Product Description

The classic David Copperfield was not just Charles Dickens' favorite work. It has been the most popular of his books since it was first published 150 years ago. Micawber Peggotty Betsey Trotwood Uriah Heep Mr. Creakle Mrs. Crupp and Mr. Dick... never were so many of Dickens' famous and vest-loved characters gathered together in just one of his works.They are all brought to life by a world-class cast including Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) Oscar-winner Maggie Smith (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) Bob Hoskins (Hook) Nicholas Lyndhurst (Bullshot) and Pauline Quirke (The Elephant Man) in this sparkling adaptation.The most autobiographical of Dickens' work David Copperfield often echoes the writer's own life. It tells a moving story of David's journey from birth to maturity a journey which inextricably links his life with some of Dickens' most colorful and extraordinary families.Special DVD features include: Cast list; Masterpiece Theatre poster gallery; access to David Copperfield Web site featuring production notes interviews with the cast and crew a Dickens timeline a guide to the featured characters and more; scene selection; English audiotrack; and closed captions.One one DVD9 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Widescreen (Anamorphic)Runtime: 180 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 783421365094 Manufacturer No: WG36509

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27929 in DVD
• Brand: WGBH BOSTON VIDEO
• Released on: 2002-10-01
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 180 minutes

Amazon.com
A year before he played his first Quidditch match as Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe cast his spell on audiences as young David Copperfield in this stellar British miniseries based on Charles Dickens's classic novel. Vastly superior to the 2000 American-made miniseries (which gave us Michael "Kramer" Richards as Micawber), this impeccable production, originally broadcast on ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre, is an embarrassment of riches, with a cast that includes Oscar® winner Maggie Smith (Radcliffe's Potter costar) as the indomitable Aunt Betsey, Oscar nominee Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings) as sadistic teacher Mr. Creakle, a wonderful Bob Hoskins (Oscar nominee for Mona Lisa) as the debt-ridden Micawber, Trevor Eve as David's loathsome stepfather Mr. Murdstone (he believes in "firmness" with a vengeance), and Nicholas Lyndhurst as the scheming clerk Uriah Heap. Holding his own with this formidable ensemble is Ciaran McMenamin as the adult David, whose soap opera existence spans an idyll-shattered childhood, unscrupulous villains, tragic romance, and a hard-won happily-ever-after. Rich with incident and populated by some of literature's most memorable characters, this production does full justice to one of Dickens's most beloved and oft-told sagas. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews

part one best
I enjoyed part one of this production. Daniel Ratcliffe is charming as the young David. It was interesting to see the inate talent of the actor who grows up to assume the character of Harry Potter. Bob Hoskins and Maggie Smith are perfectly cast in their roles. Although the supporting players in part two are excellent, the actor who plays the older David lacks the charisma and acting ability of Ratcliffe.Perhaps the second part of the book is not as interesting either which may account for the let down of part two. Still very worthy of viewing

Radcliffe is simply wonderful
This is a winner. The first part especially is superb, due in large part to Daniel Radcliffe as the young David. It would be difficult to imagine a better performance; he dominated every scene that he was in. The second part with a different David is something of a letdown. It is too full of events for any to be fully developed but that is probably due to trying to include most of the novel in too abbreviated a fashion. Buy it mainly for the acting debut of Daniel Radcliffe in the first part. He was 9 years old when he did this and he has never done anything better, perhaps nothing quite as good, since.

One of my favorites!
I saw this on PBS several years back and hoped and anxiously awaited for it to come out on CD. When it did, I quickly made the purchase and have not been disappointed. Wonderfully done film.