The backwoods of North Carolina is where Nell (Jodie Foster) lives, all alone. She has her own form of language and no idea of a world beyond her small plot of land. Then civilisation enters her life in the form of two doctors (Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson), who discover the untamed wild child. Now that they have come to study her, Nell's life will never be the same again--but neither will theirs. Based on Mark Handley's play IDIOGLOSSIA, which means a language for one, NELL is an intriguing look at a person who has grown up without any contact with the modern world--like the famous wild boy of Aveyron portrayed in Francois Truffaut's WILD CHILD. Foster is excellent in delivering Nell's unique language and body movements, while Neeson and Richardson are intense in their sparring over how Nell should be treated. For eclectic director Michael Apted, this film is just one of several (COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER and GORILLAS IN THE MIST) he has made about women who are not easily categorised. NELL is also the first film from Foster's production company, Egg Pictures.

Jan 2002

She's as innocent as she is beautiful, as wild and free as the forest creatures surrounding her. Jodie Foster delivers a strong, passionate and remarkable performance as Nell - a young woman untouched by modern society. Together with her mother, Nell leads a rustic, simple life in the pristine wilderness of the majestic Smoky Mountains. But when her mother dies and two city physicians (Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson) intrude upon her peaceful home, Nell is suddenly and irrevocably introduced to the outside world - a place of extraordinary new experiences and unimaginable dangers.

• "...NELL is an effective film, and a moving one. That is largely because of the strange beauty of Jodie Foster's performance..." - Chicago Sun-Times - p.33
• "...Foster gives an audacious performance..." - Entertainment Weekly - p.41
• "...By the time NELL is over, Foster's passionate performance will make almost everyone believe..." - Los Angeles Times - p.F1
• "...Ethereal visuals..." - USA Today - p.4D