Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Douglas McGrath

Writers (WGA):

Charles Dickens (novel)
Douglas McGrath (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 May 2003 (New Zealand)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Every family needs a hero.

Plot:

A young compassionate man struggles to save his family and friends from the abusive exploitation of his coldheartedly grasping uncle.

Plot Keywords:

Father | Uncle | Sister | Boys School | Mother

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Stella Gonet	...	Mrs. Nickleby
Andrew Havill	...	Mr. Nickleby
Henry McGrath	...	Child Nicholas Nickleby
Hugh Mitchell	...	Boy Nicholas Nickleby
Poppy Rogers	...	Child Kate Nickleby
Jessie Lou Roberts	...	Young Kate Nickleby
Charlie Hunnam	...	Nicholas Nickleby
Romola Garai	...	Kate Nickleby
Tom Courtenay	...	Newman Noggs
Christopher Plummer	...	Ralph Nickleby
Anne Hathaway	...	Madeline Bray
Jim Broadbent	...	Mr. Wackford Squeers
Angela Curran	...	Parent
Jamie Bell	...	Smike
Juliet Stevenson	...	Mrs. Squeers

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic material involving some violent action and a childbirth scene.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:LH | USA:PG (certificate #39321) | Ireland:PG | France:U | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:MG6 | New Zealand:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | Italy:T | Argentina:Atp | Chile:14 | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Churchill College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Company:

Hart-Sharp Entertainment

Trivia:

Miranda Richardson was set to play Mrs Squeers, but she declined so she could concentrate on three much more demanding roles in Spider (2002).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Nicholas leaves Madeleine's apartment for the first time, it appears to be in the basement. When he rushes to save her from marrying Mulberry Hawk, he runs up many flights of steps to get to the apartment.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Vincent Crummles: What happens when the light first pierces the dark dampness in which we have waited? We are slapped and cut loose. If we are lucky, someone is there to catch us and persuade us that we are safe. But are we safe? What happens if, too early, we lose a parent? That party on whom we rely for only everything? Why, we are cut loose again and we wonder, even dread whose hands will catch us now? There once lived a man named Nicholas Nickleby...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Creating a Classic: The Making of 'Nicholas Nickleby' (2003) (V)

Wonderful adaptation, Horrendous Marketing

Greetings again from the darkness. Truly exceptional adaptation of Dickens really shows how terrific writing can allow a film to work. Yes, the cast was very capable and in fact, Christopher Plummer was multi-layered, pure evil as Uncle Ralph. The Squeers team of veterans Jim Broadbent and Juliet Stevenson made escape from their "school" seem the only rational approach. Charlie Hunnam is gorgeous and capable as Nicholas, and herein lies the problem. While not for the youngest of kids, those 12 and up would probably enjoy the movie very much. As a way to touch Dickens, this is easily the least painful and most accessible for 7th through 12th graders. Why aren't audience was filled with 40 and 50 somethings who read the novel growing up and a few (like me) brought teenagers with them. My daughter and her friends loved it! Very frustrating that studios will sink millions into drawing crowds for trash like "Planet of the Apes", "XXX", "Blue Crush", etc but almost nothing into this. Of course, this offers an education in story structure and the supporting casting was inspired. In addition to Hunnam, Anne Hathaway ("Princess Diaries"), Jamie Bell ("Billy Elliot"), Nathan Lane and Alan Cumming were all excellent. Tom Courtenay was funny and pitiful at the same time. Yes, the story is like much of Dickens, it provides hope for those who seem to have little. Good prevails over evil. Personally, I like that approach.