Nicholas Nickleby

Starring:John Dallimore, James D'Arcy, Sophia Myles, Diana Kent, Charles Dance, George Innes, Abigail McKern, Gregor Fisher, Archie Preston, Berwick Kaler, Lee Ingleby, Pam Ferris, Chris Roebuck, Debbie Chazen, Tom Hollander, Marian McLoughlin, Hannah Storey, Rosalind March, Lorraine Stanley, Tom Ellis (II)
Director: Stephen Whittaker
Studio: Acorn Media
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

While it necessarily streamlines the Charles Dickens classic, this delightful adaptation of Nicholas Nickelby captures the essence of Dickens in all of its Victorian splendor and squalor. With Charlie Hunnam (the U.K. Queer as Folk) doing noble work in the title role, this quintessentially Dickensian tale begins with the death of Nicholas's father, and the subsequent scheme by his cruel uncle (Christopher Plummer, perfectly cast) to separate Nicholas from his now penniless sister and mother. Stuck in a squalid school run by the evil Mr. and Mrs. Squeers (Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson), Nicholas escapes with his loyal friend Smike (Billy Elliott's Jamie Bell), whose lineage will determine the greedy uncle's fate. As he did with Jane Austen's Emma, writer-director Douglas McGrath has crafted a prestigious production that shifts effortlessly between comedy and tragedy without compromising its warm, inviting tone. His dialogue rings true throughout, inspiring a stellar cast including Nathan Lane, Alan Cumming, Edward Fox, and Timothy Spall. Dickens himself would almost certainly have approved. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Really enjoyable!.......2007-06-22

I usually like all adaptations of classics, because the film always starts with a great story. Some are done better than others and director Doug McGrath did a really good job with this one. I haven't read the novel so I can't compare the film to the book but the film felt complete in itself--I didn't sense that anything essential to the story was missing.

Everything about this is well done- the script, the settings, costumes, music, all of it. The cast is superb--a really fine group of established, talented actors and it's a pleasure to watch them. Some reviewers here didn't like the lead actor, Charlie Hunnan, but I thought he was perfect for the role--young, innocent (the director said he was looking for someone "lamblike") and certainly handsome. I quickly became engaged in the character, Nicholas, due to the qualities of this young man--his charm and earnestness. Tall, blond, with great cheekbones, he is the essence of a romantic hero, at least in my book.

The crippled orphan, Slake, is brilliantly played by Jamie Bell. It's a hard part, I think and the temptation to overdo the pathos is great. He did it just right and won the hearts of most all viewers, as you can read here. I felt that Anne Hathaway was the weakest link but she's not bad and fortunately, she's only in the last part.

Having seen quite a few hyper-arty films lately that seem to eschew any real action, emotion or....God forbid....an ending that offers real emotional resolution, I found this to be a wonderful relief. Goodbye artiness, bring back art!

I loved it.......2007-05-18

Little Smike broke my heart and after renting it I went out and bought my own copy.

A good adaptation .......2007-04-17

This movie, which was a wonderful adaptation to Dickens' masterpiece, did a good job at covering a very lengthy and in depth novel. I will not bother to summerize the movie - I guess that others have done that - so I will instead just say that this is a good and relaxing adaptation. If you want to just sit down and enjoy a very good adaptation to this novel, than this is the movie for you. It is only a few hours, so you do not have to be constantly changing the DVD's and sit for hours on end, and the acting is superb. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes the novel Nicholas Nickleby and wants a nice and uplifting movie. One things, however, is that it was heavily abridged, so if you want more details - or if you are trying to skimp out on having to read the entire book for an assignment - then you will want one of the other box sets. Otherwise, this is a good movie. It also has a wonderful soundtrack to accompany it, by a wonderful Mrs. Portman. One of my favorites.

Douglas McGrath Nicholas Nickleby is the Better Version.......2007-04-05

This is the better version to watch and have in your private collection. It has all the elements without going over the top. All the actors do a fine job and a always enjoy Anne Hathaway.
I would enjoy watching this version over John Dellimore version of Nicholas Nickleby anytme.

Virtue - and audiences - rewarded.......2006-09-01

Despite being overlooked on release, Douglas McGrath's wonderful 2002 version of Dickens' tale of good rewarded captures both the feel and the sound of Dickens remarkably well. This world is indeed lived in, and the characters are vividly realised. The underplayed theatricality of Nathan Lane's opening and closing narration, allied to a strong sense of the cinematic sets the perfect tone right from the start, and its reprise at the ending is almost a well-deserved bow from the filmmakers.

