Nicholas Nickleby | 
| Director: Douglas Mcgrath
Actors: Charlie Hunnam, Jamie Bell, Christopher Plummer, Jim Broadbent, Anne Hathaway
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $3.65
You Save: $11.33 (76%)
New (15) Used (24) Collectible (2) from $2.74
Rating:  88 reviews
Sales Rank: 4759
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd, Full Screen, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 132 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 1004521
ISBN: 0792857216
UPC: 027616885722
EAN: 9780792857211
ASIN: B00009MEJ4
Theatrical Release Date: 2002
Release Date: July 22, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
While it necessarily streamlines the Charles Dickens classic, this delightful adaptation of Nicholas Nickelby captures the essence of Dickens in all of its Victorian splendor and squalor. With Charlie Hunnam (the U.K. Queer as Folk) doing noble work in the title role, this quintessentially Dickensian tale begins with the death of Nicholas's father, and the subsequent scheme by his cruel uncle (Christopher Plummer, perfectly cast) to separate Nicholas from his now penniless sister and mother. Stuck in a squalid school run by the evil Mr. and Mrs. Squeers (Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson), Nicholas escapes with his loyal friend Smike (Billy Elliott's Jamie Bell), whose lineage will determine the greedy uncle's fate. As he did with Jane Austen's Emma, writer-director Douglas McGrath has crafted a prestigious production that shifts effortlessly between comedy and tragedy without compromising its warm, inviting tone. His dialogue rings true throughout, inspiring a stellar cast including Nathan Lane, Alan Cumming, Edward Fox, and Timothy Spall. Dickens himself would almost certainly have approved. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
When the Nickleby family is betrayed in their hour of need young Nicholas (Charlie Hunnam) must save the day. Join him on a remarkable journey that critics unanimously praise as "a joy to watch" (Leonard Maltin)!System Requirements:Starring: Jamie Bell Jim Broadbent Alan Cumming Anne Hathaway Charlie Hunnam Nathan Lane Christopher Plummer Timothy Spall Directed By: Douglas McGrath Running Time: 132 Min. Color Copyright 2003 MGM Studios.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG UPC: 027616885722 Manufacturer No: 1004521
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| Customer Reviews: Read 83 more reviews...
 Pretty good, but not quite Grand June 24, 2009
Steven C. Millhorn
As a movie loving-(English) movie loving fan from the colonies-across the big pond, I like to get a monthly dose of a good BBC or English drama. And this movie: Nicholas Nickleby was a pretty good "almost". It's the kind of movie that one would want to see once a year instead of once a week or once a month. A little bit on the dark and worldly side, but it still manages to fit in a nice little love story and portrays the harsh realities of the day. I liked the main characters Jamie bell and Anne Hathaway, but especially Jamie's good upstanding moral steadiness, a real Man's role. Anne played her part well, (not hard being beautiful) and if the story line had gone another way, it might have been fabulous. I could have easily given this 4 stars, but the worldliness at the beginning and the dark-harsh cruelties of the childrens school violence and Plummers character made it too heavy. Overall, it's worth buying and watching, but.....it's won't make the weekly or monthly rotation of fun English films...Love ya
Can't Do The Book Justice In A Movie Format June 5, 2009
J. D. Williamson
The quality of the movie itself was great, but this story just doesn't fit into a movie time frame. (The Royal Shakespeare Company stage version produced by A&E is 9 hours long - and they skip some parts to move the story along.) Listening to the audio book version while walking or driving is the way to go to experience the whole story if you don't have the time to read the book. The movie did a great job of representing the characters, but they are just snapshots compared to the book.
 Atrocious and Boring May 15, 2009
Tim Lieder (New York, NY)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
One of the reasons why I love Dickens but I hate Oliver Twist is because Oliver Twist is TOO good. There's too much of the innocent child who is never besmirched by the criminals around him and never thinks of committing any crimes. He's one of the most irritating deadly dull characters in fiction. Not even the more interesting Artful Dodger or Fagin can save him. Granted, Slumdog Millionaire proved that basic story of an innocent staying innocent through poverty and corruption is still compelling (especially when the main character actually DOES steal to live) but Oliver Twist is still my least favorite Dickens book.
Until now. Well, actually I have the book. It might be better than this. However, I don't have high hopes. Like Oliver Twist, the main character is deadly dull. He's virtuous. He always does the right thing. He even has a sister to protect. And it doesn't help matters that the actor playing him is one of the most wooden actors I've seen in a long time. He looks like Heath Ledger and he's playing the kind of part that Heath Ledger would have played at the time; but he's nowhere near as charismatic as Ledger was in A Knights Tale - Movie Poster - 11 x 17. He's dull. And he's peevish. And the entire movie rests on the audience relating to him.
We don't.
The sad part of the movie is the amount of talent that surrounds him. Anne Hathaway is the girlfriend. Jim Broadbent is the comically evil orphanage manager. Christopher Plummer is the seriously evil uncle. Nathan Lane is the theater manager. And they are all really trying to get the most out of their roles. But every single one of them must bow to the black hole of non-personality that is the main actor. And don't get me started on the terrible music that is from the film score standards of uplifting music. And like all canned uplifting music, it's almost as dull as the main actor.
There are other versions of Nicholas Nickleby out there, including one with the always beautiful Sophia Myles, but I will wait until I read the book to see if it's any good. It could be good, but from this movie, I doubt it.
Good film, strange cast..... May 4, 2009
I'd rather be at Pemberley! (Orange County, California)
Not being a Dickens fan, I bought the film as the reviews were positive. Great story- classic good wins over evil. Christopher Plummer is exceptional as always, Jim Broadbent is completely convincing as a despicable, schoolmaster. Juliet Stevenson is quite scary as the schoolmasters wife. Anne Hathaway portrays her role well, and the boy who plays Smycke is wonderful. So I am confused by the casting of the lead character. His voice is monotone throughout, his acting is so below par with the others that it conspicuously stands out. It was almost painful for me to watch the scenes when he had to show some emotion. With such a well-rounded, richly talented cast, he stands out like a sore thumb for his lack of talent.
This was a disappointment, so that, I wish I had only rented it as opposed to buying it.
 Nicholas Nickleby December 5, 2008
Mr. B. Mays (Sydney, NSW Australia)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A stellar cast with an esteemed text... doesn't necessarily spell a success. Thankfully in this case, it does. Douglas McGrath whips through Dickens' novel, painting the highs and the lows of the Nickleby family, balancing humour with pathos fairly effectively.
As expected with a cast of its calibre, the acting is mostly spot-on. Hunnam mostly succeeds in a demanding lead role, but those in support - Bell, Broadbent, Plummer, Lane and particularly Stevenson - all stamp their mark in the limited time they have.
Ultimately, an affirming film about good triumphing over evil. Some things never go out of style...
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