Synopsis

As a boy in coastal Florida, aspiring artist Finn Bell encounters an escaped convict and befriends Estella, the ward of a wealthy, embittered recluse. Years later, a mysterious benefactor sends Finn to New York, where he pursues painting and tries to win Estella's love. This contemporary adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel explores ambition, class, obsession, and the possibility of forgiveness.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film relocates Charles Dickens' story from nineteenth-century England to modern-day Florida and New York. Pip becomes Finn, Miss Havisham becomes Nora Dinsmoor, and Abel Magwitch becomes Arthur Lustig.

• Ethan Hawke was initially reluctant to participate because he felt the American version should address class through a Latino or African American protagonist. A meeting with Alfonso Cuaron's team changed his mind.

• Finn's name was chosen partly because "Pip" sounded unsuitable for a contemporary American character. Finnegan was also the name of Hawke's dog.

• The movie's voice-over narration was added after the initial edit. Producer Art Linson brought in David Mamet to write the narration, although Mamet did not receive an onscreen credit.

• Cà d'Zan, the Venetian Gothic mansion in Sarasota, Florida, served as the exterior and part of the interior of Paradiso Perduto. The production dressed the landmark to make it look neglected and overgrown.

• Italian painter Francesco Clemente created Finn's paintings and the portraits seen in the film. The principal actors sat for Clemente privately so he could produce the artwork.

• Principal photography took place in Florida and New York, with filming also using locations such as Hempstead House at Sands Point Preserve on Long Island.

• The film earned mixed reviews but performed above its reported production budget, taking in roughly $55 million worldwide against a budget of about $25 million.