NELL

US, 1994, 112 minutes, Colour.
Jodie Foster, Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson, Richard Libertini, Nick Searcy, Robin Mullins, Jeremy Davies, Sean Bridgers.
Directed by Michael Apted.

Jodie Foster received an Oscar nomination for her role in Nell (having won the award for The Accused in 1988 and Silence of the Lambs in 1991).

Here, she plays an adult who is seen as a wild child, her mother having been raped and giving birth to twins who lived out in the forests of North Carolina, one of the twins dead, and, at the opening of the film, her mother dying. She is discovered by the visiting doctor, played by Liam Neeson, who consults the child psychologist, Natasha Richardson, and together they are given three months by the courts to work with Nell.

The doctor wants to live in the forest and observe Nell while the psychologist wants her to come in and receive treatment, this being supported by an expert doctor. They both live in the forest, he in a tent, she in a boat and she sets up a video camera to observe Nell. Nell speaks her own language, influence by her dead mother who had had a stroke and spoke in a deformed manner. Gradually, Nell trusts the doctor, he begins to understand the language, shares with the psychologist – but, ultimately, Nell is found and the media come.

When Nell is taken into the hospital for treatment, the doctor takes her away to a motel and he and the psychologist both help her. During the court proceedings, Nell makes an impassioned speech which the doctor translates.

The film ends five years later, the doctor and the psychologist married with a daughter, and coming to visit Nell and a reunion with all those helped her.

The film was directed by Michael Apted, a veteran of many films in different genres and, especially, the Seven Up series. (And Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson were married just before the film was released.).

1. An appealing film? Interesting characters? Interesting situations and the way that they were handled?

2. The story of a wild child, in the North Carolina woods, the death of her mother, her growing up in the woods, her being discovered, the response of doctors, psychologists, academics, the media?

3. The North Carolina settings, the beauty of the mountains, the woods, the lakes? The contrast with the ordinary town, shops, bars, police precincts? The contrast with the city of Charlotte, the hospital? The musical score?

4. The origin of the film in a play, adaptation for the screen? The title, Idioglossia, and its indication of interest in language, acquiring language, communication?

5. The opening, the dead woman, the flowers on her eyes? Only the hand seen putting them there?

6. The delivery boy, coming into the woods, the money in the purse, going into the house, discovering the dead body, his reporting to the police? (And later, with his friends, going into the woods, playing pool, the sex talk, the confrontation with Nell and provoking her, Jerry’s reaction?)

7. Jerry, his practice, his wife leaving him, a loner? Going to the hut, finding the body, Nell and her screaming? His accompanying Todd, the role of the police, his apprehensiveness? Todd and his disturbed wife – and her bonding with Nell? Jerry and his deciding how to handle the situation?

8. Jerry going to the centre, watching the child and its erratic behaviour, the teachers, Paula observing, and his explanation of the situation, her interest, the interest of Dr Paley? Paula and her arrival in town, going to find Nell?

9. The different responses, Paula and the doctor, the clinical reaction, wanting Nell to come in for treatment and observation? Taking the blood and the later tests? The academic hopes for tenure and achievement? The contrast with Jerry, his wanting to care for Nell in her own place? Nell and the knife and the realisation that the mother was raped? The newspaper report?

10. Going to court, Jerry and his fierce defence of Nell, the doctor and the clash, Paula? The judge giving them three months?

11. Jerry, in the woods, pitching his tent? Paula, coming on her comfortable boat? The tension between the two? Different methods? Paula placing the camera in the hut and being able to observe Nell’s reaction?

12. Jodie Foster as Nell, the wild child, her attempts at language, acquiring language from her mother, the mother having a stroke and her mouth and face distorted? The audience knowing about the twin sister and the other two having to discover this? Nell’s gestures, especially towards the mirror, remembering her sister, going out on the rocks, swimming? Nell’s language, becoming more at ease with
Jerry?

13. Jerry, his kind attitude, his patients, watching the videos, gradually determining some of the words, beginning to understand, Paula writing down the phonetics, their gradually discovering the twin? And Nell taking them to see the burial place, the flowers on the skeleton?

14. Nell, more at ease, communicating, happy, hearing the bars of the Willie Nelson song – Crazy – and later repeating it at the pool hall?

15. The clashes between Jerry and Paula? Nell trying to reconcile them? Nell and her curiosity, their showing her the book about sexuality – and her saying that one of the photos was Paula and Jerry and wanting them to reconcile and kiss?

16. Observing Nell, on the rocks, naked, swimming? The decision that Jerry would go on the rocks, naked, swimming together – and Jerry with the attraction but no abuse or exploiting a Nell?

17. Persuading Nell to come out into the daylight, the popcorn, her being lured further, her exhilaration and the sunlight?

18. The journalist arriving, Jerry’s anger? The later article in the paper? The media coming, the helicopters?

19. The three months up, taking Nell into town, her riding in the car, looking at the town from her point of view? The supermarket, the collecting of groceries, in the pool room, the taunts, her reaction, then rescued?

20. The court, decisions, for her to be treated by the doctors? Nell and her impassioned speech and Jerry translating it for the court?

21. Jerry, carrying Nell away from the media, the decision to take her from the hospital, in the motel, taking her back, Paula coming, the two looking after her?

22. Five years later, Jerry and Paula with their daughter, coming to the hut, the picnic, Todd and his wife, the women of the town, Don, the little girl playing with Nell?

23. The achievement and her future?