Nicholas Nickleby

2002

2h 12m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

187

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Adventure

Drama

Nicholas Nickleby, a young boy in search of a better life, struggles to save his family and friends from the abusive exploitation of his coldheartedly grasping uncle.

Directors

Douglas McGrath

Writers

Charles Dickens(novel by)

Douglas McGrath(writer by)

Stars

Charlie Hunnam

Nathan Lane

Jim Broadbent

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Videos4

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Watch Official Trailer
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Watch Nicholas And Madeline Share A Kiss
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Watch Nicholas Joins The Theater Troupe
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Watch First Day At Boarding School

Top cast

Nicholas Nickleby

Vincent Crummles

Mr. Wackford Squeers

Ralph Nickleby

Smike

Madeline Bray

Mr. Folair

Charles Cheeryble

Kate Nickleby

Mr. Nickleby

Mrs Nickleby

Boy Nicholas Nickleby

Newman Noggs

Mrs. Squeers

Maid

John Browdie

Sir Mulberry Hawk

Lord Verisopht

Directors

Douglas McGrath

Writers

Charles Dickens(novel by)

Douglas McGrath(writer by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

When his father dies leaving his family not far short of penury, the eponymous young man (Charlie Hunnam) does a deal with his wealthy uncle "Ralph" (Christopher Plummer) that will ensure the comfortable survival of his mother and sister "Kate" (Romola Garai). This deal involves him travelling to the north of England to teach at the school of "Wackford Squeers" (a good effort from Jim Broadbent). Now this is a brutal man who beats and extorts from his pupils and from his factotum "Smike" (Jamie Bell) with abandon. Finally at the end of his tether, young "Nickelby" exacts some punishment of his own and absconds with the young "Smike" to make a life free from this abuse. Meantime his rather unscrupulous uncle is using the young "Kate" as a pawn in his dealings with the predatory "Sir Mulberry Hawk" (Edward Fox). Can her brother return home in time save her from a rather grizzly fate? This is one of Charles Dickens' weaker stories, I found. Once the gritty and darker first half hour or so is over, it falls into a pattern of rather unlikely serendipity. Too many coincidental relationships, friendships and dependencies start to turn it all a bit sour for me. Anne Hathaway adequately provides our hero with some love interest, and as with the brief appearances from Juliet Stevenson as "Mrs. Squeers" and the newly knighted Sir Tom Courtenay as the honourable and decent "Noggs" adds a bit of richness to the story, but handsome though he is, Hunnam hasn't quite the gravitas to take this on nor Plummer quite the dastardliness intended in the original book. It does look good, the costumes and settings all deliver well but somehow I always prefer adaptations of this author's work to be in black and white. Colour seems to overly sanitise his stories of poverty, cruelty and exploitation. It certainly does here.

Geronimo196704 Nov, 2022