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Poster for Great Expectations

Great Expectations

Seen it?

1946 | 118 min | Drama, Romance

Friday Night Flick

Why it’s a Friday Night Flick

Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), it won 2 Oscars and it's still drawing plenty of interest. Make plans for this one.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for romantics. If you loved A Room with a View or The Duchess, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Warm and romantic.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 58 min.
What might put you off
  • Made in 1946: an older pace and style.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

In this Dickens adaptation, 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.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    100% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.3 out of 10

  • AwardsVery strong

    Won 2 Oscars: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Art Direction, Black and White. Also nominated for 3 more Oscars. Plus 1 other award.

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $420K worldwide on a $400K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 123K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by David Lean

  • John MillsPip
  • Valerie HobsonEstella
  • Tony WagerYoung Pip
  • Jean SimmonsYoung Estella
  • Bernard MilesJoe Gargery
  • Francis L. SullivanMr. Jaggers
  • Finlay CurrieAbel Magwitch
  • Martita HuntMiss Havisham
  • Alec GuinnessHerbert Pocket
  • Ivor BarnardMr. Wemmick