The Scarlet Letter Movie Review 1995

Ewwwwww--ego-driven stinker of '95 ("Showgirls" not-withstanding). Feisty Hester Prynne (Moore) is condemned to wear the scarlet letter "A" of adultery by her 17th-century Puritan neighbors because she bore a child out of wedlock. Oldman is the lusty Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale (her partner in illicit passion) while Duvall chews scenery as Hester's wronged hubby. This "freely adapted" version of the 1850 American classic should have set author Nathaniel Hawthorne spinning in his grave as his moral saga of sin and redemption meets 20th-century moviemaking by having the passion made explicit and a happy ending tacked on.

Distribution

Hollywood Pictures Home Video, Fairmont Bldg. 526, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91505-9842, Phone: (818)562-3560

Available on VHS
Running time 135 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Historical Drama, Books to Film: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Period Piece: 17th Century, Pure Ego Vehicles, Big-Budget Bombs, Boston, Adultery, Clergymen

Screenplay

Douglas Day Stewart

Cast

Demi Moore, Gary Oldman, Robert Duvall, Robert Prosky, Edward Hardwicke, Joan Plowright, Roy Dotrice, Dana Ivey, Sheldon Peters Wolfchild, Diane Salinger, Lisa Jolliff-Andoh, Amy Wright, Tim Woodward

Cinematography

Alex Thomson

Director

Roland Joffe

Music

John Barry

Producer

Roland Joffe, Andrew G. Vajna, Tova Laiter, Dodi Fayed, Hollywood Pictures

Awards

Golden Raspberries 1995: Worst Remake/Sequel.