This is a great adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic, a TV mini-series about young Pip meeting two convicts in a graveyard, which leads to him meeting the mysterious Miss Havisham and her ward Estella.
I first saw this movie in my freshman English class in high school and, from what I remembered, it followed the novel pretty well. The actors were memorable and delivered solid performances, especially Jean Simmons as Miss Havisham and Anthony Hopkins as Magwich. The period setting and costumes were lavishly done and the story and plot flowed at a steady, but gripping pace, keeping the audience engaged. From what I remembered, my class enjoyed the movie.
Like many late 1960s to the 1980s movie/TV adaptations of famous novels, this TV mini-series of Great Expectations ranks high up there with 1968's Romeo and Juliet, 1982's Oliver Twist and 1988's April Morning. It's a good take on the novel and, if I were to select one film adaptation of the story to recommend, I would go with this one.
Grade B+
