Adam Bede

Adam Bede Review

Adam Bede Feature

• Beneath the tranquil surface of George Eliot's tale, passions run deep and the bitter gall of betrayal is all too prevalent. Adam Bede is a hard-working carpenter, with his heart set on marrying his sweetheart, the pretty dairymaid, Hetty Sorrel. Unfortunately, Hetty's affections are captured by the local squire, Arthur Donnithorne.Running Time: 102 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA

Adam Bede is the very definition of a brash young man. George Eliot's young English country hero is headstrong and arrogant, and sees the world in black and white--not unlike his 18th-century countrymen, living and (barely) breathing by the strict moral code of the day. In this excellent 1991 BBC adaptation, Adam is played by the appealing Iain Glen, who shows he's as comfortable in a sweeping period drama as he is in popcorn fare like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider or the Resident Evil films. Adam is torn by love and commitment, and once he sets his sights on the fetching farmgirl Hetty (Patsy Kensit), he's convinced Hetty's love for his rich acquaintance Arthur is a sham, and uses force to get Arthur to break off their relationship. But what Adam has set in motion, the world will be reeling from for a very long time: in the wake of his impetuous act lie despair, heartbreak, a secret pregnancy, thoughts of suicide, and death. And still, the moral order must be upheld. Glen shows Adam slowly but truly growing up, realizing the consequences of his actions. (It doesn't hurt that he ends up with the lovely Dinah, played by the fabulous Susannah Harker of House of Cards and the 1995 Pride and Prejudice--why on earth has this talented young woman not become a huge star?) Viewing the characters' transgressions through 21st century eyes can make some of the plot lines feel remote--nearly unbelievable--but the all-too-human struggles of people trying to do the right thing will always ring true. --A.T. Hurley Beneath the tranquil surface of George Eliot's tale, passions run deep and the bitter gall of betrayal is all too prevalent. Adam Bede is a hard-working carpenter, with his heart set on marrying his sweetheart, the pretty dairymaid, Hetty Sorrel. Unfortunately, Hetty's affections are captured by the local squire, Arthur Donnithorne.