Little Dorrit (1987 film)


Little Dorrit is a 1987 film adaptation of the 1857 novel Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. It was written and directed by Christine Edzard, and produced by John Brabourne and Richard B. Goodwin. The music, by Giuseppe Verdi, was arranged by Michael Sanvoisin.
The film stars Derek Jacobi as Arthur Clennam, Alec Guinness as William Dorrit and Sarah Pickering in the title role. 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. Pickering, in contrast, had never previously acted on screen; she was cast after writing to the production team claiming to 'be' Little Dorrit. 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. 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. 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.
The production company which made the film, Sands Films, is run by Christine Edzard, the screenwriter and director, and her husband, Richard B. Goodwin.

Reception

Variety wrote, "what she has accomplished on a small budget is astounding." and The New York Times noted "The cast is spectacular."
The film was nominated for two Oscars: Actor in a Supporting Role and Writing .
The Region Two DVD was released in the UK on 27 October 2008.

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.