It's even good enough to overcome the void at its center that is Charlie Hunnam, clearly cast for his looks since acting isn't a strong point. Indeed, it's bizarre that in a film with so many Americans, Canadians and Australians in its cast, the most unconvincing accent comes from a Brit, but Geordie Hunnam's curiously Scouse accent sticks out like a sore thumb, not only at odds with the rest of his family but also making him sound like a bored Beatle throughout - a kind of benign George Harrison without the `tache or the personality.

Thankfully his blandness is more than compensated for by some excellent work by Christopher Plummer's villainous uncle, avoiding the usual caricature the role inspires, and Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson and Heather Goldenhersch (boasting such a perfect English accent I was surprised to find she was American) as the hideous Squeers family, embracing it and pulling it off magnificently, while Nathan Lane and Dame Edna Everidge are truly inspired casting as the open-hearted but financially challenged theatricals Mr and Mrs Crummles. There's fine work from Timothy Spall, Tom Courtenay, Phil Davis and, most surprising of all, even Edward Fox as well. It doesn't avoid the sentimentality but manages to turn it into genuine emotion, not least because no-one falls into the trap of wildly overplaying - even Dame Edna.

All in all an unexpectedly delightful, genuinely likeable, sincerely heartwarming film that deserved more success than it found - but as Mrs Crummles notes, in the great struggle between "those aged combatants art and commerce... art, it would appear from the receipts, is in its usual position of jeopardy."

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

Average customer rating:

The Best Thing I've Ever Seen
An Amazing Theatrical Experience
Only technical flaws, otherwise immortal
Brilliant Program - Inexcusable transfer
The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby-VHS

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Starring: Cathryn Harrison , William Maxwell , Shirley King , Clyde Pollitt , and Sally Nesbitt
Director: Trevor Nunn , Jim Goddard , and John Caird
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000068QOG
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Amazon.com

Yes, it's nine hours long. Yes, it's Charles Dickens, he of the 900-page novels you had to read in high school. And, yes, it's a film of a play. But the Royal Shakespeare Company's Tony Award-winning 1981 production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby at London's Old Vic Theatre was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and those of us who missed its Emmy-winning PBS broadcast can be thankful for A&E's superb video boxed set. Dickens's story of greed, poverty, and cruelty in Victorian England is handled deftly by director Jim Goddard and set designer John Napier, who never deny their film's staginess but instead seek to exploit it, unafraid to show the viewer the skeletal nature of the theater and, in one instance, boldly using actors as props. The RSC makes excellent use of this mise en scène, bringing to life Dickens's characters with intensity, verve, and just the right notes of melodrama--this being a Dickens story, after all.

Roger Rees plays the young, earnest Nicholas, whose father's death prompts him; his sister, Kate (Emily Richard); and their mother (Jane Downs) to make their way to London to seek out the financial assistance of Nicholas's cold, calculating uncle, Ralph Nickleby (played to scowly perfection by John Woodvine). Ralph grudgingly provides his nephew with employment at a Yorkshire school for abandoned boys under the cartoonishly vile Wackford Squeers (Alun Armstrong), but Nicholas can't stomach the physical abuse Squeers heaps on his students. After lashing out at the sadistic schoolmaster during a particularly savage beating of a child, Nicholas escapes the school, taking with him the most wretched of the young creatures, a limping, crooked-backed boy named Smike (played heart-wrenchingly by David Threlfall). The story unfolds from there, with the now-itinerant Nicholas forced to make his way in the world while adhering to his principles and protecting Kate and their mother from his scheming uncle, who is eventually forced to come to terms with his emotions in the story's shocking conclusion. Typically Dickensian, the characters are neatly divided between good and evil, with little ambiguity. Still, each of the 39 actors in the ensemble does a wonderful job, making it a production that figures to linger in the memory long after you're done clapping. --Steve Landau

Customer Reviews:

The Best Thing I've Ever Seen.......2007-06-01

Nicholas Nickleby is not only my favorite Charles Dickens' book--indeed, my favorite book period--but this production is the ONLY adaptation of which I wholeheartedly approve. It is eminently true to the text and only a handful of adaptations (of any work) are. I've lost track of how many times I've watched this production. I used to check it out of the library at every available opportunity and finally, I decided to buy my own copy. I watched it twice within the first week I owned it and have happily loaned it out to two of my students, who appreciate such experiences.

