Nell (1994)

This movie is charming and beautifully done. If you didn't understand this movie, you shouldn't review it. Nell was not a "feral child" and this is not a movie about mountain people. The idiocy of people really surprises me at times. It's clear that many of the people, who reviewed this movie, have not one clue about what they watched. Nell is not Forrest Gump or anything similar to Forrest and she's definitely a real human being that did not need to be immediately institutionalized. Nell was touching and it's too bad that some of you could not grasp the depth of this story. If you haven't seen this film, please watch. Don't be discouraged by the reviewers on here who, obviously, have the brain of a turnip.

Nell is a story that takes place in North Carolina. It is about an adult age young woman who just lost her mom. Billy who deliverers groceries to the woman's house deep in the woods finds her. He reports it to Sheriff Todd Peterson(Nick Searcy). Todd and the town doctor, Jerry Lovell(Liam Neeson)go out to investigate it. Todd is not only the sheriff, but a good husband to is wife who suffers from anxiety. I believe, I never read the book so I am just guessing. Jerry(Neeson), is shocked because he didn't think anyone lived this deep into the woods. Once they are in the house it is very quaint, wood floors, wood furniture, it is very basic. They find the old woman who is laid peacefully in the kitchen with her arms crossed, and flowers over her eyes. Jerry can't believe it, he is in disbelief. There is no water, no electricity, or phone. How can anyone live like this, they both look around the small house and Jerry comes across Nell. She is scared, and seems to have been sheltered most of her life. She seems to speak in a kind of broken English or a type of her own language. Jerry believes she speaks this way because her mother suffered a series of strokes. Nell is a sheltered young woman with little knowledge of the outside world. Jerry knows he needs help with this case. Especially when he finds a letter written by the mother. It says God has led you here please take good care of my Nell. Jerry is upset after reading the letter, he goes into Charlotte for more help on the case. He meets a psychologist, Paula Olsen,(Natasha Richardson). He explains to her what happened. Paula is fascinated, she wants to bring Nell back into Charlotte to study her. At first Paula and Jerry bump heads, Paula/ the other doctors want her in a controlled environment; to study her. Paula goes to extreme lengths for competency. Jerry says no way, he is blocking it. He has watched her, and realizes she can live on her own. He is fascinated by what she can do. Paula says differently, saying she can't even speak English; she speaks her own type of language. The competency trial gets blocked; and the board gives him a time limit on his progress with Nell. In order to understand Nell someone will have learn her language and help her open up.Paula is there to help with equipment to watch, listen, and work on her type of language. They take blood samples, realize Nell was a product of rape, and is the only survivor of Twins. They study her day and night, observing her while she unaware. They both continue to study her language on the houseboat Paula has. It is Jerry who opens up to her, to Nell he is her Guardian Angel. He works on understanding Nell Speak( her language). Jerry sometimes pushes the limits, like playing music. This scares her at first because she has never heard it. He also wants her to realize that not all men are evil doers. She believes this because of her mom's rape. I believe this is one major reason why she stays inside during the day. Nell is remarkable she comes out at night, swims, and seems very capable of anything. To start breaking her from being scared of all men, Jerry jumps into the river with her. Paula tells her it is O.K., he will not hurt her. The three of them start to form a powerful bond that can't be broken. The next step is to get her out in the day time. They begin with baby steps, teasing her with food. She is shy at first, but she begins to break free. Then they take her into town, she is mesmerized. She sees so much for the very first time, they stop into town and meet Todd and his wife, Mary(Robin Mullins). Nell bonds with Mary, and Mary begins open up. Nell, Paula, and Jerry go to the grocery, and Nell really opens up. She then wonders off to the local Pool Hall, where she gets harassed by Billy; and some of the other local boys. Jerry finally finds her; and protects her from being embarrassed any more. In fact Billy almost gets what he deserves from Jerry. Near the end of the movie some twists; and turns take place which are crucial to Nell's well being. Nell's court date begins; and Jerry proves to the court Nell is competent. Five Years go by,Paula and Jerry are a family, and a big get together happens at Nell house. Nell has progressed remarkably; she will never forget Paula; and her Guardian Angel-Jerry.This movie is excellent, one of Jodie Foster's best. Liam Neeson is remarkable as the caring doctor who wants to help Nell. Even though Natasha Richardson's character wants to jump the gun at first, by locking her up in a hospital. Richardson's character opens up as the film progresses. The movie is powerful, it tackles prejudices/fear. It opens our minds to people who may have a disability/sheltered, ETC.. All people deserve to be treated like human beings; and not like lab rats.THX, Kris L. CocKayne

My rating: 8 out of 10 (I really liked it) I just watched this and wow, what a movie.I hope no one would let the "average" rating this movie has received on IMDb dissuade them from giving it a try. I can't predict what people will like and what they won't like, but I know that for me it was an experience I didn't want to end. The point of movies is to immerse you in another world, to make you believe you're watching real people going through real experiences. For 2 hours 'Nell' did that for me.The acting in 'Nell' is some of the best I've ever seen. There wasn't a false note to be found from a single person in the cast – these actors BECAME those characters. Never once did I feel that I was watching a performance. It was all incredibly real, and that's rare. I was in awe the whole time.'Nell' is full of wonderful things. The cinematography is utterly gorgeous. Normally visuals don't carry much weight with me, but even I couldn't help but notice. And the music, while simple, was so weighty and effective.This is not a movie for people who are bored unless there's fighting and explosions and such. This is a thoughtful movie. It's about people, their life experiences, and how they deal with and are shaped by those experiences.It's interesting…I've read a number of reviews of 'Nell', and the mixed reactions it's gotten for the last 20 years tell me that sometimes even highly intelligent people can see a movie and yet not really see it. Many reviewers would have you think 'Nell' is about language, about the phenomenon of "idioglossia". Trust me, that's NOT what this movie is about. Yes, that may be the framework for the story, and "Idioglossia" is the name of the play on which this is based, but that's not what 'Nell' is about. Simply put, the story of 'Nell' is a story of two of the most basic and yet most profound of human experiences – love and loss. For two hours we are given a window into the lives of these characters, watching them as they help one another deal with these two matters together.I won't say any more about the plot because I would hate to spoil anything for someone reading this, but I will add one more thing. Watching Jodi Foster in the very last scene of the movie…maybe I'm the only one who feels this way, but wow. Rarely have I seen an end to a movie that so simply, effectively, and profoundly reflects on a human being's experience of love and loss.My rating of an 8 in no way implies that I found flaws with this movie. When you reach a certain level of quality in art it becomes simply a matter of preference. In my scale, 9 and 10 are generally reserved for movies of certain genres and certain subjects. Therefore, I would not argue one bit with someone who gave this movie a perfect score.

This movie is 18 now, there are reviews from zero to 10, so here is mine: Albert Einstein said "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited..." „Nell" shows that kind of knowledge which is behind the „veil of Isis" and that's because some aware people got together to make this visible.It seems that we still need „stories" to reach this, but stories are only a start and never a conclusion.„Thou are beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah" - this world is full of grace if you begin trying to say it to anyone, because all you say is to yourself.„Who's Tirzah?" Jerry Lovell asked, swimming, laughing... It always makes me shine.Alicia Foster's face at the very end shows all we need to know - during about 16 seconds. The most beautiful thing a camera ever could have been taken for; the light was made for.