"Oliver Twist" (1999)TV mini-series

Director:

Renny Rye

Writers:

Alan Bleasdale (writer)
Charles Dickens (novel)

Release Date:

8 October 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Based on Charles Dickens' novel, this adaptation traces the childhood of an orphan whose mother dies...

Plot Keywords:

19th Century | Victorian Era | Child Abuse | Compassion | Young Boy

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Sam Smith	...	Oliver Twist
David Ross	...	Mr Bumble
Julie Walters	...	Mrs. Mann
Roger Lloyd-Pack	...	Mr Sowerberry
Ger Ryan	...	Mrs Sowerberry
Michael Kitchen	...	Mr Brownlow
Annette Crosbie	...	Mrs Bedwin
Keira Knightley	...	Rose Fleming (as Kiera Knightley)
Tim Dutton	...	Edwin Leeford
Lindsay Duncan	...	Elizabeth Leeford
Marc Warren	...	Monks
Robert Lindsay	...	Fagin
Alex Crowley	...	Artful Dodger
Andy Serkis	...	Bill Sikes
Emily Woof	...	Nancy

Runtime:

386 min (4 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Filming Locations:

Alston, Cumbria, England, UK

Company:

Diplomat Films

Quotes:

Brownlow: Ah, forgive my rudeness Oliver, for I haven't yet introduced you to your half-brother Edward Leeford.
Oliver: I always thought I wanted a brother.
Edward: Perfect use of the past tense.

Movie Connections:

Version of Oliver Twist (1922)

Soundtrack:

Fantasia for Piano 4 Hands in F Minor

I've seen better

I have always loved this story - the hopeful theme, the excellent characters and Dickens' realistic and meticulous descriptions. So when this was aired, all my friends told me to watch it, because it was really good. So I did. And I enjoyed it. It didn't stick to the book too often, and Mr Bumble and Fagin weren't that Dickensian, but Monks was brilliant and there were some ingenious moments of direction. Then I watched the final episode, and was so disappointed. Someone else said they were almost in tears by the end. I was too - it was so poor. It was as though the scriptwriter skimmed through the book and made the rest up. It was rushed, especially during Sikes' escape, and as a result lacked any feeling to it. The only feeling was in the one place it shouldn't have been - Sikes. Dickens wrote him as an unfeeling, brutal character. If at any point he loved Nancy, he would never have said so, least of all to Fagin. That one line, "I loved her, Fagin" ruined everything the film had going for it. Unbeliveable. Which describes Fagin. Pathetic. Alec Guinness was so much better - he was realistic. As was Frances L. Sullivan. I don't think that guy who played Mr Bumble realised that the character was a poke of fun at the parish beadles. As well as the dodger... if Dickens wrote that he was around Oliver's age, do you think the dodger was MEANT to be around Oliver's age? On the other hand, as well as Monks' superb acting, Rose Maylie (sorry, Fleming) was pretty good, as was Nancy, except she didn't show any love for Bill. They must have got the two mixed up. I much prefer Lean's 1948 version. It may be abriged, but it's better than the expanded attempt at Dickens.