If you're a fan of stage productions in general and enjoy analyzing directing styles, this will appeal to you on that level as well. Even the narration is breathtaking. The cast is unparalleled--characterizaztions are spot-on as Dickens would have intended. His wonderful characters "live" in this production as in no other I've seen. You'll love them, hate them, cheer for them and weep for them and feel as if you've lived among them for these hours.

This is a must-see for anyone who loves Dickens, England, literature, or the stage in general.

An Amazing Theatrical Experience.......2004-08-26

Neither the 2000 television version nor the 2002 film could ever hope to match the magic, passion, dramatic heights and emotional involvement of this nine hour Royal Shakespeare Company production. All the characters and subplots of Dickens' novel are presented in a whirlwind of drama, comedy, tragedy and romance. It was a wise decision, when putting the production on film, to retain as much of its theatrical flavor as possible. Because it is that theatricality that produces as much of an impact and lasting impression as the characters and plot.

Originally staged by the RSC in the early 80's at the Aldwych Theatre, this version was taped at the Old Vic before the company took the show to New York. At times, an audience is visible (and audible) especially when various characters leave the stage to wander or race through the aisles or along the front of the balcony. It must have been a wonderful experience. But the DVD compensates us for not actually being there by providing that which you cannot get in a theatre - close-ups of the actors. Only once is this overdone - when Ralph Nickleby is finally denounced, the camera lingers much too long on an extreme close-up as the other characters are only heard revealing the sins of his past. But other times, such as during the silences between lines or the looks between characters, the close-ups are quite wonderful.

A cast of 30-some actors portray about 150 characters between them. Of course, doubling or even tripling is an ancient theatrical convention. But never have I seen it used as effectively as here. Only Roger Rees, as Nicholas, plays a single part. This is real acting we are witnessing.

The nine hours are divided into four acts spread over three discs. Each act is divided into two or three parts, each with the same opening and closing credits. This makes it possible to watch in installments although one at a time never seems enough. My wife insisted that we watch the entire 167 minute final disc in one sitting. The time flies by.

The story is typical Dickens, full of noble poor people and disreputable rich ones, with complex plotlines that would be the envy of any modern soap, complete with Dickens' famous penchant for incredible coincidences. But this is more than mere melodrama and everything about the production combines to make it all fresh and exciting and involving. These are characters you genuinely care about (or, in a few instances, love to hate). And there will not be a dry eye in the house during Smike's final scene.

As I said, all the actors are brillian but most memorable are Roger Rees (who seemed born to play the part), David Threlfall as Smike (an astonishing performance), John Woodvine as the evil Ralph Nickleby (cool underplaying with bursts of temper), Alun Armstrong as Squeers, the villain from hell, Edward Petherbridge as Newman Noggs, Suzanne Bertish in several roles, a pre-Edge Of Darkness Bob Peck as two wildly different characters, and Emily Richard in the thankless role of goody-goody Kate Nickleby.

One word to anyone who has never seen this production. Act One is decidedly grim and occasionally brutal. When this was first shown on television, I knew several people who never got beyond that part. But don't give up. Once Nicholas rebels against Squeers and leaves the school, everything lightens up considerably. And no one should miss the marvellous finale to Act Two when Nicholas and Smike and a travelling theatre company perform the final scene from Romeo And Juliet, complete with exaggerated Victorian acting and a happy ending ("I wasn't dead - I was stunned")!

I'm absolutely delighted that Nicholas NIckleby has become available on DVD. I recommend it to anyone who loves theatre, great acting or just a rollicking good old-fashioned story.

Only technical flaws, otherwise immortal.......2004-01-07

I saw 'Nicholas Nickleby' about 20 years ago and have never been able to forget it. It is the best theatre I've ever seen or will ever see again. The sheer facts are astounding: nine hours long, 39 actors playing 150 parts. Only Roger Rees has one part as Nicholas Nickleby, and it's easy to see he could have hardly taken more, being so much on stage. He is a bit old for Nicholas, but creates a very convincing, somewhat naive but - when needed - passionate young man. And his part is heavy for the mere fact that he has to carry Smike and fall down on the floor with Fanny Squeers around his neck - twice, because they do it again on one of the 'what has happened so far' -scenes in the beginning of acts. Edward Petherbridge has only two parts, but makes such a wonderful work as Newman Noggs, that he is one of the most memorable actors. His droopy, worried face is absolutely priceless!

