Mr. Pip

{{Short description|2012 film directed by Andrew Adamson}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox film | name = Mr. Pip | image = MrPip(film).jpg | alt = | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[Andrew Adamson]] | producer = Andrew Adamson Robin Scholes [[Leslie Urdang]] Dean Vanech | writer = Andrew Adamson | based_on = {{Based on|''[[Mister Pip]]''|[[Lloyd Jones (New Zealand author)|Lloyd Jones]]}} | starring = [[Hugh Laurie]] Xzannjah Healesville Joel [[Eka Darville]] [[Kerry Fox]] | music = [[Tim Finn]] [[Harry Gregson-Williams]] | cinematography = John Toon | editing = Sim Evan-Jones | studio = Olympus Pictures [[New Zealand Film Commission]] Daydream Productions [[NZ On Air]] Eyeworks Pictures | distributor = [[Paramount Pictures]]<ref name="mojo" /> [[Transmission Films]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Paramount and Transmission renew pact in Australia|website=[[Screen International]]|first=Sandy|last=George|date=8 March 2011|access-date=16 November 2021|url=https://www.screendaily.com/distribution/paramount-and-transmission-renew-pact-in-australia/5024635.article}}</ref> (Australia and New Zealand) | released = {{Film date|df=yes|2012|09|09|[[2012 Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto International Film Festival]]|2013|10|03|[[New Zealand]]}}<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nzembassy.com/canada/news/two-movies-filmed-in-new-zealand-premiering-at-toronto-international-film-festival | title=Two Movies Filmed in New Zealand Premiering at Toronto International Film Festival | publisher= New Zealand High Commission | location=Ottawa, Canada | accessdate=31 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nzso.co.nz/enotesmusicpip/ | title=Making Music for Mr Pip | publisher=New Zealand Symphony Orchestra | accessdate=31 January 2015 }}</ref> | runtime = 115 minutes | country = [[Papua New Guinea]] Australia New Zealand | language = English [[Tok Pisin]] | budget = | gross = $977,855<ref name="mojo">{{Cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mrpip.htm|title=Mr. Pip|website=Box Office Mojo|language=en|access-date=2016-12-12}}</ref> }}

'''''Mr. Pip''''' is a 2012 [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] written and directed by [[Andrew Adamson]] and based on [[Lloyd Jones (New Zealand author)|Lloyd Jones]]' novel ''[[Mister Pip]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screendaily.com/5004063.article|title=Andrew Adamson to direct adaptation of Mister Pip|website=www.screendaily.com|access-date=2016-04-09}}</ref> [[Hugh Laurie]] played Mr. Watts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.empireonline.com/News/story.asp?nid=30712|title=Hugh Laurie Attached To Mister Pip|last=White|first=James|website=Empire|language=en|access-date=2016-04-09}}</ref>

==Plot==

In 1989, as the [[Bougainville Civil War]] rages on in [[Papua New Guinea]], Mr. Watts, the only white man left on the island after a blockade, re-opens the local school. He begins reading the [[Charles Dickens]] novel ''[[Great Expectations]]'', which transfixes a young girl named Matilda. She finds comfort in the story of a Victorian orphan, Pip, when her own world is falling apart.

Matilda writes "Pip" in the sand, and this simple act leads to terrible consequences when the "[[Papua New Guinea Defence Force|Redskins]]", an army sent to destroy the local rebels, suspect Pip to be a rebel leader and demand he be brought before them. They do not believe Mr Watts when he tells them Pip is a made up story character from a book. They tell Matilda to find this book, if it is real, but Matilda cannot find the book and the Redskins burn everyone's furniture, as a punishment. They say next time, Pip had better be handed over or else. Later, Matilda finds the book wrapped up in a mat at home, and realised her disapproving mother, Dolores, hid it there. She is resentful and angry, even more so when Dolores and the other women burn all of Mr Watts' furniture too, along with the book, which Matilda placed in Mr Watts' desk drawer.

Mr Watts' wife Grace dies, and the women of the village realise they must stand through this together. Dolores and Matilda make up, and it seems all is well again. A while later, the Redskins appear again, demanding to be shown Pip or lives will be at stake. Mr Watts decides to sacrifice himself, pretending to be Pip. He is shot and fed to the pigs, as is another woman, her son, and Dolores, for speaking up.

After the Redskins have gone, the women and children mourn their friends' deaths. Matilda nearly drowns after she is pulled under by a strong current in the river, but is saved by some of the men and women in a boat. The island is no longer safe, and Matilda is forced to go to Australia, where her father migrated. A few years later, she is told Mr Watts left a will, and left most of his possessions for Matilda, including a flat which is occupied by his ex-wife. Matilda visits the flat and meets Mrs Watts, but decides to let her keep the flat after she finds the writing on the walls which Mr Watts told his class about.

