Mary Reilly

2/23/19961h 48m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ The untold story of Jekyll and Hyde ~

Overview:

A housemaid falls in love with Dr. Jekyll and his darkly mysterious counterpart, Mr. Hyde.

Director:

Stephen Frears

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$47,000,000.00

Revenue:

$12,379,402.00

Key words:

monster
servant
laboratory
jekyll and hyde
housemaid
19th century

Cast

Julia Roberts

~ as ~

Mary Reilly

John Malkovich

~ as ~

Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde

George Cole

~ as ~

Mr. Poole

Michael Gambon

~ as ~

Mary’s Father

Glenn Close

~ as ~

Mrs. Farraday

Kathy Staff

~ as ~

Mrs. Kent

Michael Sheen

~ as ~

Bradshaw

Bronagh Gallagher

~ as ~

Annie

Linda Bassett

~ as ~

Mary's Mother

Ciarán Hinds

~ as ~

Sir Danvers Carew

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

t
tmdb28039023
Written 3 year(s) ago
2
Did we really need a secondhand retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale as seen through the eyes of the eponymous, non-canonical housemaid? This is such a well-known story that adding a fresh perspective may have seemed like a good idea at the time; on the other hand, what possible insight could Mary (Julia Roberts) offer when she’s either blind as a bat or dumb as a rock?

She’s not alone, though; everyone in this movie who isn’t Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde suffers from Lois Lane Syndrome. The closest anyone ever comes to pointing out the uncanny resemblance between the "master" and his "assistant" is remarking that "they do look a bit alike." More like a yottabit.

John Malkovich could have been as good an Edward Hyde as we was a Vicomte Valmont, and that’s precisely what made him wrong for the Henry Jekyll part. Casting him in both roles not only completely misses the original novel’s Apollonian/Dionysian dichotomy theme, but also makes the rest of the characters, especially the heroine, like complete morons. And since everyone in the audience knows, if they know nothing else, that Jekyll and Hyde are one and the same, what the hell was the point anyway?