There is a lot to listen in this version, it starts with the whole cast telling, what happened before Nicholas, Kate and their mother came to London to seek help from Uncle Ralph, in the beginning of other acts there are 'what has happened' -scenes (which are wonderful!) - and at times the actors comment or fill in the facts - and then again become clouds, walls, poor people watching in from behind the windows or rich people eating well inside the same windows. This is smooth working, flawless, yet clearly something that they love to do and have fun doing it. Everybody's been telling, how much they love John Woodvine as uncle Ralph, but I still want to praise him - and wonder about how effortlessly he becomes an opera singer and a few moments later appears again as Uncle Ralph. David Threlfall is a heart-breaking Smike, twisted from head to toe, o-u-t-cast whose only home is Nicholas. And Alun Armstrong deserves his place in the closing credits for more than alphabetical reasons, his Squeers is wonderful, horrible, hilarious as the whole Squeers family. He later appears as a drunken actor, who saves the day as king in 'Romeo and Juliet', the Crummles' production with happy endings for everyone. Men who play Cheeryble brothers looked so much alike that I had to check they weren't twins, but had completely different family names. And their fury was something to see: when they decide to take ultimate measures to lighten to work of their clerk, they threaten him with making him a partner.

I would still like to mention other Squeers: Lila Kaye, Mrs. Squeers and later Mrs. Crummles, both wonderful performances which I still remembered well after all these years, and Suzanne Bertish, who has to be admired and envied for such delicious, different parts as Fanny Squeers, Miss Snevellici and Peg Sliderskew, the old hag who has a big part in the happy ending.

And yes: the technical transfer to DVD could have been much better done. As wonderful as these actors are, we don't need to see their names so many times. But even if I had to skip and fast forward, this was still a delight. Dickens is one of my favourites and this is one of those very, very rare occasions, when one can say: the movie (or play) was as good as the original book.

Brilliant Program - Inexcusable transfer.......2003-09-17

This DVD presents one of the finest stage productions ever preserved on film. Other reviews have very ably pointed out the transcendant writing and performances. HOWEVER...these disc are truly the most careless tranfer I have ever seen outside of the public domain. The broadway production was offered in 2 parts, each part contained 2 acts. If you really wanted the full immersive experience you saw part one on a Saturday or Sunday Matinee, broke for dinner and returned that same night to complete the epic. Some of the power of the piece comes in the cumulative effect of losing yourself in Dicken's world. The original broadcast was similarly aired with no commercial interuptions (Thanks, I believe, to Exxon) over four nights. WHY then has A&E broken its 4 discs into hour long segments, each containing the begining and ending credits? (You can't skip these segments, only fast forward over them.) The transfer, even on my 24" TV looks like a VHS copy recorded on the economical speed, grainy and washed out. Don't even try to play it on a large screen TV. (I just read a review of their transfer of the Miss Marple series which makes similar complaints.) It feels like A&E literally had some authoring house get a VHS copy of a copy of a copy from the store and record it as is. I am very glad I bought this box set for 2 reasons. 1... I've long wanted to revisit the brilliant production unvailable for so many years. 2... I learned to NEVER buy another A&E disc until they start respecting the shows they transfer.

The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby-VHS.......2003-06-02

I'm not sure how good the production was because the audio was so terrible on 5 of the 9 VHS versions( a loud hum through the whole episode) I couldn't understand it. I am in the process of returning the set.

A&E Literary Classics - The Romance Collection 2 Megaset (Horatio Hornblower / Nicholas Nickleby / Vanity Fair / The Flame Trees of Thika / The Mayor of Casterbridge / Tess of the D'Urbervilles / The Great Gatsby)

Average customer rating:

A&E Literary Classics - The Romance Collection 2 Megaset (Horatio Hornblower / Nicholas Nickleby / Vanity Fair / The Flame Trees of Thika / The Mayor of Casterbridge / Tess of the D'Urbervilles / The Great Gatsby)
Starring: Romance Collection 2
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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A&E Literary Classics - The Romance Collection Megaset (Pride and Prejudice / Emma / Victoria & Albert / Tom Jones / Jane Eyre / Lorna Doone / Ivanhoe / The Scarlet Pimpernel)
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Middlemarch
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ASIN: B000AYEIWM
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

