In a remote woodland cabin, a small town doctor discovers Nell — a beautiful young hermit woman with many secrets.
Acting
Foster invented an entire language and dialect for this.
Cinematography
North Carolina woods shot like a secret cathedral.
Director
Michael Apted
Jodie Foster
Nell Kellty
Liam Neeson
Dr. Lovell
Natasha Richardson
Dr. Paula Olsen
Richard Libertini
Dr. Paley
Robin Mullins
Mary Peterson
Nick Searcy
Sheriff Todd Peterson
Jeremy Davies
Billy Fisher
O'Neal Compton
Don Fontana, Lovell's Attorney
Joe Inscoe
Judge
Stephanie Dawn Wood
Ruthie Lovell
Sean Bridgers
Mike Ibarra
Lucile McIntyre
Sally
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Foster based Nell's language on actual recordings of wild children and aphasia patients, then kept the 'Nellish' dictionary secret.
The film sparked real debate about feral child cases like Genie, with critics calling it exploitative while others praised its empathy.
US
