History Film / Nell

* UnresolvedSexualTension: Occurs between Jerome and Paula throughout the movie. Heavily hinted attraction from both sides to the point that Nell seems -- or at least Paula thinks she does -- to interpret an argument between them over her status as "parents arguing" -- and forces them to make up.[[note]]Nell might actually have remembered what ''her'' mother did if she argued with her sister -- forced the two to face each other and apologize.[[/note]][[spoiler: TheyDo]].

A judge holds a hearing after Jerome spends some time observing Nell from afar. He decides to grant a three month continuance to further clarify whether Nell can live by herself in the cabin or has to go to a medical hospital. The center sends Paula Olsen (Richardson), a psychology student, as a representative to observe and study Nell while Jerome takes it upon himself to continue to observe and study her as well.

Gradually, Jerome begins to interact with Nell and Nell soon begins to interact with both Jerome and Paula. They eventually learn from Nell that she had a twin sister who died when she was young. When a newspaper reporter learns of, and comes upon Nell in her cabin, Jerome and Paula decide it is safest to take Nell to the medical hospital. This decision is forced when a helicopter representing a television crew comes upon the cabin. When she arrives at the medical center, [[FromBadToWorse things go bad for Nell]].

The movie resolves in a courtroom scene where the argument of Nell belonging in the medical center or being able to live in her cabin comes to a head.

* DeepSouth: It takes place in North Carolina, but the movie is quick to utilize crude redneck stereotypes who express sexual mockery of and towards Nell.

* UnresolvedSexualTension: Occurs between Jerome and Paula throughout the movie. Heavily hinted attraction from both sides to the point that Nell interprets an argument between them over her status as "parents arguing" and forces them to make up. [[spoiler: TheyDo]].

The movie opens with Jerome Lovell (Neeson), a doctor, joining Sheriff Todd Peterson as they come upon a cabin in the woods and discover the passing of the only resident there. The cabin is located alone, deep up in the woods of North Carolina. While looking around, Jerome comes upon Nell (Foster), who has had almost no experience with other humans. Nell speaks her own hybridized language and while she competently handles household tasks in the real world she is also living in a fantasy. Since she is of age, the local medical center want to have her come in for study, believing her to be a real WildChild. (She's not. She was raised (lovingly) by her mother, socialized with her sister, wears clothes, cooks her food and lives in a house.)

''Nell'' is a 1994 drama film directed by Michael Apted, adapted from Mark Handley's play ''Idioglossia''. It stars Creator/JodieFoster, Creator/LiamNeeson, and Natasha Richardson.

''Nell'' was released in 1994 and directed by Michael Apted. It stars Creator/JodieFoster, Creator/LiamNeeson, and Natasha Richardson.

[[quoteright:210:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nell_906.jpg]]

-->-- '''Nell''''

* EloquentInHerNativeTongue: Once you realize that Nell uses Biblical words and phrases in a heavy [[UsefulNotes/AmericanAccents North Carolina accent]], mingled with her mom's dysphasic traits and a secret language from her childhood, she becomes almost completely comprehensible.

* DoNotGoGentle: Nell accepts that everybody dies and she will eventually die. Ties in with her [[RousingSpeech court room speech]].

The movie opens with Jerome Lovell (Neeson), a doctor, joining Sheriff Todd Peterson as they come upon a cabin in the woods and discover the passing of the only resident there. The cabin is located alone, deep up in the woods of North Carolina. While looking around, Jerome comes upon Nell (Foster), who has had almost no experience with other humans. Nell speaks her own hybridized language and while she competently handles household tasks in the real world she is also living in a fantasy. Since she is of age, the local medical center want to have her come in and study her believing her to be a real WildChild. (She's not. She was raised (lovingly) by her mother, socialized with her sister, wears clothes, cooks her food and lives in a house.)

The movie resolves in a court room scene where the argument of Nell belonging in the medical center or being able to live in her cabin comes to a head.

* InnocentFanserviceGirl: Nell wears clothes, but has no problem to take them off.

* RousingSpeech: Nell does this in the court room scene.

