Tom Jones

In the mid 18-century British countryside, Squire Allworthy returns home from London to find a newborn baby in his bed. After dismissing the his barber and maid Jennie Jones, the suspected parents, Allworthy decides to name the boy Tom and raise him as his own. As a man, the robust Tom's appetite for food, drink, and especially women will lead him through a series of misadventures as he tries to gain enough respectability to marry Sophie, another squire's daughter and the only woman he has ever loved. "Tom Jones" is a lively and inventive film adaptation of Henry Fielding's 1749 novel. From a finely tuned script from John Osbourne, Tony Richardson directs with flair and imagination while employing several different styles which include fast motion, silent film, and a grandiose sequence following a hunting party. In the lead role, Albert Finney is fantastically magnetic bringing great likability to his flawed character. Susannah York is excellent as well as his beloved Sophie as are Hugh Griffith, Diane Cilento, and George Devine in supporting roles. "Tom Jones" is an inventive literary adaptation as well as a liberated film which is true to its hero's spirit.