''David Copperfield'' is a 2000 American-Irish made-for-television

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...

's 1850 novel of the same name. It was filmed in Ireland, and broadcast on

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

as a

Hallmark Entertainment Halcyon Studios, LLC., formerly known as Sonar Entertainment, RHI Entertainment, Hallmark Entertainment, Qintex Entertainment, HRI Group and Robert Halmi Inc., is an American entertainment company specializing in the production and distribution ...

production on 10–11 December 2000.

Plot

The film centres on the journey of David Copperfield, from experiencing an impoverished and miserable childhood to becoming a successful and famous author (for more detail, see ''

David Copperfield (novel) ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

'').

Cast

* Hugh Dancy as

David Copperfield ''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...

*Max Dolbey as young David Copperfield *

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film Fe ...

Betsey Trotwood Betsey Trotwood is a fictional character from Charles Dickens' 1850 novel '' David Copperfield''. Role in novel Betsey Trotwood is David Copperfield's great-aunt on his father's side, and has an unfavourable view of men and boys, having been ill- ...

Michael Richards Michael Anthony Richards (born July 24, 1949) is an American actor, writer, television producer, and comedian best known for playing Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom ''Seinfeld''. He began his career as a stand-up comedian, first enterin ...

Wilkins Micawber Wilkins Micawber is a clerk in Charles Dickens's 1850 novel '' David Copperfield''. He is traditionally identified with the optimistic belief that "something will turn up." His role in the story Micawber was incarcerated in debtors' prison (t ...

Paul Bettany Paul Bettany (born 27 May 1971) is an English actor. He is mostly known for his roles as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently starring in the Disney+ miniseries '' WandaVision'' (2021), for which he was nominate ...

James Steerforth James Steerforth is a character in the 1850 novel ''David Copperfield'' by Charles Dickens. He is a handsome young man noted for his wit and romantic charm. Though he is well liked by his friends, he proves himself to be condescending and lacking ...

Eileen Atkins Dame Eileen June Atkins, (born 16 June 1934), is an English actress and occasional screenwriter. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy Aw ...

as Jane Murdstone *

Anthony Andrews Anthony Colin Gerald Andrews (born 12 January 1948) is an English actor. He played Lord Sebastian Flyte in the ITV miniseries '' Brideshead Revisited'' (1981), for which he won Golden Globe and BAFTA television awards, and was nominated for ...

Edward Murdstone Edward Murdstone (commonly known as Mr. Murdstone) is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the first part of the Charles Dickens 1850 novel ''David Copperfield'', secondary to Uriah Heep in the second part. Fictional character bi ...

*Frank McCusker as Uriah Heep *

Emily Hamilton Emily Miranda Hamilton (née Beevers; born 24 May 1971) is a British actress. Career Hamilton's notable roles include: *'' The Queen'' … Princess Diana; 2009 *''The Bill'' … Dr. Julia Bickham: **"Reaching Out" (#25.50); 20 August 2009, I ...

Agnes Wickfield Agnes Wickfield is a character of '' David Copperfield'', the 1850 novel by Charles Dickens. She is a friend and confidante of David (the narrator and protagonist of this semi-autobiography) since his childhood and at the end of the novel, his sec ...

* Edward Hardwicke as Mr. Wickfield *

Julie Cox Julie Cox is an English actress. She played Princess Irulan in the Sci Fi Channel's 2000 miniseries ''Frank Herbert's Dune'' and its 2003 sequel, ''Frank Herbert's Children of Dune''. She also played The Childlike Empress in ''The Neverending ...

Dora Spenlow Dora Spenlow is a character in the 1850 novel '' David Copperfield'' by Charles Dickens. She is portrayed as beautiful yet childish. David, who is employed by her father, the lawyer Mr Spenlow, falls in love with Dora at first sight and marries he ...

Oliver Ford Davies Oliver Robert Ford Davies (born 12 August 1939) is an English actor and writer, best known for his extensive theatre work, and to a broader audience for his role as Sio Bibble in ''Star Wars'' Episodes I to III. He is also known for his role ...

as Mr. Jorkins *

Nigel Davenport Arthur Nigel Davenport (23 May 1928 – 25 October 2013) was an English stage, television and film actor, best known as the Duke of Norfolk and Lord Birkenhead in the Academy Award-winning films '' A Man for All Seasons'' and '' Chariots of F ...

as Dan Peggotty *

Judy Cornwell Judy Valerie Cornwell (born 22 February 1940) is an English actress and writer best known for her role as Daisy in the successful British sitcom ''Keeping Up Appearances'' (1990–1995). She also played Anya Claus in '' Santa Claus: The Movie' ...

as Clara Peggotty *

Freddie Jones Frederick Charles Jones''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com (12 September 1927 – 9 July 2019) was an English actor who had an extensive career in television, theatre and cinema productions for a ...

as Barkis *Sarah Farooqui as adult Emily *Anna Maguire as Little Emily *

Dudley Sutton Dudley Sutton (6 April 1933 – 15 September 2018) was an English actor. Active in radio, stage, film and television, he was arguably best known for his role of Tinker Dill in the BBC Television drama series '' Lovejoy''. Early life Sutton w ...

as Mr. Dick *

Sarah Smart Sarah Smart (born 3 March 1977) is an English actress. Early life Smart was born on 3 March 1977 in Birmingham, England and lived in Northfield until 1987. She was a pupil of St Paul's School for Girls in Birmingham. Career Her career star ...

as Clara Copperfield *

Simon Delaney Simon Delaney (born 2 September 1970) is an Irish actor, director and television presenter. He is known for appearances in a range of films and television series such as RTÉ's comedy-drama '' Bachelors Walk'' and CBS' legal drama '' The Good Wi ...

as Thomas Traddles *

Peter Woodthorpe Peter Woodthorpe (25 September 1931 – 13 August 2004) was an English actor who supplied the voice of Gollum in the 1978 Bakshi version of ''The Lord of the Rings'' and BBC's 1981 radio serial. He also provided the voice of Pigsy in the cul ...

as Mr. Creakle *Terrence Orr as Tungay

Production

Writing

The plot follows relatively closely to that of the book, although the film highly condenses Steerforth's liaison with Emily and the Peggotty family to primarily off-screen action, as in the 1935 version, and omitting the famous "tempest" scene. An extra plotline placing emphasis on the Murdstone siblings is also included, so that David is tormented by their appearance throughout his life, and eventually violently confronts them near the ending, a scene not present in the book. Some scenes are simplified as well; for instance, Uriah Heep's cunning and complex embezzlement scheme from the book is changed to a very simple plotline involving stolen diamonds. However, this film stresses the relationship between David, Agnes, and Uriah much more than in previous adaptations.

Reception

Critical reception

The film is generally well received by viewers and critics alike, earning a 7/10 stars from IMDB, although some viewers dislike the straying from the book's plot material, and some critics feel Hugh Dancy gave a weak performance in the title role. Most criticism stems from the choice of American actors

and

, portraying the classic roles of

and

, though Field was a last-minute replacement for

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American film, stage, and television actress. Her career spanned eight decades, much of it in the United States, and her work received a great deal ...

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:David Copperfield (2000 Film) 2000 television films 2000 films 2000 drama films American drama television films Films directed by Peter Medak Irish television films Films based on David Copperfield Television shows based on David Copperfield TNT Network original films English-language Irish films 2000s American films