* UnresolvedSexualTension: Occurs between Jerome and Paula throughout the movie. Heavily hinted attraction from both sides to the point that Nell interprets an argument between them over her status as "parents arguing" and forces them to make up. [[spoiler:TheyDo]].

* EloquentInHerNativeTongue: Once you realize that Nell uses Biblical words and phrases in a heavy [[AmericanAccents North Carolina accent]], mingled with her mom's dysphasic traits and a secret language from her childhood, she becomes almost completely comprehensible.

* RomanceOnTheSet: Neeson and Richardson became an OfficialCouple during the production of this film.

* RomanceOnSet: Neeson and Richardson became an OfficialCouple during the production of this film.

The movie opens with Jerome Lovell (Neeson), a doctor, joining Sheriff Todd Peterson as they come upon a cabin in the woods and discover the passing of the only resident there. The cabin is located alone, deep up in the woods of North Carolina. While looking around, Jerome comes upon Nell (Foster), who has had almost no experience with other humans. Nell speaks her own hybridized language and while she competently handles household tasks in the real world she is also living in a fantasy. Since she is of age, the local medical center want to have her come in and study her believing her to be a real WildChild. (Technically, since she wears clothes, cooks her food and lives in a house, she's not.)

* BreakTheCutie - Arguably happens to Nell between her sister, her mother, and the medical center scene.
* CharacterTics - A heavy use by Nell, particularly lifting her arms over her head and using her arms to mimic physical gestures to her dead sister.

* CloudCuckooLander - Nell
* DeepSouth - Takes place in North Carolina but the movie is quick to utilize crude redneck stereotypes who express sexual mockery of and towards Nell.
* DoNotGoGentle - Nell accepts that everybody dies and she will eventually die. Ties in with her [[RousingSpeech court room speech]]
* DumbStruck - Nell becomes mute after her [[HeroicBSOD visit to the medical center]]

* FanDisservice - Nell in the bar room when she exposes herself despite the mocking being verbally taunted at her.
* FanService - The scenes where Nell skips over the rocks and proceeds to dive into the lake... although this comes off more as Maxfield Parrish fairylike, not sexy.
* FriendshipMoment - Happens several times between Dr. Lovell and Nell
* HeroicBSOD - Happens to Nell after she is taken to the medical center
* HollywoodPsych - Paula Olsen
* HomeSweetHome - Nell and her cabin in the woods to the point of it being featured strongly in the final scene of the movie
* ImaginaryFriend - Nell could appear to have one of these at first.

* JerkAss - Billy Fisher in the bar scene

* MoodMotif - Dr. Lovell plays a Patsy Cline song, which causes Nell to run back to her cabin. Later on when in the town, Nell hears country music coming from a bar leading to the above FanDisservice scene. Mark Isham's score includes a hammered dulcimer, evoking traditional country life.
* MrFanservice - When Dr. Lovell strips down and goes SkinnyDipping with Nell, which for some reason is supposed to help her get over her fear of men.

* OddFriendship - Happens between Dr. Lovell and Nell. Also arguably occurs between Dr. Olsen and Nell too.
* PapaWolf - Dr. Lovell develops this attitude towards Nell, including physically shoving two people for just interacting with her (although one deserved it).
* ParentalAbandonment - Nell's mother raised her and her sister by herself without a father figure. Paula's father abandoned the family when she was a child.
* RapeAsDrama - About ten minutes into the picture, Dr. Lovell is given a news clipping revealing that Nell's mother was raped and that she attacked him when he was caught. We are to assume Nell and her sister were the products.
* RousingSpeech - Nell does this in the court room scene.
* TalkingToTheDead - Nell towards her dead sister.
* TheSheriff - Todd Peterson

* UndyingLoyalty - Nell to Dr. Lovell and vice versa. Also partly done with Nell towards Dr. Olsen.
* UnresolvedSexualTension - Occurs between Jerome and Paula throughout the movie. Heavily hinted attraction from both sides to the point that Nell interprets an argument between them over her status as "parents arguing" and forces them to make up.
** [[spoiler:TheyDo]]
* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent Nell picked up a very strange and unique accent from living alone for many years with a mother who could only talk out of one side of her face following a stroke. Even without the twin-language vocabulary, her speech is so unique and incomprehensible, that it could hardly even be called English any more.

