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The Scarlet Letter (1995 film)
Encyclopedia
The Scarlet Letter is a 1995 American film adaptation
of the Nathaniel Hawthorne
novel of the same name
. It was directed by Roland Joffé
and stars Demi Moore
, Gary Oldman
, and Robert Duvall
. This version was "freely adapted" from Hawthorne and deviated from the original story. Universally panned by critics, the film was also a box office bomb
. It was nominated for seven Golden Raspberry Awards
at the 1995 ceremony
, winning "Worst Remake or Sequel."
in 1667, there is an uneasy truce between Puritans and Algonquian. Metacomet (Eric Schweig
) becomes the tribe's new chief after the death and cremation of his father Massasoit
. Hester Prynne
(Demi Moore
) arrives overseas from England
, seeking independence
. She waits for her husband, befriending Quakers and setting up a home. As time passes, she falls for a young minister, Arthur Dimmesdale (Gary Oldman
), who feels the same way about her. When they hear the news that her husband has most likely been killed by Native Americans
, they engage in a relationship. When she becomes pregnant
, Hester is imprisoned
for her indiscretions. Dimmesdale visits Hester in prison, telling her that he would declare himself the father, but Hester begs him not to. Hester tells him that she could not see the man she loved hang, for they did nothing wrong. Hester's daughter is then born in prison, and later publicly humiliated by being forced to wear a scarlet "A" for adultery
. A drummer boy
is ordered to follow her whenever she comes to town.
On the same day, her husband reappears with Indians, after a year's absence. Going by the name of "Dr. Chillingworth", he stirs fears of witchcraft
, while seeking out Hester's lover in order to exact his revenge. As his plans are done, he attacks and scalps
a man riding to town from Hester's house, disguised as Indian. Once the villagers discover this cruelty, they blame it on the Indians and bring them all to a public place to judge them. Seeing this scene, Hester's husband understands his fault and its severe results. He hangs himself in his room.
When the minister wants to talk to him, he discovers his dead body hanging from the roof of the room. He runs back to town and offers his throat instead of Hester's, admitting that he is the father of the child. When he is about to be put to death, the Indians save him and Hester, and a battle between them and the villagers starts. The audience sees Hester's little daughter, Pearl, playing with the scarlet letter patch. After visiting Hester's husband's grave, they all leave on a horse-driven buggy. Pearl drops the scarlet "A" on the ground.
Then finally before the end credits, Pearl reveals that her father dies before she becomes a teenager and that Hester never remarried.
The film was shot in British Columbia
on Vancouver Island in and around Campbell River BC. (Beaverlodge Lands *now Rockland Road and North Island College/Timberline Secondary*,Lupin Falls and Myra Falls in Strathcona Provincial Park, Little Oyster River, and White River) and in the Nova Scotia
towns of Yarmouth
and Shelburne
in 1994. In Shelburne, the waterfront area was substantially altered to resemble a Puritan New England town in the mid-17th century. Some of the buildings on Dock Street retain the grey-tone paint finishes used for the film.
and was quickly rejected. A second score was composed by Elmer Bernstein
, but his music was set aside in lieu of the final score, composed by John Barry
. Reportedly, star Demi Moore wanted a score by Barry from the start, so Morricone's and Bernstein's music were not going to be accepted, regardless of quality.
Barry's score was released on CD by Sony Records upon the film's release in 1995. A CD of Bernstein's rejected score was released by Varèse Sarabande
in 2008. No recordings of Morricone's score have been released to the public.
. It won the Golden Raspberry Award
for Worst Remake or Sequel and was nominated for Worst Actress (Moore), Worst Director, Worst Picture, Worst Screen Couple (Moore and either Duvall or Oldman), Worst Screenplay and Worst Supporting Actor (Duvall). It was also a box office bomb
, grossing only $10.3 million out of a $50 million budget.
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of the Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
novel of the same name
The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter is an 1850 romantic work of fiction in a historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is considered to be his magnum opus. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an...
. It was directed by Roland Joffé
Roland Joffé
Roland Joffé is an English-French film director who is known for his Oscar nominated movies, The Killing Fields and The Mission. He began his career in television. His early television credits included episodes of Coronation Street and an adaptation of The Stars Look Down for Granada...
and stars Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
, Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
, and Robert Duvall
Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
. This version was "freely adapted" from Hawthorne and deviated from the original story. Universally panned by critics, the film was also a box office bomb
Box office bomb
The phrase box office bomb refers to a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue regained by the movie studio. This should not be confused with Hollywood accounting when official figures show large losses, yet the movie is a financial success.A film's financial...
