David Copperfield (1999)

Sadly Over-hyped

Memorable, crazy movie

As Good As It Gets

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The rave reviews of this version are due more to contemporary audience's total ignorance of Dickens' writing, comfortable familiarity with the actors playing the roles and limited attention span. I saw the 1974 version first, with utterly unfamiliar actors, and a 300 minute length, as opposed to 186 minutes. Massive amounts of plot were excised. The only actor whose performance was worthy of Dicken's intentions was Pauline Quirke as Pegotty. In the 1974 version, Martin Jarvis played Uriah Heep, an icon of unctuous, oily, perfidy and criminality, so much richer than the current one. And Mr. Micawber (I love Bob Hoskins, mind you) but the script gave much greater depth to his pecuniary failures in the 1974 version. And the actor chosen to play Copperfield - what were the producers thinking? Copperfield is an alter-ego of Dickens himself, not some wimpy pretty naive boy. An intellectual, a writer. Everything came out right at the end (as Dickens always arranged)but it was so neatly done and so unsatisfying. If you're a Dickens fan, I enourage you to watch the 1974 version.

This is good stuff, and I echo most of the positive comments made here. But is it just me, or didn't anyone else find the casting over-excessively starry? Every time I blinked there was another well-known name playing a small part, down to Dawn French as the landlady and Paul Whitehouse as the pawnbroker. What next, I thought, Clint Eastwood as the milkman? Tom Hanks as the bloke walking by on the other side of the road? Which is not to say that they weren't all very good - of course they were! - but I found it very distracting sitting there waiting in anticipation with my I-Spy book of stars doing cameos.And please save me from "Oh, Daniel Radcliffe was so cute." Radcliffe was an almost incidental child actor, who did a bit better here than he did in the Potter films (where he was so wooden that he failed to justify the faith placed in him). The strength here is in the featured characters surrounding David Copperfield's anodyne narrator.OK, that's my bit done. Normal service will now be resumed.

With a wonderful cast, this "typical Dickens" is lovely. Little Dan, is the biggest ball of fluff that I have ever scene. So cute.I felt that all the actors suited their roles perfectly including Bob Hoskins (which I had doubts on hearing he stared in it).Adult Dan is extremely irritating after seeing Dan play the role for practically the whole film/drama, but never mind. He only stays for three scenes or so.I wasn't expecting to enjoy it, but I did, despite one or two tears trying to escape from time to time.Get hold of a copy and watch as soon as you can.

This adaptation by far beats all the David Copperfield movies.Daniel Radcliffe as David Copperfield is wonderful! He is so angelic as David.The Acting by all the adults in this film was wonderful! Agnes, Peggoty, Aunt Betsy were all portrayed well! At least, they were all better than the 2000 Tv version of David Copperfield.Uriah Heep is wonderful!!!!!Very creepy! Dora is perfect too!watch this! I recommend it!10/10