Customer Reviews

Little Dorrit

5 star:		(137)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I will always be a tremendous fan of the two part film version with Derek Jacobi and Sir Alec Guiness, now generally only found on used video tape. This wonderful new miniseries does however acquit itself very nicely. Shown earlier in the UK, the acting by Matthew Macfadyn (of Pride and Prejudice fame) captures the well-intentioned and kind hearted Arthur Clennam perfectly. Equally impressive is Claire Foy as the courageous and decent Little (Amy) Dorrit. Still the best may be the character portrayed by Tom Courtenay, William Dorrit, "the father of the Marshalsea" the famous debtors' prison. The series is full of very strong supporting performances, it would take far too long to list the many wonderful actors and actresses who are found in every scene.
The show follows a very typical Dickens plot of slowly developing mysteries and strangely interwoven relationships. Little Dorrit was born inside a debtors' prison and has lived her entire life working unendingly and without complaint to make her father's decades long imprisonment there more bearable. She is the first child born there; this fact and his former stature as a gentleman gives him an informal social superiority inside that he enjoys and uses as possible to his personal benefit. The arrival in London of Arthur Clennam from China to share with his mother the news of his father's death, pushes an already moving story into many surprising turns. Rich and poor, good and bad, people of all social circles find themselves pulled into confronting their changing fortunes. Some who find themselves well-off deal with their new situation far less well than those dealing with adversity.
Dickens is telling a story far too near to his own with the theme of these families forced to see many generations live behind prison walls for the want of a few pounds. The story is one of his strongest and this series tells it honestly and with an incredible strength of cast and script.

I only recently read Little Dorrit, and it is my new favorite Dickens novel. The story of Amy Dorrit, an honest girl born in debtor's prison, is a wonderful tale full of ups and downs, trials and tribulations, death and romance. As with many Dickens books, it literally has a cast of thousands, and this production follows most of the storylines from the book quite faithfully. I just watched this on the internet, and I thought this version was sensitive to the material and did a good job of keeping the characters engaging and true while obviously having to shorten Dickens' voluminous descriptions into shorter episodes. The story is a bit of a soap opera with plenty of bad luck and broken hearts lying around. However, it totally works for me. When I read the book, I actually couldn't put it down and devoured it in a couple of days. This movie was the same way. I couldn't stop watching it or wait until the next episode. At the end, I was sitting in front of my computer crying. It is just a lovely story, well-scripted, beautifully acted, and engaging throughout. I haven't ordered my copy yet so I can't speak to any issues with the actual dvd yet, and I will admit that I have thus far been unable to sit through the 1988 version. I want to like it since I've heard so many raves about it (and I adore Derek Jacobi--he's my all time favorite Hamlet) but it moves very slowly and ploddingly to me, and I just lose interest. So I highly recommend this version if you like Dickens at all or if you like any of the actors because the cast (Matthew Macfadyen and Claire Foy especially) do a lovely job. UPDATE: I received my dvd from Amazon and am thrilled to have purchased it. I had seen it on the internet and on Masterpiece (I'm in the US) and the episodes on the dvd are a bit different from what was shown on PBS. The dvd set consists of 4 discs in a widescreen format with 14 episodes coming in at a whopping 452 minutes and includes an interesting "making of" feature with info. about Dickens himself as well as the film's production. I'm pretty sure I saw a scene or two here that was missing on PBS, plus I got the widescreen format that I didn't get on my tv. A word of caution: the episodes end in cliff-hangers that make it almost impossible to go to bed without watching "just one more episode." My husband and I both love it and have already recommended it to several people we know. This is a great movie that will make a superb addition to your home dvd library.

"Dash my buttons!" A good dialogue line to use for this award-winner set in 1820's pre-Victorian London. Dickens wrote about class tiers within society, levels of wealth, and the injustices that caused. The Emmy writer, Andrew Davies, condensed the novel, reorganized it's events, and added dialogue into making a series actually considered by some to be better than the Dickens book. That it won 6 Emmys out of 16 BAFTA/EMMY nominations in 11 different area is endorsement enough.

Dickens style was not lost. The series includes the caravan of peculiar, grotesque, quirky, and funny characters; the names being equally odd: Flintwich, Pancks, Fanny Sparkler, Pet, Tattycoram, Chivery, Tip, Affery, & Tite Barnacle. Dickens suspense was mingled throughout the 14 episodes, with the overriding plot related to "Do not forget" inside a watch, and "Make it right" a dad's dying last words, which remains unrevealed till the end (unless you've read the book). Each individual episode ends with suspense, just like Dickens wrote it originally when published in magazine form.
Pure Dickens, but better. What fabulous scenes, sets, locations, costumes, hair, dialogue, props, cast, it's all perfection even Dickens would be proud of. You will fall in love with Amy, Little Dorrit (Claire Foy) much before Arthur (Matthew Macfadyen). What a delightful adventure into period drama, humor sprinkled, intoxicating, till you can feel the grime of Marshalsea Prison, and sparkle to the glamor of the rich in Venice. A sensual presentation of a rags-to-riches tale.