. It was nominated for seven Golden Raspberry Awards
Golden Raspberry Awards
A Golden Raspberry Award, or Razzie for short, is an award presented in recognition of the worst in movies. Founded by American copywriter and publicist John J.B. Wilson in 1981, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day...
at the 1995 ceremony
1995 Golden Raspberry Awards
The 16th Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 24, 1996 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to recognize the worst the movie industry had to offer in 1995. The list of nominees follows, with recipients denoted in bold...
, winning "Worst Remake or Sequel."
Plot
In the Massachusetts Bay colonyMassachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
in 1667, there is an uneasy truce between Puritans and Algonquian. Metacomet (Eric Schweig
Eric Schweig
Eric Schweig is a First Nations actor best known for his role as Chingachgook's son Uncas in The Last of the Mohicans .-Early life:...
) becomes the tribe's new chief after the death and cremation of his father Massasoit
Massasoit
Massasoit Sachem or Ousamequin ,was the sachem, or leader, of the Pokanoket, and "Massasoit" of the Wampanoag Confederacy. The term Massasoit means Great Sachem.-Early years:...
. Hester Prynne
Hester Prynne
Hester Prynne, the young protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter, is a woman condemned by her Puritan neighbors. The character has been called "among the first and most important female protagonists in American literature."...
(Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
) arrives overseas from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, seeking independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
. She waits for her husband, befriending Quakers and setting up a home. As time passes, she falls for a young minister, Arthur Dimmesdale (Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
), who feels the same way about her. When they hear the news that her husband has most likely been killed by Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, they engage in a relationship. When she becomes pregnant
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
, Hester is imprisoned
Imprisonment
Imprisonment is a legal term.The book Termes de la Ley contains the following definition:This passage was approved by Atkin and Duke LJJ in Meering v Grahame White Aviation Co....
for her indiscretions. Dimmesdale visits Hester in prison, telling her that he would declare himself the father, but Hester begs him not to. Hester tells him that she could not see the man she loved hang, for they did nothing wrong. Hester's daughter is then born in prison, and later publicly humiliated by being forced to wear a scarlet "A" for adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
. A drummer boy
Drummer boy (military)
Drummer boys were children recruited as military drummers for use on the battlefield.Armies regularly recruited young boys for this service, well into the nineteenth century...
is ordered to follow her whenever she comes to town.
On the same day, her husband reappears with Indians, after a year's absence. Going by the name of "Dr. Chillingworth", he stirs fears of witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
, while seeking out Hester's lover in order to exact his revenge. As his plans are done, he attacks and scalps
Scalping
Scalping is the act of removing another person's scalp or a portion of their scalp, either from a dead body or from a living person. The initial purpose of scalping was to provide a trophy of battle or portable proof of a combatant's prowess in war...
a man riding to town from Hester's house, disguised as Indian. Once the villagers discover this cruelty, they blame it on the Indians and bring them all to a public place to judge them. Seeing this scene, Hester's husband understands his fault and its severe results. He hangs himself in his room.
When the minister wants to talk to him, he discovers his dead body hanging from the roof of the room. He runs back to town and offers his throat instead of Hester's, admitting that he is the father of the child. When he is about to be put to death, the Indians save him and Hester, and a battle between them and the villagers starts. The audience sees Hester's little daughter, Pearl, playing with the scarlet letter patch. After visiting Hester's husband's grave, they all leave on a horse-driven buggy. Pearl drops the scarlet "A" on the ground.
Then finally before the end credits, Pearl reveals that her father dies before she becomes a teenager and that Hester never remarried.
Cast
- Demi MooreDemi MooreDemi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
as Hester PrynneHester PrynneHester Prynne, the young protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter, is a woman condemned by her Puritan neighbors. The character has been called "among the first and most important female protagonists in American literature."... - Gary OldmanGary OldmanGary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
as Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale - Robert DuvallRobert DuvallRobert Selden Duvall is an American actor and director. He has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA over the course of his career....
as Roger Chillingworth - Robert ProskyRobert ProskyRobert Prosky was an American stage, film, and television actor.-Life and career:Prosky, a Polish American, was born Robert Joseph Porzuczek in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Helen and Joseph Porzuczek. His father was a grocer and butcher...
as Horace Stonehall - Roy DotriceRoy DotriceRoy Dotrice, OBE is a British actor known for his Tony Award-winning Broadway performance in the revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten.-Life and career:...
as Rev. Thomas Cheever - Joan PlowrightJoan PlowrightJoan Ann Plowright, Baroness Olivier, DBE , better known as Dame Joan Plowright, is an English actress, whose career has spanned over sixty years. Throughout her career she has won two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award and has been nominated for an Academy Award, an Emmy, and two BAFTA Awards...
