Claim: Natasha Richardson acted in Nell.

Nell is a 1994 American drama film starring Jodie Foster as a young woman who has to face other people for the first time after being raised by her mother in an isolated cabin . The film also co-starred Liam Neeson , Natasha Richardson , Richard Libertini , and Nick Searcy . The film was directed by Michael Apted , and was based on Mark Handley 's play Idioglossia . The play was inspired by Handley 's time living in the Cascade Mountains in the 1970s , and the story of Poto and Cabengo , a pair of twins who created their own language .   The original music score is composed by Mark Isham . Foster was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her role . She also won the first Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress . The film was given a limited release on December 16 , 1994 , before expanding into wide release on December 23 , 1994 .