Matilda visits the Charles Dickens museum and reconciles with her imaginary version of Pip, and cries, letting out all her emotion about the previous events. She later returns to the now peaceful island with her father and becomes a teacher.

==Cast== * [[Hugh Laurie]] as Tom Watts * Xzannjah Matsi as Matilda Naimo * Healesville Joel as Dolores Naimo * [[Eka Darville]] as Pip * TaPiwa Soropa as Startop * [[Kerry Fox]] as June Watts * Florence Korokoro as Grace Watts * David Kaumara as the [[Papua New Guinea Defence Force|Redskins]] lead officer * Kausibona Mel as Daniel * Sam Simiha as Sam * Marcellin Ampa'oi as Joseph Naimo * [[Nathaniel Lees]] as Mr. Jaggers

==Production== ''Mr. Pip'' was filmed in [[Autonomous Region of Bougainville|Bougainville, Papua New Guinea]], and in [[New Zealand]]: on 29 and 30 July 2011 it was filmed at [[Glendowie College]], and at a flight training centre at Albert Street, [[Auckland]]; the historic precinct of [[Oamaru]] represented Dickens' [[London]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/163844/oamaru-locations-mister-pip|title=Oamaru locations for 'Mister Pip'|author=David Bruce|date=8 June 2011}}</ref> [[Richard Pearse Airport]] at [[Timaru]] represented the [[Mount Isa Airport]] at [[Queensland]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/5439463/Airport-turns-Aussie-as-Mr-Pip-shoot-starts|title=Mr. Pip shoot starts in South Canterbury|author=Rosa Studholme|date=13 August 2011}}</ref> and [[Kingsland railway station, New Zealand|Kingsland Railway Station]] in [[Auckland]] represented Gravesend Station in England.

Post-production started in November–December 2011 at Park Road Post in [[Wellington, New Zealand]], ready for release in 2012. The film premiered at the [[2012 Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto International Film Festival]] in September 2012. The trailer was released in April 2013, and the film opened in cinemas on 3 October.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.3news.co.nz/Mr-Pip-trailer/tabid/418/articleID/295127/Default.aspx| work= 3 News NZ| title= Mr Pip trailer| date= 22 April 2013| access-date= 21 October 2013| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131021051919/http://www.3news.co.nz/Mr-Pip-trailer/tabid/418/articleID/295127/Default.aspx| archive-date= 21 October 2013| url-status= dead}}</ref>

==Reception== The film received mixed reviews. {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|47|6.1|17}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mr_pip/|title=Mr. Pip|date=2014-11-07|website=www.rottentomatoes.com|access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref>

Dennis Harvey of [[Variety (magazine)|''Variety'']] said that the film "Like fellow Kiwi Peter Jackson, Andrew Adamson has followed a run of large-scale fantasy entertainments (two "Shreks", two "Narnias") by adapting an inspirational-uplift literary novel". Harvey also wrote "This gimmicky story set during Papua New Guinea's civil war reaches for emotional effect in a fatally hamfisted fashion".

By contrast, ''[[The New Zealand Herald]]'' gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, saying "it's a joy". The review applauded Laurie's portrayal of Mr Watts and notes that "the film belongs to Xzannjah, whose radiant yet unshowy performance nails Matilda dead centre and pulls off the tricky double act of being our eyes on the action and its central character". The review's verdict is "Smart and cinematically adventurous".<ref>{{cite news |title=Movie review: Mr. Pip |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/movie-review-mr-pip/I32K6CNK24WBBFGZXWOB3AOB6Q/ |accessdate=14 October 2020 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=2 October 2013}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/mr-pip-2013 NZ On Screen - Mr Pip] * {{IMDb title|1485749|Mr. Pip}}

[[Category:2010s New Zealand films]] [[Category:2012 films]] [[Category:2012 drama films]] [[Category:Cinema of Papua New Guinea]] [[Category:New Zealand drama films]] [[Category:Films scored by Harry Gregson-Williams]] [[Category:Films shot in New Zealand]] [[Category:Films shot in Papua New Guinea]] [[Category:Films based on New Zealand novels]] [[Category:Autonomous Region of Bougainville]] [[Category:Films set in Papua New Guinea]] [[Category:Films set in Australia]] [[Category:Films set in England]] [[Category:Films directed by Andrew Adamson]] [[Category:Films with screenplays by Andrew Adamson]]