Charles Dickens
One of the most popular writers of the 19th Century, Charles Dickens was a major celebrity in his own lifetime. He published many of his novels in serial form and wanted his writing to reflect and be accessible to all classes. Readers would eagerly anticipate the next instalment in the lives of young Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Little Dorritt and the scores of other lively characters inhabiting his stories. Many of his works have been translated to the big screen and gathered below is Alice's collection of adaptations from one of the greatest storytellers of all time.
"Whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do it well; whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself completely; in great aims and in small I have always thoroughly been in earnest." - Charles Dickens
Great Expectations (2012)
6.4/10
Director: Mike Newell
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane, Jeremy Irvine, Holliday Gr...
Young orphan Pip finds his life changed forever soon after encountering and lending assistance to escaped convict Magwitch (Ralph Fiennes) on the mars... Read more
The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012)
6.8/10
Director: Diarmuid Lawrence
Starring: Ron Cook, Matthew Rhys, Rory Kinnear, Freddie Fox, Tamzin Merchant
Charles Dickens' famously unfinished work receives an intriguing new adaptation with this British miniseries about troubled choirmaster John Jasper (M... Read more
Great Expectations (BBC) (2011)
6.8/10
Director: Brian Kirk
Starring: David Suchet, Gillian Anderson, Ray Winstone, Douglas Booth
In 19th-century England, a tenacious orphan named Pip is rescued from a life of squalor by a mysterious patron. Years later, an adult Pip learns his s... Read more
A Christmas Carol (2009)
6.8/10
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Bob Hoskins, Cary Elwes, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, Jim Carrey, Robin Wright
Director Robert Zemeckis uses the techniques developed for 'The Polar Express' and 'Beowulf' for this computer animated retelling of Charles Dickens'... Read more
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)
5.8/10
Director: Mark Waters
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Emma Stone, Breckin Meyer...
Unabashed womaniser, Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey), proves to be a real buzzkill on the eve of his brother's nuptials. That night he is visited by... Read more
Little Dorrit (2008)
8.3/10
Director: Diarmuid Lawrence, Dearbhla Walsh, Adam Smith
Starring: Bill Paterson, Judy Parfitt, Tom Courtenay, Andy Serkis, James Fleet, Alun Armst...
Scandalous secrets, strangling bureaucracy, and crippling debts collide in this compelling adaptation of Charles Dickens' weighty novel, which debuted... Read more
Oliver Twist (BBC) (2007)
6.9/10
Director: Coky Giedroyc
Starring: Anna Massey, Edward Fox, John Sessions, Timothy Spall, Tom Hardy, Gregor Fisher,...
This gripping take on Charles Dickens' classic remains faithful to the spirit of the novel whilst delivering a modern, thrilling, tragic and occasiona... Read more
Bleak House (2005)
8.4/10
Director: Justin Chadwick, Susanna White
Starring: Gillian Anderson, Alun Armstrong, Charlie Brooks, Warren Clarke, Pauline Collins...
Another stellar Dickens adaptation here penned by Andrew Davies ('Bridget Jones' Diary', the BBC's 'Pride and Prejudice'). Thrilling and romantic, the... Read more
Oliver Twist (2005)
6.9/10
Director: Roman Polanski
Starring: Barney Clark, Harry Eden, Jamie Foreman, Ben Kingsley, Jeremy Swift, Edward Hard...
A dynamic, though faithful interpretation of one of Dicken's best-loved stories is Polanski's follow-up to his Oscar-winning, 'The Pianist'. Barney C... Read more
A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004)
6.5/10
Director: Arthur Seidelman
Starring: Kelsey Grammer, Jesse L Martin, Jane Krakowski, Jason Alexander, Jennifer Love H...
This elaborate musical re-telling of Dickens' Christmas story is based on a stage version that was performed for ten consecutive years in New York's M... Read more