Lolita (1997)
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67% of critics liked it
(21 reviews) -
72% of users liked it
(21,597 ratings)
Adapted from the novel by Vladimir Nabokov (previously filmed by Stanley Kubrick in 1962), Lolita stars Jeremy Irons as Humbert Humbert, a college literature professor. In early adolescence, Humbert fell hopelessly and tragically in love with a girl his own age, and, as he grew into adulthood, he… More Adapted from the novel by Vladimir Nabokov (previously filmed by Stanley Kubrick in 1962), Lolita stars Jeremy Irons as Humbert Humbert, a college literature professor. In early adolescence, Humbert fell hopelessly and tragically in love with a girl his own age, and, as he grew into adulthood, he never lost his obsession with "nymphets," teenagers who walk a fine line between being a girl and a woman. While looking for a place to live after securing a new teaching position, he meets Charlotte Haze (Melanie Griffith), a pretentious and annoying woman who seems desperately lonely and is obviously attracted to Humbert. Humbert pays her little mind until he meets her 13-year-old daughter Lolita (Dominique Swain), the image of the girl that Humbert once loved. Humbert moves into the Haze home as a boarder and eventually marries Charlotte in order to be closer to Lolita. When Charlotte finds out about Humbert's attraction to her daughter, she flees the house in a rage, only to be killed in an auto accident. Without telling Lolita of her mother's fate, Humbert takes her on a cross-country auto trip, where their relationship begins to move beyond the traditional boundaries of stepfather and step-daughter. Lolita proved to be controversial in the United States due to its clear (if not explicit) depiction of sex between a middle-aged man and an underaged girl; no major studio was willing to release it in America, and it finally had its U.S. premiere on the Showtime cable network. This version, directed by Adrian Lyne, was publicized as being more faithful to Nabokov's book than Stanley Kubrick's adaptation (which was scripted by Nabokov himself); however, it manages to be closer to the letter of the novel without capturing its spirit and tone as well as Kubrick did. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Adrian Lyne
- Written By
- Stephen Schiff
- Genres
- Drama, Romance
- In Theaters
- Sep 27, 1997 Wide
- On DVD
- Jun 29, 1999
- Studio
- Samuel Goldwyn Company
Critic Reviews
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David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...the performances hit the right notes...
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James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
Irons is excellent, but the film is a real cold shower
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Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
...any film of Lolita is bound to disappoint the few who insist on the primacy of Nabokov's novel
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Ed Kelleher, Film Journal International
Lyne's update on this comic, bittersweet tale benefits mightily from a clever screenplay by Stephen Schiff and terrific performances by the movie's two leads.
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Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
The film is remarkably...disturbing. There's no other way to put it.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Jeremy Irons
as Humbert Humbert
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Melanie Griffith
as Mother
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Frank Langella
as Claire Quilty, Clare Quilty
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Dominique Swain
as Lolita
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Suzanne Shepherd
as Miss Pratt
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Keith Reddin
as Reverend Rigger
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Erin J. Dean
as Mona


