Nell

Nell is a drama set in the isolated woodlands of the Smoky Mountains, where a young woman has grown up cut off from the outside world, knowing only her mother. When her mother dies, a local doctor and a psychologist from the city arrive and find Nell speaking a private language no one else understands. The two professionals disagree about how to handle her: one wants to leave her where she is, while the other sees a chance to study her. Their intervention brings Nell into contact with a society she has never known, and raises questions about whether she can adapt to it or should be protected from it.

Michael Apted directed the film, the eleventh of the nineteen features he made, following Blink and preceding Extreme Measures. William Nicholson and Mark Handley wrote the screenplay, and Jodie Foster produced through her company Egg Pictures alongside Renée Missel and Graham Place. Foster stars as Nell Kellty, with Liam Neeson as Dr. Lovell, Natasha Richardson as Dr. Paula Olsen, Richard Libertini, Robin Mullins and Nick Searcy among the twenty-six credited cast members.

Released in December 1994, the film cost about 31 million dollars and took roughly 107 million dollars worldwide, a strong return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 6.5 out of 10 from around 32,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.5 out of 10 from about 565 votes. A critics' rating of 5.3 out of 10 from 35 reviews places it below the audience scores.