Adam Bede
by Giles Foster
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Iain Glen, James Wilby, Julia McKenzie, Patsy Kensit, Susannah HarkerDirector: Giles Foster
Brand: Warner Brothers
Cinematographer: Rex Maidment
Editor: Dick Allen
Producer: Alison Gilby
Producer: Peter Goodchild
Producer: Richard Broke
Writer: George Eliot
Writer: Maggie Wadey
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 102 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-04-17
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Warner
Movie Reviews of Adam Bede
Movie Review: Beautiful but shallow
Summary: 3 Stars
Though fine in its way, this film is not as good as its Middlemarch (BBC) counterpart. It is essentially Hetty's story: almost all scenes relate to her seduction and its effects. Yet the 1859 novel is a richly textured portrait of a whole community deeply affected by lack of duty (Adam's father, Thias) and irresponsibility (Arthur Donnithorne). The film simplifies the novel into a melodrama, which makes the story palatable for a wider audience but fails to capture the integrity of George Eliot's novel. Still, Iain Glen is a handsome, well-done Adam, more sensitive than Eliot's character; James Wilby, playing Arthur equally well, is however too old for the role, since Arthur is only 20 when he seduces Hetty; Mrs. Poyser's character, though nicely idiosyncratic, lacks the peppery resolve of her fictional counterpart; perhaps only Mr. Irwine is a complete success. A film twice the length of this one would have allowed viewers to see more clearly Hayslope's fascinating social hierarchy, its agrarian rhythms, and its overall cohesiveness, despite the injuries inflicted by Arthur and Hetty. By contrast, the seven-hour BBC Middlemarch is a more satisfying and authoritative adaptation, which I recommend.
Summary of Adam Bede
Beneath the tranquil surface of George Eliot's tale, passions run deep and the bitter gall of betrayal is all too prevalent. Adam Bede is a hard-working carpenter, with his heart set on marrying his sweetheart, the pretty dairymaid, Hetty Sorrel. Unfortunately, Hetty's affections are captured by the local squire, Arthur Donnithorne.Adam Bede is the very definition of a brash young man. George Eliot's young English country hero is headstrong and arrogant, and sees the world in black and white--not unlike his 18th-century countrymen, living and (barely) breathing by the strict moral code of the day. In this excellent 1991 BBC adaptation, Adam is played by the appealing Iain Glen, who shows he's as comfortable in a sweeping period drama as he is in popcorn fare like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider or the Resident Evil films. Adam is torn by love and commitment, and once he sets his sights on the fetching farmgirl Hetty (Patsy Kensit), he's convinced Hetty's love for his rich acquaintance Arthur is a sham, and uses force to get Arthur to break off their relationship. But what Adam has set in motion, the world will be reeling from for a very long time: in the wake of his impetuous act lie despair, heartbreak, a secret pregnancy, thoughts of suicide, a nd death. And still, the moral order must be upheld. Glen shows Adam slowly but truly growing up, realizing the consequences of his actions. (It doesn't hurt that he ends up with the lovely Dinah, played by the fabulous Susannah Harker of House of Cards and the 1995 Pride and Prejudice--why on earth has this talented young woman not become a huge star?) Viewing the characters' transgressions through 21st century eyes can make some of the plot lines feel remote--nearly unbelievable--but the all-too-human struggles of people trying to do the right thing will always ring true. --A.T. Hurley
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