as Harriet Hibbons - Larissa LaskinLarissa LaskinLarissa Laskin is an American television actress whose credits include the A&E original film, The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery .-External links:...
as Goody Mortimer - Amy WrightAmy WrightAmy Wright is an American actress. She has appeared in such films as The Deer Hunter, Breaking Away, The Amityville Horror, Heartland, Wise Blood, Stardust Memories, The Accidental Tourist, Hard Promises, Crossing Delancey and Miss Firecracker.Wright is married to actor Rip Torn and the couple...
as Goody Gotwick - Tim WoodwardTim Woodward-Biography:Woodward was born in London, England, the son of actors Edward Woodward and Venetia Mary Barrett.He is probably best known for his roles in the 1970s BBC drama Wings, the 1990s ITV soap opera Families and the 2000s ITV police drama Murder City...
as Brewster Stonehall - Dana IveyDana IveyDana Robins Ivey is an American character actress, who has performed on Broadway and other stage roles, in film and on television.-Early life and family:Ivey was born in Atlanta, Georgia...
as Meredith Stonehall - Sheldon Peters Wolfchild as Moskeegee
- Eric SchweigEric SchweigEric Schweig is a First Nations actor best known for his role as Chingachgook's son Uncas in The Last of the Mohicans .-Early life:...
as MetacometMetacometMetacomet , also known as King Philip or Metacom, or occasionally Pometacom, was a war chief or sachem of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in King Philip's War, a widespread Native American uprising against English colonists in New England.-Biography:Metacomet was the second son of Massasoit... - Kristin FairlieKristin FairlieKristin Fairlie is an actress and was a child actress. She was the voice of Little Bear on Little Bear. In 1998 she won a Young Artist of Hollywood Award for Best Ensemble for her lead role in the Showtime original movie The Sweetest Gift. Past Winners include Jena Malone and Leonardo DiCaprio...
as Faith Stonehall - Sarah Campbell as Prudence Stonehall
- Kennetch Charlette as Tarratine Chief
- Jodhi MayJodhi MayJodhi May is an English actress.-Early life:Born in Camden Town, London, May first acted at the age of 12 in 1988's A World Apart. The role earned her a Best Actress award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, shared with her co-stars Barbara Hershey and Linda Mvusi...
as Voice of Pearl
Production
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
on Vancouver Island in and around Campbell River BC. (Beaverlodge Lands *now Rockland Road and North Island College/Timberline Secondary*,Lupin Falls and Myra Falls in Strathcona Provincial Park, Little Oyster River, and White River) and in the Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
towns of Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
and Shelburne
Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Shelburne County.-History:-Settlers:...
in 1994. In Shelburne, the waterfront area was substantially altered to resemble a Puritan New England town in the mid-17th century. Some of the buildings on Dock Street retain the grey-tone paint finishes used for the film.
Score
Three original scores were written for this film. The first score was composed by Ennio MorriconeEnnio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
and was quickly rejected. A second score was composed by Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions...
, but his music was set aside in lieu of the final score, composed by John Barry
John Barry (composer)
John Barry Prendergast, OBE was an English conductor and composer of film music. He is best known for composing the soundtracks for 12 of the James Bond films between 1962 and 1987...
. Reportedly, star Demi Moore wanted a score by Barry from the start, so Morricone's and Bernstein's music were not going to be accepted, regardless of quality.
Barry's score was released on CD by Sony Records upon the film's release in 1995. A CD of Bernstein's rejected score was released by Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
in 2008. No recordings of Morricone's score have been released to the public.
Reception
The film was met with an overwhelmingly negative reception. It was universally panned by critics, with a 15% approval rating on popular review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. It won the Golden Raspberry Award
1995 Golden Raspberry Awards
The 16th Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 24, 1996 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to recognize the worst the movie industry had to offer in 1995. The list of nominees follows, with recipients denoted in bold...
for Worst Remake or Sequel and was nominated for Worst Actress (Moore), Worst Director, Worst Picture, Worst Screen Couple (Moore and either Duvall or Oldman), Worst Screenplay and Worst Supporting Actor (Duvall). It was also a box office bomb
Box office bomb
The phrase box office bomb refers to a film for which the production and marketing costs greatly exceeded the revenue regained by the movie studio. This should not be confused with Hollywood accounting when official figures show large losses, yet the movie is a financial success.A film's financial...
, grossing only $10.3 million out of a $50 million budget.
External links
- San Francisco Chronicle review
- Reading Hawthorne in a gender-biased academy (refers to this film version)