Little Dorrit (film)
Encyclopedia
Little Dorrit is a 1988
film adaptation of the novel Little Dorrit
by Charles Dickens
. It was written and directed by Christine Edzard
, and produced by John Brabourne and Richard B. Goodwin. The music, by Giuseppe Verdi
, was arranged by Michael Sanvoisin.
The film stars Derek Jacobi
as Arthur Clennam and Sarah Pickering in the title role. A huge cast of seasoned British stage and film actors was assembled to play the dozens of roles. Among them are Alec Guinness
, Simon Dormandy
, Joan Greenwood
, Roshan Seth
, Miriam Margolyes
, Cyril Cusack
, and Max Wall
.
The production company which made the film, Sands Films, is operated by Christine Edzard
, the director, and her husband, Richard B. Goodwin. The film was nominated for two Oscars: Actor in a Supporting Role (Alec Guinness) and Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) (Christine Edzard). The Region Two DVD was released in the UK on October 27, 2008.
1988 in film
-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice...
film adaptation of the novel Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit is a serial novel by Charles Dickens published originally between 1855 and 1857. It is a work of satire on the shortcomings of the government and society of the period....
by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
. It was written and directed by Christine Edzard
Christine Edzard
Christine Edzard is a film director, writer, and costume designer. She is best known for her critically acclaimed film adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel, Little Dorrit , for which she was nominated for an Oscar for best adapted screenplay...
, and produced by John Brabourne and Richard B. Goodwin. The music, by Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
, was arranged by Michael Sanvoisin.
The film stars Derek Jacobi
Derek Jacobi
Sir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
as Arthur Clennam and Sarah Pickering in the title role. A huge cast of seasoned British stage and film actors was assembled to play the dozens of roles. Among them are Alec Guinness
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
, Simon Dormandy
Simon Dormandy
Simon Dormandy is an English actor and director, who as an actor has worked primarily with the Royal Shakespeare Company , perhaps best known on screen for his performances in Vanity Fair and Castaway...
, Joan Greenwood
Joan Greenwood
Joan Greenwood was an English actress. Born in Chelsea, she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark...
, Roshan Seth
Roshan Seth
Roshan Seth is an Indian-born British actor, who appears mainly in British and American films. He is known for his critically acclaimed performances in the films Gandhi, Mississippi Masala, Not Without My Daughter, My Beautiful Laundrette, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Such a Long...
, Miriam Margolyes
Miriam Margolyes
Miriam Margolyes, OBE is an English actress and voice artist. Her earliest roles were in theatre and after several supporting roles in film and television she won a BAFTA Award for her role in The Age of Innocence .-Early life:...
, Cyril Cusack
Cyril Cusack
Cyril James Cusack was an Irish actor, who appeared in more than 90 films.-Early life:Cusack was born in Durban, Natal, South Africa, the son of Alice Violet , an actress, and James Walter Cusack, a sergeant in the Natal mounted police. His parents separated when he was young and his mother took...
, and Max Wall
Max Wall
Max Wall , was an English comedian and actor, whose performing career covered music hall, theatre, films and television.-Early years:...
.
Production
Little Dorrit lasts 360 minutes and was released in two parts of approximately three hours each. The first part was subtitled Nobody's Fault, an allusion to one of Dickens' proposed titles for the original novel, and the story developed from the perspective and experiences of the Arthur Clennam character. The second film, entitled Little Dorrit's Story, took many of the same events and presented them through the eyes of the heroine. Together they represented overlapping chronicles.The production company which made the film, Sands Films, is operated by Christine Edzard
Christine Edzard
Christine Edzard is a film director, writer, and costume designer. She is best known for her critically acclaimed film adaptation of Charles Dickens's novel, Little Dorrit , for which she was nominated for an Oscar for best adapted screenplay...
, the director, and her husband, Richard B. Goodwin. The film was nominated for two Oscars: Actor in a Supporting Role (Alec Guinness) and Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) (Christine Edzard). The Region Two DVD was released in the UK on October 27, 2008.
