David Copperfield: The PBS Masterpiece Film

[Laurel]

My main observation is that It should have been twice or thrice as long. And Littimer was poorly cast.

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Everyman wrote:
I wasn't able to watch it last night, and will have some trouble fitting it in for the next day or two becasue of family obligations, but I'm really looking forward to Part 2.  Hope it's worth it!

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[PhoebesMom]

Laurel posted:

My main observation is that It should have been twice or thrice as long. And Littimer was poorly cast.

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I agree!  I felt that everything was rushed and so many scenes from the book were combined to save time.  If it was longer perhaps they wouldn't have cut out Tommy Traddles, I really missed that character.  Especially in the denouement of Uriah Heep.

As I read the book, in my mind I saw Victor Garber as Littimer.  His imdb page is here if you aren't familiar with him.  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001255/

I didn't care for the actor playing Steerforth.  I didn't feel that he had that much magnetism or presence.  I also felt that the script made Steerforth too sympathetic.

What happened to Mrs. Gummidge?  She just disappeared.  She didn't go to Australia with Em'ly and Dan'l as she does in the novel.  It was strange too, that they had Peggoty and Mrs. Gummage there with David when Ham & Steerforth drowned.

Did anyone else catch it that David tells Ham it is Steerforth who is drowning, before Ham goes in to help?  That isn't in the book, what was the point of changing it?

I liked the first half better than the second half.  I missed the charming presence of Daniel Radcliff in the second half.  There was something about the actor playing the older David that just didn't quit fit for me.  He was okay, but not up to the level of the other actors, especially the amazing Maggie Smith and Bob Hoskins.

[Laurel]

I missed Tommy, too, and Annie and the old doctor and Mr Chillip and Martha and the undertaker and his family and . . . .

Victor Garber looks like he'd make a very respectable Littimer. I was thinking Stephen Fry.

I think the older Heep was very well acted, and I really liked the casting of Mr Spenlow and of Mr and Mrs Micawber. It's too bad they had to telescope the second half so much. They probably didn't realize what great potential they had in some of the actors and in the settings and costuming and all.

You're right, it was a bad choice to have David tell Ham that it was Steerforth he was out to save. one of several dumbing-down moves.

I WANT Aunt Betsey's cottage!

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PhoebesMom wrote:

Laurel posted:

My main observation is that It should have been twice or thrice as long. And Littimer was poorly cast.

     ____________________________________________________________

I agree!  I felt that everything was rushed and so many scenes from the book were combined to save time.  If it was longer perhaps they wouldn't have cut out Tommy Traddles, I really missed that character.  Especially in the denouement of Uriah Heep.

As I read the book, in my mind I saw Victor Garber as Littimer.  His imdb page is here if you aren't familiar with him.  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001255/

I didn't care for the actor playing Steerforth.  I didn't feel that he had that much magnetism or presence.  I also felt that the script made Steerforth too sympathetic.

What happened to Mrs. Gummidge?  She just disappeared.  She didn't go to Australia with Em'ly and Dan'l as she does in the novel.  It was strange too, that they had Peggoty and Mrs. Gummage there with David when Ham & Steerforth drowned.

Did anyone else catch it that David tells Ham it is Steerforth who is drowning, before Ham goes in to help?  That isn't in the book, what was the point of changing it?

I liked the first half better than the second half.  I missed the charming presence of Daniel Radcliff in the second half.  There was something about the actor playing the older David that just didn't quit fit for me.  He was okay, but not up to the level of the other actors, especially the amazing Maggie Smith and Bob Hoskins.

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[Everyman]

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PhoebesMom wrote:

Laurel posted:

My main observation is that It should have been twice or thrice as long. And Littimer was poorly cast.

     ____________________________________________________________

I agree!  I felt that everything was rushed and so many scenes from the book were combined to save time.  If it was longer perhaps they wouldn't have cut out Tommy Traddles, I really missed that character.  Especially in the denouement of Uriah Heep.