Was it fiction? The bonus material explains that Dickens father spent 14 weeks in the Marshalsea Debtors Prison, and Charles had to work in a factory at age 12 to help meet the financial needs. Dickens also had a mistress, an unhappy marriage, and well, how much of this is a Dickens bio? A very enlightening, and lengthy, bonus feature. ALso as a heLpfuL bonus is the subtitLes in EngLish for deaf, hearing impared, and oLde EngLish diaLogue chaLLenged; which utaLized aLL capitaL "L's" throughout the episodes for some siLLy reason.

So now I've added my 2-cents worth to a TV-series worth more than what is being asked in the purchase price. Before the credits were complete, my wife and I decided to start from the beginning for an immediate reviewing. It's that good.

By being reviewer #73 on this DVD set, it will be interesting to see how many truly get to reading this, but I found this adaptation of Dickens so well done that I had to offer my praise to all who helped make it possible, including "Charles."
PLease Leave a heLpfuL vote to heLp me count reader.

We are watching this now on PBS, and so far it has been a wonderful rendition of one of our favorite tales. It is lengthy and takes its time to tell the story. So far, we are pleased with the screenplay and it has done a very solid job of converting the story.

The setting, characters, and speech all feel very authentic and the efforts which were taken to make all of it so true to the time are impressive.

The primary actor and actress, whatever their names, are doing outstanding jobs. Very earnest renditions of the characters they are playing - and charming and worth watching.

We've not had any issues understanding what they are saying - the slang is not over-the-top or too accented for us US Midwesterners. I've much more difficulty following Mark Twain than I do listening to this story.

With a screenplay by the acclaimed Andrew Davies [who also wrote the screenplays for "Pride and Prejudice", "Bleak House" etc], Charles Dickens' "Little Dorrit" comes alive onscreen as shown on PBS. This particular adaptation is very faithful to the original work, perhaps overly so, yet the incredible cast makes this production top-quality period drama.

Typical of Dickens' work, there is much focus on the differences between the upper and lower strata in society. Matthew MacFadyen plays Arthur Clennam, who returns from abroad to find his emotionally-detached mother [played by Judy Parfitt] employing an impoverished young woman, Amy "Little" Dorrit [ an almost luminescent Claire Foy] who was basically born and bred in debtor's prison where her father William [Tom Courtenay]has been incarcerated for more than two decades. She goes back to tend to his needs on the weekends. Arthur begins to fear that his mother is concealing some dark secrets and that his family may be involved in bringing about the Dorrits' downfall, and the well-intentioned young man goes about remedying the situation. The kind-hearted Amy falls for Arthur but the path of true love doesn't run very smoothly here, and it takes some convoluted plot twists.

On the whole, the casting was well-done but I did find the actress playing Tattycoram to be more annoying than convincing in her performance. I also thought that the scenes with Ms Wade [Maxine Peake] were overly-dramatized. Though this production stays very faithful to the book, it could have done with some editing, as the story itself is laborious and can be quite daunting to a viewer unfamiliar with the book, noting the complex cast of characters and their relationship to one another.

I would definitely recommend this production of "Little Dorrit" to fans of British period dramas, and especially to those who love Dickens' work. It would perhaps be prudent to read the book before watching this drama if only to refresh one's memory of the intricate storyline, especially considering that the last hour of the production seems like a rushed attempt to iron out the plot towards its conclusion.

I too, am watching it on OPB right now and I consider it to be enthralling, romantic, and emotional. The scenery, costumes, actors, and effects are all wonderful. It is great to be able to turn on the TV and watch something wholesome and well-made, not to mention classic! Everyone who appreciates literature and societies of time gone by need to tune in!

The scene between Arthur and John, when John confesses his love for Little Dorrit and reprimands Arthur for his blindness to her feelings for him, is an example of true artistry that actors should watch to perfect their art. Wow. Worth the price of the DVD for that scene alone. This production has many, many wonderful scenes. Another favorite of mine was Mr. Dorrit's relapse back to the Marshalsea while at the social gathering in Italy. Great acting! Thank you, BBC!

This is one of Dickens' lesser known works and is given a wonderful screenplay by Andrew Davies who also did the Pride and Prejudice and Bleak House adaptations for BBC TV. The novel centers on two characters whose lives are changed when the father of one of them dies and triggers a search for answers from the past. Much of the storyline is taken from Dickens' personal experiences as a young boy when his father was imprisoned in a debtors prison. The theme of imprisonment pervades the entire storyline and every character is affected by it in one shape or form (physical, psychological, familial, and societal). Dickens' satire of the pre-Victorian 1826 English society class snobbery, bureaucracy, and greed are displayed by the characters in this novel.

