Product Description

When the Nickleby family is betrayed in their hour of need young Nicholas (Charlie Hunnam) must save the day. Join him on a remarkable journey that critics unanimously praise as "a joy to watch" (Leonard Maltin)!System Requirements:Starring: Jamie Bell Jim Broadbent Alan Cumming Anne Hathaway Charlie Hunnam Nathan Lane Christopher Plummer Timothy Spall Directed By: Douglas McGrath Running Time: 132 Min. Color Copyright 2003 MGM Studios.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG UPC: 027616885722 Manufacturer No: 1004521

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8782 in DVD
• Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
• Released on: 2003-07-22
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 132 minutes

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

DVD features
The Nicholas Nickleby DVD offers a choice of superb anamorphically enhanced widescreen or full-screen format. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is involving and atmospheric and makes the most of Rachel Portman's score. Also included is a very thoughtful and engaging commentary by director Douglas McGrath, which adds a whole new level of appreciation to the film. Another substantial extra is a solid 29-minute "making of" documentary featuring all the main cast and production personnel. The Life of Charles Dickens: "A Mirror to his Work" relates the book to Dickens's life with comments from the cast in an all-too-brief 12 minutes. The Cast on the Cast (16 minutes) features them chatting amiably on the afternoon of the New York premiere. Views on the Set simply produces five key shots from two different angles. The set is completed by a gimmicky trailer and a three-part photo gallery. --Gary S. Dalkin

From The New Yorker
The slimming of Charles Dickens's 1839 epic by the director Douglas McGrath focusses on an educated boy (Charlie Hunnam) who loses his father and then attempts to save the rest of his family from his abusive, wealthy uncle (Christopher Plummer). The film is picturesque and lively, and it rejects much of the extreme emotional and social distress of the novel. McGrath simplifies squalor and hardship in the name of entertainment. This Dickens-lite approach is saved from banality by some fine character acting (especially from Jim Broadbent and Tom Courtenay) and a brisk filmmaking style that makes the movie an easy read. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

A must see film
This particular film adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby is first rate. The cast and sets are superb, and the film is true to the story, which isn't always the case with the classics. It's a must see, and it may just make a Charles Dickens fan out of you!

Wonderful adaptation of a sweet novel.
Everything about this is top notch, particularly the cast.

Charlie Hunnam is absolutely angelic as Nicholas. (Keeping in mind angels can be both comforting and fierce, as needed.) He gives a beautiful, vulnerable performance, and it's hard to drag your eyes away from him whenever he's on screen - even when he's opposite Jamie Bell or Christopher Plummer. He's just fascinating to watch, and I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of him in years to come. Indeed, we would have already if he weren't so choosy about his roles.

Also, I'd like to point out, he is British not American as some reviewers here have claimed. He is from Newcastle, in England.

Romola Garai is sweetly dignified as Kate and, to her credit, a bit easier to engage with than Kate is in the book. Jamie Bell is heartbreakingly authentic as Smike, as is Christopher Plummer - albeit in a very different way - as Uncle Ralph. Bell's physical transformation is moving in itself.

Alan Cumming is a delight as always, and Timothy Spall radiates goodness and happiness as Mr. Cheeryble, which is a nice change of pace from his usual roles. Heather Goldenhersh (Lina in TV's "The Class") is a wonderful, funny surprise as Fanny Squeers, and Kevin McKidd's John Browdie is hilarious. The fantastic David Bradley (lately Filch in the Harry Potter films) has a small role as Mr. Bray, too, which delighted me no end.

Amazingly, the movie does not suffer much from being under two hours long. As a fan of the book though, as well as most of the people in the cast, I wished it could have been longer. I just didn't want it to end so soon. Only the special features seemed lacking. The director's commentary was surprisingly boring. I'd have liked to see more of the cast in the cast segment and heard full-length commentary from some of them as well - particularly Hunnam, Bell or Plummer.

The sets and costumes are first rate as is the writing. I particularly enjoyed Nicholas and Madeline's scene towards the end. (Trying not to spoil it for anyone by being too specific.) Dickens leaves their conversation to the imagination, but McGrath fills it in surprisingly well. It's believable (and refreshingly open and honest) of the characters in a private moment and completely relatable for a modern audience. It's also utterly, sweetly endearing due to the performances of Charlie Hunnam and Anne Hathaway. Just a beautiful scene all around.

Lastly, and unexpectedly, this film features one of the best on screen kisses of all time. Perfect, timeless, and truly romantic.

Almost perfect Nicholas Nickleby
This came as a bit of a surprise, suffice it to say, due to the photo used on the cover. I expected less but was so pleasantly surprised!

I read Nicholas Nickleby years ago and have no plans to read it in the near future. That said, I had forgotten much of the story. It is obvious, though, that even without remembering much of the book nor the story, there is much that has been left out of the movie. No matter. What is left here is perfect. Although we may never know why Ralph Nickleby lost his ten thousand pounds just by watching the film, we understand that there must have been some behind-the-scenes scheming going on and that's perfectly fine.

Although definitely a drama, the comedic elements work so well here to lighten the desperate dark Dickensian times.

The film is perfectly cast. Charlie Hunnam as Nicholas is delightful-- moral, upright, brave. Christopher Plummer was unbelievable. Although he's not seen too much of late, it's great to see him in such a plumb role here. He's marvelous-- nasty and cruel with a small amount of humanity left in him (very small and easy to dismiss) to make him extremely complex rather than a caricature. Nathan Lane was a scene stealer and added a large dose of much needed relief from the darkness. And Jim Broadbent and Juliet Stevenson were incredible-- Juliet Stevenson especially. She delivered each of her lines with perfection. At one point, her husband, the evil Mr. Squeers, tells her that she alone could take away any man's pride more quickly than anyone else in England. Recognizing the statement for the compliment it was meant to be, she responds adoringly.

I cannot recommend this highly enough. Highly watchable! And, for younger viewers (not too young, maybe 10 and up), this is a great intro to Dickens, too.