Great Expectations (M) PRESENTED IN 35MM FILM

Great Expectations (M, 1998) Presented in 35mm Film by The Revival House Perth

Finn (Ethan Hawke), a talented but directionless young artist living in the Gulf Coast, has never forgotten Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow), the beautiful, emotionally guarded girl he fell for as a child while she lived with her eccentric, reclusive aunt Ms. Dinsmoor (Anne Bancroft). When an anonymous benefactor suddenly funds Finn's move to New York and his development as an artist, he seizes the opportunity to reinvent himself, hoping to finally become someone worthy of Estella's affection. As Finn navigates the glittering art world and reconnects with Estella years later, he must confront uncomfortable truths about ambition, class, and the painful gap between who he's become and who he actually wants to be, all while the mystery of his mysterious patron slowly unravels.

Director Alfonso Cuarón transposes Charles Dickens's classic novel into a lush, sensuous modern setting, trading Victorian England for the sultry landscapes of the American South and the glamorous art scene of 1990s New York. Ethan Hawke brings wounded longing to Finn's journey of self-reinvention, while Gwyneth Paltrow's Estella retains the character's central emotional coldness and unattainability that has defined the role across countless adaptations. Cuarón's visual sensibility transforms Dickens's gothic atmosphere into something dreamlike and painterly, using vivid colour and sensuous imagery to convey the story's themes of obsession, class anxiety, and unrequited love. Anne Bancroft's eccentric, haunted performance as the reclusive Ms. Dinsmoor honours the novel's most memorably tragic figure, while the film's bold reimagining demonstrates how classic literature can be reinterpreted for a contemporary sensibility without losing its emotional core.

Original format and audio experience of this film faithfully reproduced by The Revival House. Presented in 35mm film unless noted otherwise.

When: Sunday, September 20th at 1:30PM
Where: The Revival House at the Como Theatre
Rating: M (Medium level coarse language, Sexual references, Low level violence)