Review of Nell (1994) by Miranda — 23 Nov 2009

(from The Watermark 01/07/95).

Jodie Foster must know something that most actresses in Hollywood don?t. Since her triumphant rite-of-passage from child star to adult artist in her Oscar-winning performance in The Accused, Foster has been turning out film projects steadily and of a consistently high level of quality: Silence of the Lambs, Little Man Tate, Sommersby, and her newest shoe-in for another Oscar nomination, Nell.

Nell is the woman played by Foster who is slightly retarded and has grown up apart from society, raised by her hermit mother. Upon her mother?s death, two behavioral psychologists (Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson) are brought in to examine her, and must find out if she can take care of herself. Unfortunately, they first need to break the language barrier, as Nell speaks a partially made up language that is complicated by the fact that she?s been taught to speak by her mother who had a speech impediment. Neeson wants to let Nell stay in her own natural habitat while Richardson pushes to have her institutionalized for observation. While they watch her live in her secluded home and interact with her, Richardson sees Neeson?s point of view, and the two have to work together to preserve Nell?s world before the press and the institution make her into a circus act.

The performances of Richardson and Neeson are excellent as two lost souls in need of Nell?s touch to heal their emotional wounds, and make them appreciate the simpler things around them. Neeson (playing another Irish-American because of his impenetrable brogue) is less touching than Richardson, but this is partly the fault of the writing or possibly the editing. Foster has never been better, playing Nell to perfection with girlish innocence and fear, while easily grasping Nell?s own mock-language, complete with Southern drawl attached, and making it believable. The screenplay does well in slowly disclosing pieces of Nell?s past to us, and letting us look into Nell?s fantasies and visions. It is interesting to note that Nell is the most developed character in the film, and she speaks the least.

The only fault of the screenplay is that it focuses a little too heavily on Nell, and Neeson and Richardson suffer from us not knowing enough about them and their own backgrounds. Richardson?s personal problems are touched upon while Neeson?s are less clear. As Nell brings them to realizations about their lives, it would have been interesting to know the sources of their pain and see more of a change in them. This would also strengthen the enjoyable and satisfying ending with Richardson and Neeson ending up together.

In spite of its flaws, the film still makes a nice statement about the overcomplication of modern society, the responsibilities of parenting and the cyclic nature of life. Such touching and worthwhile entertainment is not common, especially from those actors who make the leap into producing their own projects (Foster directed Little Man Tate and co-produced Nell). Whether Foster will be seeing another gold statuette, either for Best Actress or Best Picture, remains to be seen. In any case, Foster should not be ignored as a Hollywood figure who doesn?t just create fine work to show off her fine talents, she makes movies that are simply worth seeing.