The original novel was broken into two parts with Arthur Clennam being the primary focus in the first part and Amy Dorrit in the second part. This adaptation chose to focus on both characters right away instead of following the original novel time line. There are many great individual performances in this 7 1/2 hours saga. The two central characters remain unchanged despite financial, family, and social status pressures. This adaptation blends humor, sorrow, joy, and a mystery embedded in a love story that transcends time and place. It is a rare TV event to see such a wide ranging emotional and visually impressive presentation. Many of the questions that people look for answers like who we will live our lives with, what obligations do parents and children have for each other, and how will we live our lives are brought out from this presentation. This is a timeless series with a timeless message that what really matters in life is not money, status, or power.

I had the opportunity to ask the screenwriter questions on the screenplay adaptation when the series was being broadcast on US TV networks in April 2009. Mr. Davies changed some of the scenes from the novel to make it with a more contemporary feel and to give the heroine a more dignified and individual character. The ending of the series also does not follow the novel exactly. Arthur Clennam gets the answers to his dying father's request in the TV series while the novel leaves some questions unanswered. Mr. Davies wanted Arthur to have closure and to make for a more emotionally satisfying ending. The following is taken from Mr. Davies' introduction to the BBC novel edition.

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I realized that I would have to simplify and clarify the way the characters are introduced, so that the audience could get a sense of how they interrelate. I also needed to get a handle on the mystery that lies at the heart of the Clennam household. The mystery goes back into the past, involving characters that are dead before the book begins. It revolves around a will, a particular bequest, twin brothers, and a tin box that disappears and then reappears, and it culminates by bringing the house down literally. I had to consider how to translate all this coherently to television, while laying the clues so that the audience can get a shock of recognition when all is revealed.

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The sets, costumes, background scenery, and acting are all first rate with many familiar British actors/actresses in the cast. A lot of work and effort was done to make this production so special (the makeup work for the Maggy character took over 2 hours). The heroine, newcomer Claire Foy, becomes the primary focus of the entire story and deservedly so. Claire called the making of the series like a "special Christmas gift". Kudos to the casting director, Rachel Freck, who brought together a wonderful cast to the series and for her encouragement to Claire Foy which was crucial to her selection for the leading role (she flubbed the first two auditions for the part). The musical pieces (especially the haunting opening score with the piano and string instrument and Amy Dorrit's pensive mood music scenes when she was thinking about Arthur or was with him - taken from the Chinese music box) are beautifully matched to the story actions throughout the presentation. Dickens is mostly known for his more popular works such as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol, and Great Expectations. Little Dorrit (originally titled "Nobody's Fault" by Dickens) deserves more wider recognition because its message is one that touches the heart of nearly everyone. A rich, moving, and touching story excellently presented. The series is a big departure from what you normally see on TV or in the theaters.

Great story, memorable characters, superb acting, brisk pacing, elegant camera work, lush musical score. I've been watching BBC/Masterpiece Theatre productions since 1971 and this rates among the very best.

The adaptation by Andrew Davies manages to include every major episode from Dickens' sprawling book, but makes each more concise and compelling. The story has everything: heroes, villains, mystery, family dysfunction, unrequited love, greed, selflessness - all leavened with hilarious comic bits by some of the quirkier characters.

Kudos to the acting company: each actor, whether bit player or star, attacks their role with such brio that viewers will be delighted and pressing the 'rewind' button to watch again. Standouts in a stellar cast are Eddie Marsan as Pancks, Emma Pierson as Fanny, Amanda Redman as Mrs. Merdle (a real hoot), and Russell Tovey as John Chivery (who may bring tears to your eyes). The scenes between newcomer Claire Foy as Little Dorrit and stage/screen vet Tom Courtenay as her father were especially moving.

In this series, Amy Dorrit is somewhat more assertive than in the book and previous film, making her more relatable to a modern audience. The age difference between her and Arthur Clennam seemed less extreme, making their relationship more credible as well. Amy and Arthur are such kind, moral characters, they could have seemed cloying or even boring. But their stories are compelling because their goodness is challenged by so many obstacles, yet endures. What a pleasure to see, in our increasingly decadent culture, that kind of decency depicted in a heroic light and rewarded.

The musical score by John Lunn is impressive and deserves its own CD.

I have already seen this production in its entirety as some friends in England forwarded it to me!!! You will fall in love with Amy Dorritt(Claire Foy) because money, its possession and lack thereof, never changes her, she is kind and steady throughout !! The rest of her family will change when they come into a lot of money except her kind uncle!!! Arthur Clenham played by Matthew Mac Fayden is an exceptional gentleman more than worthy of Amy's love and admiration!!! I will say no more other than watch it and stay with it, you will not be disappointed!!! I am placing my pre-order now!!!