A&E LITERARY CLASSICS: The Romance Collection Volume 2 Heart-stopping romance amidst the Napoleonic Wars, the delightful pursuit of love and fortune among the British upper crust, greed and longing during the Jazz Age--just some of the great narratives evocatively brought to screen in this magnificent library of A&E LITERARY CLASSICS. From the 19th century to the Roaring Twenties and Colonial Africa to Tsarist Russia, A&E presents eight original productions that are sure to enthrall any sophisticated romantic. Featuring topnotch production values and powerful performances by today's brightest stars, coupled with stunning cinematography and masterful screenplays adapted from the world's greatest novels, A&E LITERARY CLASSICS: The Romance Collection Volume 2 is the essential 14-disc DVD collection. This Megaset contains: HORATIO HORNBLOWER: There's always time for a dalliance or two in C.S. Forester's thrilling high seas adventures. NICHOLAS NICKLEBY: Love and compassion blossom amidst hard times in Charles Dickens' great tale. VANITY FAIR: A study in contrasts, Becky and Amelia pursue love and fortune in Thackery's trenchant satire. THE FLAME TREES OF THIKA: An unforgettable true account of a young girl's coming-of-age in turn-of-the-century Africa. THE MAYOR OF CASTERBRIDGE: From cruelty to redemption, a heartrending masterpiece by Thomas Hardy. CATHERINE THE GREAT: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Omar Sharif and Jeanne Moreau star in this world-class epic. TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES: Abandoned hearts and lost virtues seek redemption in another immortal classic by Thomas Hardy. THE GREAT GATSBY: Academy Award®-winner Mira Sorvino stars in F. Scott Fitzgerald's great American classic. DVD Features: Horatio Hornblower: About C.S. Forester; Nautical Terms and Definitions; Nicholas Nickleby: Charles Dickens episode of BIOGRAPHY; The Flame Trees of Thika: Elspeth Huxley Biography and Bibliography; Cast Biographies; The Mayor of Casterbridge: Thomas Hardy Biography and Bibliography; Catherine The Great: Cast Filmographies; The Great Gatsby: F. Scott Fitzgerald episode of A&E's BIOGRAPHY; Cast Filmographies

Average customer rating:

Douglas McGrath Nicholas Nickleby is much Better
Nicholas Nickelby
Fantastic Dickens Adaptation
Excellent Adaptation
What a great production!

Nicholas Nickleby
Starring: John Dallimore , James D'Arcy , Sophia Myles , Diana Kent , and Charles Dance
Director: Stephen Whittaker
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005RIWX
Release Date: 2002-01-08

Description

A comic, brutal and passionate take of greed and love in Victorian England. A top-notch cast of veteran actors and rising young newcomers shines in a lavish new British production of the Charles Dickens classic. The hero, a penniless young gentleman, struggles to make his way in the world and protect his mother and sister, meeting up with the worst and best of humanity along the way. Charles Dance (The Jewel in the Crown) stars as Ralph Nickleby, with James D'Arcy (Rebel Heart) as Nicholas and Sophia Myles (Mansfield Park) as his beautiful sister, Kate. Other standouts include Lee Ingleby (Ever After) as Smike, Nicholas' faithful companion, and Dominic West (28 Days) as the lecherous Sir Mulberry Hawk.

Customer Reviews:

Douglas McGrath Nicholas Nickleby is much Better .......2007-04-05

I was very disappointed with this production. I dont like it when someone takes a great classic novel and adds things in the production that is not there. It actually cheapens the novel.
Do yourself a favour and buy Douglas McGrath - Nicholas Nickleby. It is far Better. You will not be disappointed with it.
As for this DVD I will not be keeping it. It would have been an excellent Production if it was not for the added sences.

Nicholas Nickelby.......2007-03-10

I throughly enjoyed this version of Nicholas Nickely with John Dallimore. A great performance, cast and backdrops. A truly entertaining film!

Fantastic Dickens Adaptation.......2006-06-29

Bravo's miniseries of Nicholas Nickleby, based on the Charles Dickens novel, tells the story of a young man who has just lost both his father and fortune and must begin to make it on his own in the world. Charles Dance is wonderfully wicked in his role as Nicholas's stingy, hypocritical, money-obsessed Uncle Ralph, who will barely lift a hand to help.