The movie opens with Jerome Lovell (Neeson), a doctor, joining Sheriff Todd Peterson as they come upon a cabin in the woods and discover the passing of the only resident there. The cabin is located alone, deep up in the woods of North Carolina. While looking around, Jerome comes upon Nell (Foster), who has had no experience with humans other than her mother and dead twin sister. Nell speaks her own hybridized language and while she competently handles household tasks in the real world she is also living in a fantasy. Since she is of age, the local medical center want to have her come in and study her believing her to be a real WildChild. (Technically, since she wears clothes, cooks her food and lives in a house, she's not.)

''Nell'' was released in 1994 and directed by Michael Apted. It stars JodieFoster, LiamNeeson, and Natasha Richardson.

[[caption-width-right:210:JodieFoster won Screen Actors Guild Award]]

''Nell'' was released in 1994 and directed by Michael Apted. It stars JodieFoster, LiamNeeson, and NatashaRichardson.

* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent Nell picked up a very strange and unique accent from living alone for many years with a mother who could only talk out of one side of her face following a stroke. Even without the twin-language vocabulary, her speech is so unique and incomprehensible, that it could hardly even be called english anymore.

* Early in the film when Dr. Lovell is hauled out of bed by a phone call, Neeson has a nice shirtless moment.

* EstrogenBrigadeBait - When Dr. Lovell strips down and goes SkinnyDipping with Nell, which for some reason is supposed to help her get over her fear of men.
** In theory this is because to Nell, he's not a man, he's her guardian angel and thus exempt from the 'men are monsters' lesson her mother drummed into her head.

* FanService - The scenes where Nell skips over the rocks and proceeds to dive into the lake.

* MrFanservice - Early in the film when Dr. Lovell is hauled out of bed by a phone call, Neeson has a nice shirtless moment.

* OddFriendship - Happens between Dr. Lovell and Nell. Also arguably occurs between Paula and Nell too.

* UndyingLoyalty - Nell to Dr. Lovell and vice versa. Also partly done with Nell towards Paula.
* UnresolvedSexualTension - Occurs between Dr. Lovell and Paula throughout the movie. Heavily hinted attraction from both sides to the point that Nell interprets an argument between them over her status as "parents arguing" and forces them to make up.

* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent Nell picked up a very strange and unique accent from living alone for many years with a mother who could only talk out of one side of her face following a stroke. Her accent is so unique and incomprehensible, that it could hardly even be called english anymore.

* WhatTheHellAccentIsThat Nell picked up a very strange and unique accent from living alone for many years with a mother who could only talk out of one side of her face following a stroke. Her accent is so unique and incomprehensible, that it could hardly even be calle english anymore.

* DeadLittleSister - Really dead twin sister

* EstrogenBrigadeBait - When Dr. Lovell strips down and goes skinny dipping with Nell, which for some reason is supposed to help her get over her fear of men.

* InnocentFanserviceGirl: Nell wears clothes, but has no problem to take them off

* PapaWolf - Dr. Lovell develops this attitude towards Nell, including physically shoving two people for just interacting with her (although one deserved it)

* RapeAsDrama - About ten minutes into the picture, Dr. Lovell is given a news clipping revealing that Nell's mother was raped and that she attacked him when he was caught. We are to assume Nell and her sister were the products

Gradually, Jerome begins to interact with Nell and Nell soon begins to interact with both Jerome and Paula. They eventually learn from Nell that she had a twin sister who died when she was young. When a newspaper reporter learns of, and comes upon Nell in her cabin, Jerome and Paula decide it is safest to take Nell to the medical hospital. This decision is forced when a helicopter representing a television crew comes upon the cabin. When she arrives at the medical center, [[ItGotWorse things go bad for Nell]].