Little Dorrit (1987 film)

Little Dorrit is a 1987 film adaptation of the 1857 novel Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.[2] It was written and directed by Christine Edzard, and produced by John Brabourne and Richard B. Goodwin.[3] The music, by Giuseppe Verdi, was arranged by Michael Sanvoisin.[4]

Little Dorrit
Little Dorrit VHS cover
Directed byChristine Edzard
Produced byJohn Brabourne
Richard B. Goodwin
Screenplay byChristine Edzard
Based onLittle Dorrit
by Charles Dickens
StarringDerek Jacobi
Sarah Pickering
Alec Guinness
Joan Greenwood
Max Wall
Patricia Hayes
Miriam Margolyes
Simon Dormandy
CinematographyBruno de Keyzer
Edited byFraser Maclean
Olivier Stockman
Production
company
Distributed byCurzon Artificial Eye (UK)
Cannon Films
Release date
  • 11 December 1987 (1987-12-11)
(UK)
Running time
343 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1,025,228[1]

The film stars Derek Jacobi as Arthur Clennam, Alec Guinness as William Dorrit and Sarah Pickering in the title role.[5] A huge cast of seasoned British and Irish stage and film actors was assembled to play the dozens of roles, among them are Simon Dormandy, Joan Greenwood, Roshan Seth, Miriam Margolyes, Cyril Cusack and Max Wall.[6] Pickering, in contrast, had never previously acted on screen; she was cast after writing to the production team claiming to 'be' Little Dorrit.[7] It remains her only screen acting role.

Production

Little Dorrit lasts nearly six hours and was released in two parts, of approximately three hours each.[2] 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.[8] 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.[9]

The production company which made the film, Sands Films, is run by Christine Edzard, the screenwriter and director, and her husband, Richard B. Goodwin.[10]

Reception

Variety wrote, "what she (Edzard) has accomplished on a small budget is astounding."[11] and The New York Times noted "The cast is spectacular."[12]

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).[13] Miriam Margolyes won the LA Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Flora Finching.[14]

The Region Two DVD was released in the UK on 27 October 2008.[15]

Full cast

In addition, minor roles were played by: Michael Elphick, Eleanor Bron, Heathcote Williams, John Savident, Betty Marsden, Liz Smith, Brian Pettifer, Kathy Staff, Ian Hogg, Tony Jay, Julia Lang, Christopher Hancock, Malcolm Tierney, John Warner, Harold Innocent, Edward Burnham, Gerald Campion, Nadia Chambers and David Thewlis.

See also

References
  1. "Little Dorrit (1988) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com.
  2. "BFI Screenonline: Little Dorrit (1987)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  3. "Little Dorrit 1. Nobody's Fault (1987)".
  4. "BFI Screenonline: Little Dorrit (1987) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
  5. Ebert, Roger. "Little Dorrit Movie Review & Film Summary (1988) - Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com.
  6. "Little Dorrit (1988) - Christine Edzard - Cast and Crew - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  7. Q&A with the creative team of Little Dorrit - BFI
  8. "Little Dorrit (1988) - Christine Edzard - Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related - AllMovie". AllMovie.
  9. "Little Dorrit 2. Little Dorrit's Story (1987)".
  10. Elley, Derek (6 October 1992). "As You Like It".
  11. "Little Dorrit". Variety. 1 January 1987.
  12. https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DE2DB133CF935A15750C0A96E948260
  13. "The 61st Academy Awards - 1989".
  14. Eugene O'Hare (8 January 2020). Sydney & the Old Girl. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-350-13000-5.
  15. http://www.sandsfilms.co.uk/shop.html


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