The film is wonderfully put together and delightful. It has a great script and is cast perfectly. All of the actors were truly magnificent in their roles--James D'Arcy is both handsome and strong as the title character, while Sophia Myles gives a very good performance as Nicholas's beautiful and determined sister Kate. Lee Ingleby also gives a heartbreaking and sympathetic performance as the tragic Smike, whom Nicholas takes under his wing.

Thanks to Dickens there are, of course, plenty of wonderful plot twists to keep everyone interested.

Bravo has done quite a nice job.

Excellent Adaptation.......2004-11-03

This latest version of Dickens's wonderful Nicholas Nickleby is yet another in a line of excellent BBC produced dramatizations of classics; something Hollywood rarely if ever does these days because "art" doesn't sell! All I can say is "Thank God for television!"

Everything about this adaptation speaks of excellence. The casting in particular is a joy. James D'Arcy is the finest Nicholas on screen. He is a "Candide"-like figure; total believable and you want to root for him just as Dickens wanted his readers to sympathize with the protagonist. Charles Dance is equally effective as Nicholas's villainous uncle. But it doesn't end with the two leads. Every single character (and there are a lot of them) is cast perfectly and totally believable from a physical standpoint; from the lowest street people to the wealthy upper class. There's not a dud in the lot! The casting director should be knighted!

The direction is fluid and unflinching as it examines the seedier sides of the story. Pairing down the story to three hours is done with excellent comprehension. Those parts of the story missing are inevitably not missed for a dramatic presentation. The art direction is exquisite throughout. Costumes, sets and locations are brilliantly handled.

I'll also take exception to those who prefer the Royal Shakespeare version. That production was a noble effort to bring the story to the live theater and in many respects it was original and excellent. It suffers, however, from a forced stage theatricality inherent in such projects and simply gets bogged down with too much detail. The result is way too long. The new version sacrifices some length for clarity and precision story telling and has better casting in every role.

I have no hesitation in finding the entire production to be delightful; and by all means go out and buy it.

What a great production!.......2004-04-27

I am very glad that I saw this adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby. It is well-acted, and very evocative.
It is always good to see the time in which a story takes place depicted as honestly as possible. This is a really gritty story at times. The scenes at the boys' school, in which the children are routinely starved, beaten and humiliated by Mr. Squeers, are grim and disturbing, which is what Dickens intended. It is very sad that Wackford Squeers was based on a real schoolmaster, William Shaw.

There are some wonderful performances in this show, particularly by Charles Dance (Ralph Nickleby), Lee Ingleby (Smike), and James D'Arcy (Nicholas). I loved James D'Arcy's portrayal of Nicholas- it was very kind and sincere, whereas the Nicholas of the recent movie (Charlie Hunnam?) seemed too bent on revenge. I hope James has a wonderful career because he sure is talented. Bravo!

I have little to complain about with this production, only that the music is a little overbearing and intrusive at times. And Madeline Bray is really passive, even for the character and the times. You want her to look more averse to marrying that old man Ralph set her up with (who is one of the grossest characters I've ever seen on screen!).

Product Description

The BBC brought this Charles Dickens adaptation to the screen, with a young Nigel Havers (CHARIOTS OF FIRE) starring as the title character.

System Requirements:
Running Time: 325 minutes

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

"Dickens takes aim at social injustice ... Nicholas Nickleby (2006) ... Koch Vision".......2006-10-20

