The young Finn Bell befriends an escaped prisoner(Robert De Niro) he finds out in the water off the Florida coast. Even though Lustig, the fugitive, is later captured Finn thinks the event changed his life, and he then puts it behind him. Joe (Chris Cooper), Finn's sister's boyfriend, takes Finn with him to a yard work job at Paradiso Perduto, an old dilapidated mansion. It's here that Finn meets Estella the niece of Ms. Dinsmoor (Anne Bancroft), a crazy, drunk, millionaire. Finn starts coming out to Paradiso Perduto every weekend to paint for Ms. Dinsmoor and dance with Estella. He starts to fall in love with Estella even though her Aunt warns him he will get his heart broken. The two grow up and soon Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow) leaves for school abroad. Finn (Ethan Hawke) tries to froget her and gives up painting. Time passes and one day a mysterious benefactor gives Finn the opportunity to show his art in New York, which just happens to be where Estella lives with her fiancé Walter Plane (Hank Azaria). Of course Finn jumps at the chance, in hopes of finding his long lost love.
This is not a very entertaining movie. The updated version doesn't do the Dickens classic justice. Finn keeps chasing Estella regardless of how many times he gets screwed over, what was tragic in the book only comes across as pointless in the movie. No one gives a very good performance, they all have their one attribute and stick with it. Once again your money and time would be better spent on the book and not the movie.