Full cast
- Derek JacobiDerek JacobiSir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
as Arthur Clennam - Joan GreenwoodJoan GreenwoodJoan Greenwood was an English actress. Born in Chelsea, she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark...
as Mrs. Clennam - Max WallMax WallMax Wall , was an English comedian and actor, whose performing career covered music hall, theatre, films and television.-Early years:...
as Jeremiah Flintwinch - Patricia HayesPatricia HayesPatricia Lawlor Hayes, OBE was an English comedy actress.Hayes was born in Streatham, London. As a child Hayes attended Sacred Heart School in Wandsworth....
as Affery Flintwinch - Luke Duckett as Young Arthur
- Alec GuinnessAlec GuinnessSir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
as William Dorrit - Cyril CusackCyril CusackCyril James Cusack was an Irish actor, who appeared in more than 90 films.-Early life:Cusack was born in Durban, Natal, South Africa, the son of Alice Violet , an actress, and James Walter Cusack, a sergeant in the Natal mounted police. His parents separated when he was young and his mother took...
as Frederick Dorrit - Sarah Pickering as Little Dorrit
- Amelda BrownAmelda BrownAmelda Brown is a British actress. She is best known for playing Brenda Parkin in Backup, Mrs Roach in Soldier Soldier, Pauline Cook in A Touch of Frost and Sue Barnes in Peak Practice and she has also appeared in Inspector Morse, The Bill, Lovejoy, Holby City, The Story of Tracy Beaker, and Doctors...
as Fanny Dorrit - Daniel ChattoDaniel ChattoDaniel St. George Chatto born Daniel Chatto St. George Sproule, is a British artist and former actor. He is best known as the husband of Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, who is the only daughter of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and the only niece of Queen Elizabeth II .-Biography:His parents...
as Tip Dorrit - Miriam MargolyesMiriam MargolyesMiriam Margolyes, OBE is an English actress and voice artist. Her earliest roles were in theatre and after several supporting roles in film and television she won a BAFTA Award for her role in The Age of Innocence .-Early life:...
as Flora Finching - Bill FraserBill Fraser-External links:* *...
as Mr. Casby - Roshan SethRoshan SethRoshan Seth is an Indian-born British actor, who appears mainly in British and American films. He is known for his critically acclaimed performances in the films Gandhi, Mississippi Masala, Not Without My Daughter, My Beautiful Laundrette, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Such a Long...
as Mr. Pancks - Mollie MaureenMollie MaureenMollie Maureen was an Irish-born actress who worked mainly in Britain.-Life and career:Maureen was born Elizabeth Mary Campfield in 1904 in Ireland....
as Mr. F.'s Aunt - Diana Malin as Mr. Casby's Maid
- Pauline QuirkePauline QuirkePauline Perpetua Quirke is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Sharon in the comedy series Birds of a Feather, alongside her lifelong friend and frequent acting partner Linda Robson...
as Maggy
- The film also starred, in minor roles: Robert MorleyRobert MorleyRobert Adolph Wilton Morley, CBE was an English actor who, often in supporting roles, was usually cast as a pompous English gentleman representing the Establishment...
, Tony JayTony JayTony Jay was an English actor, voice actor and singer. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in animation, film and computer games. Jay's distinctive baritone voice often landed him villainous roles...
, Michael ElphickMichael ElphickMichael John Elphick was an English actor. Elphick was known in the UK for his trademark croaky voice and his work on British television, in particular his roles as the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series Boon and later Harry Slater in BBC's EastEnders.Robust and ruggedly good-looking...
, John SavidentJohn SavidentJohn Savident is a British actor, best known for playing the part of Fred Elliott in the soap opera Coronation Street from 1994 to 2006. And also was a frequent guest on Soccer AM alongside fellow actor Jack 'The Rigger' Spooner....
, Liz SmithLiz Smith (actress)Liz Smith, MBE is a British actress, best-known for her roles in the sitcoms The Vicar of Dibley and The Royle Family. She also appeared in the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.-Early life:...
, Christopher HancockChristopher HancockChristopher Hancock was a British television and theatre actor. He was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England. His brother is actor Stephen Hancock. He and his brother trained at the Old Vic theatre school...
and Harold InnocentHarold InnocentHarold Sidney Innocent was a British actor who appeared in many film and television roles.After attending Broad Street Secondary Modern School in Coventry, Innocent worked for a short time as an office clerk...
External links
- Sands Films (production company and DVD)
- Little Dorrit film trailer