Koch Vision and BBC present "Nicholas Nickleby (1977) - Nigel Havers (325 mins/Color) (Dolby Digital) --- Under Christopher Barry (Director), Barry Letts (Producer), Chris Wimble (Editor), Charles Dickens (novel), Hugh Leonard (Screenwriter) ----- the cast includes Nigel Havers (Nicholas Nickleby), Peter Bourke (Smike), Kate Nicholls (Kate Nickleby), Derek Godfrey (Ralph Nickleby), Robert James (Newman Noggs), Derek Francis (Wackford Squeers), Anne Ridler (Mrs. Squeers), Isabelle Amyes (Miss Fanny Squeers) . . . . . our story as it begins is like nearly all of Dickens' works, the novel has a contemporary setting ... the action takes place in London, with several scenes taking place in Dickens' hometown of Portsmouth, as well as settings in Yorkshire and Devon ... with Dickens taking aim at what he perceives to be social injustices ... the cast of characters are introduced, including Nicholas' malevolent uncle Ralph, and the villainous Wackford Squeers, who operates a squalid boarding school at which Nicholas temporarily serves as a tutor. ...the film such as the novel centers around the life and adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, a young man who must support his mother and sister after his father dies ... and as for Uncle Ralph, who thinks Nicholas will never amount to anything, plays the role of an antagonist ... just remember Nicholas Nickleby is the hero of our story, his father has died and left Nicholas and his family penniless ... Nicholas is not a common Byronic hero ... Nickleby can be emotional, naive and violent, but through it all he is devoted to his friends and family, fiercely defiant of those who wrong those he loves ... the director Christopher Barry brings to the screen page by page of the novel keeping faith with the author Charles Dickens.

Great job by Koch Vision for releasing "Nicholas Nickleby" (1977) - Nigel Havers, the digital transfere with a clean, clear and crisp print...looking forward to more high quality releases from the BBC mini-series film market...order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch drama mixed with an outstanding cast and director --- just the way we like 'em

Total Time: 325 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV6361 ~ (5/02/2006)

Dated version of a Classic.......2006-07-18

This BBC production definately shows its age especially in the acting department.Nigel Havers, who plays the lead, manages to appear sincere even though there doesn't seem to be a lot of depth to his characterisation. But it is actress Kate Nichols, as his sister kate Nickleby, that is particularly painful to watch...her acting range appears to be limited to looking started,puzzled and vaguely troubled...with a few prolonged crying fits thrown in. She alone makes you want to hit the fast foward button.A particularly lacklustre production.

Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby Is a Friend of Mine

Average customer rating:

Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby Is a Friend of Mine
Starring: Donna Gibbons , Fred Gwynne , Brian Svrusis , Ray Bradbury , and George Womack
Director: Ralph Rosenblum
Manufacturer: Monterey Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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1900 (Special Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B000F9RLO4
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Product Description

Imagine a summer that would never end; imagine a boy who would never grow up; imagine a small town, the kind you just don t find anymore Enter a mysterious stranger.

A man who calls himself Charles Dickens (Fred Gwynne of My Cousin Vinnie & Fatal Attraction ), a writer by trade, a spinner of stories, whirls trough town, and somewhere in the wide-eyed imagination of a 12-year-old boy and the loving eyes of a lady who would prefer to be known as Emily Dickinson, comes a wondrous change that will affect their lives forever.

System Requirements:
Running Time: 55 Minutes

Format: DVD MOVIE

Average customer rating:

Nicholas Nickleby (Classic 1947)
Starring: Mary Merrall, Sally Ann Howes and Cedric Hardwicke Derek Bond
Director: Alberto Cavalcanti
Manufacturer: Vision Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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Madame Curie

ASIN: B000IMVJDC
Release Date: 2006-09-18

Product Description

After the death of his father, Nicholas Nickleby (Derek Bond), and his mother (Mary Merrall) and sister (Sally Ann Howes) are cared for by his greedy uncle Ralph (Cedric Hardwicke), who accepts the duty rather unwillingly. Ralph arranges for Nicholas to get a job at a notoriously brutal school for boys, where he befriends one of the ill-treated students, Smike. He and Smike flee the school and join a theatrical troop. Nicholas then has to protect Smike, while trying to stop his Uncle Ralph from taking advantage of his sister and later his sweetheart, Madeline Bray, whose father is in debtors prison.

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Customer Reviews:

Really enjoyable!.......2007-06-22

I loved it.......2007-05-18

Little Smike broke my heart and after renting it I went out and bought my own copy.

A good adaptation .......2007-04-17

Douglas McGrath Nicholas Nickleby is the Better Version.......2007-04-05

Virtue - and audiences - rewarded.......2006-09-01

Average customer rating:

Charles Dickens - Nicholas Nickleby
Starring: Nicholas Nickleby
Manufacturer: Liberation Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000HC2LZ8
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Description

One 20-year-old boy, driven by what is right and just, overcomes the forces of unconscionable greed. An epic story of human nature that moves from country schoolhouse through traveling theater companies to the lofty, rich and aristocratic halls of urban London.

The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby - Volume 1

Average customer rating:

The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby - Volume 1

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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