEO AND JULIET" WAS SET IN MODERN TIMES BUT THE TEXT WAS OBVIOUSLY THE ORIGINAL TEXT, AND WE'VE SORT OF DONE A MUCH LOOSER ADAPTATION." (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) ETHAN HAWKE SAYING, " OBSESSIVE LOVE IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO, I MEAN, THIS IS A GUY WHO DEFINES HIMSELF SOLELY ON HOW THIS WOMAN FEELS ABOUT HIM. YOU KNOW, IT MAKES HIM VERY CRAZY BECAUSE HE DOES THAT. THAT WAS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, THE RELATIONSHIP WITH ESTELLA WAS ALWAYS THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THE BOOK TO ME AND IT WAS THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THE MOVIE FOR ME TOO."
- Embargoed: 2nd February 1998 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES AND FILM lOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA492LERIM7091YE33TK874LM0W
- Story Text: - Less than two years after Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes updated "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet," Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow are doing the same to Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" in a new film version.
The stars attended the film's World Premiere in Los Angeles on January 20.
Hawke plays Finn Bell, changed from the book's character "Pip," who travels from his poor working class upbringing on the Florida Gulf Coast to the heights of success as a New York City artist.
Along the way, his encounters with three individuals change his life forever.
Paltrow plays the beautiful but icy Estella, a childhood love of Finn's ever since he met her and her flomboyant aunt Ms.
Dinsmoor in their decaying mansion in Florida. Oscar-winning actor Anne Bancroft plays Ms. Dinsmoor, re-named from the book's "Miss Havisham," who is the richest woman on the Gulf Coast who lost her mind thirty years earlier when her fiance left her standing at the altar. Ever since Finn's childhood, she had warned him that Estella would someday break his heart.
The other character affecting Finn's journey is the escaped convict Lustig, played by Robert DeNiro. When Finn was a young boy, he helped Lustig escape his pursuers despite being terrified of the scary-looking man. When Finnis grown and enjoying his success in New York, Lustig returns to impact his life in new ways.
This version of "Great Expectations" is directed by Mexican born director Alfonso Cuaron, whose previous credits include the critically-acclaimed children's film "A Little Princess." He says initially he turned down the opportunity to direct this film because he was intimidated by the book and by legendary director David Lean's 1946 film version of the same story.
This version is only loosely based on the original book. Many of the characters names have changed and the location has shifted from Victorian England to Southern Florida and modern day New York. Much like "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet," the filmmakers have also added a soundtrack full of popular acts like Tori Amos, Duncan Sheik, and Pulp.
Internationally acclaimed Italian painter Francesco Clemente also contributed to the film's look by creating all the original artwork drawn by the character of Finn, including portraits of principal cast members who each posed privately for Clemente.
"Great Expectations" opens throughout the United States on Friday, January 30. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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