dhainline1 Review of The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter (1995)

Demi Moore's Version of Choose Your Own Adventure Ala Nathaniel Hawthorne

[5/10 · 2 August 2016]

I feel a bit generous giving this movie a 5 out of 10 but my score is based on the way little Pearl's scarlet and gold dress looked and I did picture Demi Moore as Hester when I read the book. This movie is more like the Choose Your Own Adventure books from my childhood with Nathaniel Hawthorne thrown in. Demi has said not a lot of people have read the book even though it was published over one hundred years ago by one of America's greatest writers and has been a staple in high schools since time in memorial! Everyone who has read the book knows the meaning of the scarlet letter A for adultery changed to Able or Angel in regards to Hester because she helped out the people of her town when she was needed. The choice of the ending is an Indian attack with Hester and Pearl leaving with Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale goes against what Nathaniel Hawthorne had in mind. I wonder if his grandchildren and great-grandchildren were offended by this Hollywoodized version of their grandfather's story? The language in the book is beautiful and Pearl had more of a role in the book than this movie! Nepotism shows up because Demi has cast daughters Scout and Tallulah as Pearl and they don't really say anything! Robert Duvall and Gary Oldman do their best as Roger Chillingsworth and Rev. Dimmesdale. Do what Olive from "Easy A" says in regards to this story: watch the original story and not the one with Demi Moore as Hester taking a lot of baths and talking with a fake English accent!