| David Copperfield Episode 1 |  | Creators: Kate Harwood, Jane Tranter, Rebecca Eaton, Charles Dickens, Adrian Hodges
Director: Simon Curtis
Actors: Emilia Fox, Pauline Quirke, Maggie Smith, John Normington, Daniel Radcliffe
Studio: BBC
Category: TV Series Episode Video on Demand
Buy New: $1.99
as of 3/14/2010 04:53 MDT details
In Stock
Seller: Amazon Video On Demand
Rating:  77 reviews
Sales Rank: 13,153
Genre: Book Adaptations
Media: Video On Demand
Running Time: 91 Minutes
ASIN: B000KE3PXU
Original Air Date: December 26, 1999
Release Date: November 2, 2009
Season: 1
Episode: 1
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Synopsis:
David?s happy childhood days in the village of Blunderstone with his mother, Clara (Emilia Fox), and at Great Yarmouth with their servant, Peggotty and her family, are brought to an end by the marriage of Clara to high-minded but brutal Edward Murdstone. He and his sister, Jane (Zo? Wanamaker), move into the peaceful little house and begin a repressive regime. Peggotty is powerless to protect David and finds herself sidelined. Murdstone?s loathing of the boy brings them to a confrontation that leads to David being sent away to school, where Mr. Creakle (Ian McKellen) beats him as a matter of course but where he meets James Steerforth (Harry Lloyd), who becomes his friend and protector. After his mother dies, David is sent to London to work in a blacking factory, lodging with the shabby but genteel Wilkins Micawber (Bob Hoskins) and his adoring but emotional wife (Imelda Staunton). |
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 77
 On balance, one of the finest film versions of "David Copperfield" I've seen January 16, 2010
Gregory N. Perkins (Frankfort, KY USA)
This Masterpiece Theater treatment of Dickens' classic and most personal book "David Copperfield" boasts a cast which is nearly uniformly excellent. Bob Hoskins, Imelda Staunton, Maggie Smith, Ian McKellan, and a very young Daniel Radcliffe are only some of the gifted actors plying their trade to bring the classic story to life.
While casting is strong, the quality of the written adaptation suffers as it pares down Dickens' tome in all of the wrong places. This is undoubtedly due to the production being a miniseries rather than a full-blown film. Still, the demands of brevity which a miniseries imposes were met much more successfully in "Bleak House," another adaptation of a famously lengthy Dickens saga. To give examples of storytelling shortcomings in this production, Uriah Heep is shorn of most of his storyline, though the magnetic oiliness of the character still comes through in a remarkable performance by Nicholas Lyndhurst. Additionally, the Murdstones, who form a brilliant Alpha and Omega thematic line for David in the book are completely forgotten in the second half of this miniseries.
Also featuring a charming Ian MacNiece as the simpleminded and wise Mr. Dick, this production of "David Copperfield" retains a hearty intelligence which mostly overcomes a poorly adapted screenplay.
Very enjoyable January 3, 2010
Aquinas (celestial heights, UK)
Whilst this adaption has an excellent cast (Bob Hoskins as Micawber was particularly good) and is really enjoyable and moving, I longed for it to be longer - I think Dickens' novels need more time to unfold. In this respect, I thought the recent BBC adaption of "Bleak House" got it just right. It is nearly 20 years since I read the book but the thing that struck me was forcefully was how people in their lives could not avoid the spectre of death - consequently life appeared more real and substantial not like the entertainment culture we live in!
 Pleasantly Surprised December 12, 2009
Akitatwo (Chesapeake, VA USA)
I thought this DVD was excellent because it kept to the story and the actors did an outstanding job with their characters. I was looking for something I could watch in a reasonable amount of time and this filled the bill. If you've already read the book there are all the highlights you need to "fill in the blanks" and if you haven't there is enough to tempt you to head to the library. I gave five stars because this is the perfect condensed version of a classic masterpiece. If you are looking for a DVD that will include a wider range of characters and incidents this will not suit you.
Great Movie! September 24, 2009
Nathanael Buchanan Grooms
This is BBC at its best! Davie Coperfield has an excellent cast of characters and is indeed a delight to watch. One of the nice things about the film is that it is shorter then a lot of BBC's epic dramas. I have enjoyed the Jane Austin and Charles Dickens epics which I've watched over the years but this shorter film was nice for a change. Part of what made the film was the colorful characters like David's Aunt Betsy. I hope BBC does some more of these great classics.
David Copperfield September 13, 2009
Dorothy Laurent
This was an excellent production. The casting of characters were extraordinary. I enjoyed it very much and watch it over and over again.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 77
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