Moll Flanders (1996 film)

African-American aristocrat Hibble takes a warrant of custody towards a young girl who is being physically mistreated at an orphanage by abusive nuns. Afterwards, Hibble reluctantly begins to tell her the story about her mother.

The woman who will become the girl's mother is a poor teenager named Moll Flanders. Once the daughter of a thief, Moll's mother was hanged while Moll was at a young age. Moll is placed into a church but rebels after a priest sexually assaults her leading to the former stabbing him with knitting needles only to be whipped as a result.

Moll finds the courage to escape despite being arrested and is eventually taken in by Mrs Allworthy, the owner of a local brothel. Life as a prostitute takes it toll on her and, even though she befriends Hibbie, she faces mistreatment from the headmistress of the brothel. A kind artist named Jonathan requests her time modelling for him and takes care of her when, one night, she is brutally beaten by an angry, religious group.

Moll eventually falls in love with Jonathan and becomes pregnant. For a while, their life seems happy. Then, one day, Jonathan falls mortally ill and dies. Devastated by the loss, Moll later gives birth to a little girl. She encounters Allworthy once more, leading to her being forced along on a sea journey with Allworthy and Hibble, and leaving her baby behind.

That night, a storm forces the ship into a frenzy. Moll begins to fight for control against Allworthy with the latter being swept away by the raging current. Hibble is horrified as Moll herself is carried away by the storm.

After finishing his story, Hibble proclaims that Moll was lost at sea. Disillusioned, the girl blames Hibble for not saving her and almost runs away until Moll shows up, alive and well, having survived the storm and reconciles with her daughter.

• Robin Wright as Moll Flanders
• Morgan Freeman as Hibble
• Stockard Channing as Mrs Allworthy
• John Lynch as Jonathan (the Artist)
• Brenda Fricker as Mrs Mazzawatti
• Geraldine James as Edna
• Aisling Corcoran as Flora
• Jeremy Brett as Artist's Father
• Britta Smith as Artist's Mother
• Cathy Murphy as Polly
• Emma McIvor as Mary
• Maria Doyle Kennedy as Alice

Based on 23 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, Moll Flanders currently has a 43% approval rating from critics.[1] A problem many critics had was with the movie largely throwing out the original Defoe story and structuring it like Forrest Gump (in which Wright was prominently featured). While the original book was about a woman's struggle to survive a male-dominated era (the early 17th century) and her turning to illegal actions to make it through (stealing and prostitution, among other means), the movie dealt with Moll's working on herself and improving her life.[2]

Roger Ebert gave the movie three stars and said of the film "it's an original; Densham took only the name, the period, and a few notions from Defoe, and has made up the rest."[3]

The International Press Academy nominated Moll Flanders for four awards: Robin Wright for Best Actress in a Drama, John Lynch for Supporting Actor in a drama, Stockard Channing for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, and a nomination for Costume Design.

This was the final role for Jeremy Brett who appears uncredited in the film and was released posthumously, Brett having died in September 1995.

The film was released in 1996, but still uses a 1995 copyright notice in the closing credits.

• Moll Flanders on IMDb
• Moll Flanders at Box Office Mojo
• Moll Flanders at AllMovie