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Eman comments:  I also felt that the second half was rushed through.  There was more emphasis on the events than on the character presentation and development which makes Dickens so rich. 

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I didn't care for the actor playing Steerforth.  I didn't feel that he had that much magnetism or presence.  I also felt that the script made Steerforth too sympathetic.

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I didn't mind the actor, I thought his look and manner were okay, but I agree that the script and direction didn't give him the mesmerizing power of evil that Dickens gave him.  It wasn't believable that Little Emily would go off with him. 

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What happened to Mrs. Gummidge?  She just disappeared.  She didn't go to Australia with Em'ly and Dan'l as she does in the novel.  It was strange too, that they had Peggoty and Mrs. Gummage there with David when Ham & Steerforth drowned.

Did anyone else catch it that David tells Ham it is Steerforth who is drowning, before Ham goes in to help?  That isn't in the book, what was the point of changing it?

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I agree.  I accept that some changes from the book were necessary, it's a long and complex book, but some of the changes they made didn't seem to make sense either from the sake of saving time or from the sake of telling the story.  

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I liked the first half better than the second half.  I missed the charming presence of Daniel Radcliff in the second half.  There was something about the actor playing the older David that just didn't quit fit for me.  He was okay, but not up to the level of the other actors, especially the amazing Maggie Smith and Bob Hoskins.

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I didn't care at all for the older David at the end of the first part or the start of the second part.  I gradually got used to him, but he never had the charm or strong personality or pure will to survive that Radcliff had.  

I didn't care for either the younger Clara or for Dora.  I found in both cases their smile when they first came on camera to be weird, faked, almost cariciatures of smiles.  Dora initially didn't show at all the personality Dickens gave her, though she did gradually grow into it. 

I agree, Maggie Smith was Aunt Betsy was wonderful, though she didn't seem to age at all from her first appearance at the non-Betsy Trotwood's birth to her final appearance when Betsy Trotwood finally made her appearance.  But her performance was very much up to snuff!  

I also thought that Pauline Quirke as Peggoty was superb.  She had a much greater range of emotions to express than Maggie Smith did, and I thought she did it all superbly.  

But basically, I agree with the others who have indicated that the second half, in particular, seemed rushed through. And yes, I wanted Tommy Traddles!  

[Everyman]

Did anyone else catch it that David tells Ham it is Steerforth who is drowning, before Ham goes in to help?  That isn't in the book, what was the point of changing it?

Yes -- and how on earth would David actually see that it was Steerforth that far out in the waves and story water in the darkness and rain?  If he had been close enough in to recognize under those circumstances, he would have been close enough in to rescue. 

Very unrealistic.  

[SusanHG]

Yes, that second part was definitely rushed for me.  The beauty of the novel was in the little innuendoes and humor in Dicken's writing.  Because they had to fit the film into such a small amount of time, they merely followed the basic plot without much else. 

My edition is 873 pages long, and they tried to fit it into a 3 hour movie?!  Hard for me to understand.

I had to hand it to them for the majority of their casting.  Most of the actors were superb.  I loved Bob Hoskins and Maggie Smith in their roles.  I think that the actors playing Steerforth and David in the second half should have been switched, as far as looks anyway.  The older David bears little resemblance to the younger David in both looks and personality, so it was hard for me to relate to the older David.  He seemed like an imposter to me.

[ConnieAnnKirk]

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Laurel wrote:

I WANT Aunt Betsey's cottage!

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Yes!  That stenciling work in the first room she brings David into!  Oh my gosh.

[ConnieAnnKirk]

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PhoebesMom wrote:

I liked the first half better than the second half.  I missed the charming presence of Daniel Radcliff in the second half.  There was something about the actor playing the older David that just didn't quit fit for me.  He was okay, but not up to the level of the other actors, especially the amazing Maggie Smith and Bob Hoskins.

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I agree.  I liked the first half much better, and Daniel as DC.  He couldn't have played the second half, obviously, but the later actor didn't embody David as much for me, unfortunately.