I rented this video mistakenly believing that it was a Masterpiece Theater offering. Initially, I was disappointed to see in the credits that it came from the Disney Channel. But only 15 minutes into the story, I realized that this was an excellent adaptation of Dicken's story. The period atmosphere was excellent, as were the costumes and sets. The acting was first-rate, particularly that of Tom Courtney as Quilp and Sally Walsh as Little Nell. Both of these parts could have been played too broadly by less accomplished actors. Sally Walsh's role could have easily become cloying, but she played it with radiant innocence. The villain, Quilp, might well have turned into a scenery-chewing, comic overstatement played by anyone but Courtney. I highly recommend this mini-series to anyone who enjoys film adaptations of 19th century British novels.
15 Reviews
The Kindness of Strangers.
rmax30482326 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
First-rate adaptation of a typical Dickens story. An old man given to gambling (Ustinov) and his granddaughter, Little Nell (Sally Walsh), find themselves broke and being dunned by the money lender, Quilp (Tom Courtenay). Unable to pay off Ustinov's debts, the pair sneak off with very little money and make for the West Country, by the sea, where they run into various sorts of strangers, some kind, some treacherous. All the way, Quilp's minions are after them. It isn't the money that bothers Quilp. It's the possibility that if Ustinov and Walsh escape, others will no longer fear him.
A surprising number of names have entered our Lexicon from Dickens' works, considering that he was an English novelist from the 1840s who is rarely read by most of the people who recognize names like Ebeneezer Scrooge, Mr. Bumble, Fagin, The Artful Dodger, and Little Nell. What better name can we have for the lawyer in this movie than Sampson Brass? Dickens sort of edges crabwise into our consciousness every once in a while. You know, "God bless us, every one." Or, "If that is the law, then the law, sir, is a ass." Or, "Please, sir, I want some more." He didn't make up Simon Legree, although he should have. Dickens was all alight with social conscience, especially where children were concerned. And when poverty hit, it could be severe, as his works illustrate.
This film captures some of the poverty but not as well as David Lean's earlier adaptation of Dickens. The film is made for TV but the production values are still good and the design evocative. The Old Curiosity Shop is filled with all kinds of junk -- ticking clocks, suits of armor, stuffed antelope heads, dolls. Looks rather like my place. The sets and outdoor locations are hardly vast. This isn't an epic production. But they're evocative and clever.
The performances are all fine as well. The cockney accents are sometimes daunting and some words must be understood in context, as when "child" becomes "chow." Of course, the Dickensian dialog can be peerless. "Oh, joy! What a reversal of desolation!" (Sometimes it sounds like W. C. Fields, only Dickens makes it less deliberately pompous.) Acting: Good, all around, but Tom Courtenay, as Daniel Quilp, has never given a better performance. Courtenay is no longer recognizable as the clean-cut innocent young man of forty years ago. (Who is?) Quilp's criminally fraudulent money lender is an affable, greedy, kyphotic, snaggletoothed hobgoblin of a bugaboo. He's as coarse as they come. It would have been easy to treat the role seriously and turn Quilp into an unalloyed and generic personification of evil, but Courtenay gives him character. He smiles with sarcasm and makes gargoyle faces at people.
Peter Ustinov is stiff with age, alas, though it fits the role, and Sally Walsh as Little Nell is winsome, perceptive, and ultimately vulnerable. Infectious diseases abounded in 1840s Europe. Quilp's office is located on the London docks where an early scene shows us fishermen with nets. It's hard to imagine what they might have caught in the Thames of 1849 except cholera.
Pretty much a winner, given that the story isn't as gripping as some of Dickens' other tales. Little Nell may die a peaceful but tragic death, yet she doesn't have to wait around to have her head cut off by a guillotine.
A surprising number of names have entered our Lexicon from Dickens' works, considering that he was an English novelist from the 1840s who is rarely read by most of the people who recognize names like Ebeneezer Scrooge, Mr. Bumble, Fagin, The Artful Dodger, and Little Nell. What better name can we have for the lawyer in this movie than Sampson Brass? Dickens sort of edges crabwise into our consciousness every once in a while. You know, "God bless us, every one." Or, "If that is the law, then the law, sir, is a ass." Or, "Please, sir, I want some more." He didn't make up Simon Legree, although he should have. Dickens was all alight with social conscience, especially where children were concerned. And when poverty hit, it could be severe, as his works illustrate.
This film captures some of the poverty but not as well as David Lean's earlier adaptation of Dickens. The film is made for TV but the production values are still good and the design evocative. The Old Curiosity Shop is filled with all kinds of junk -- ticking clocks, suits of armor, stuffed antelope heads, dolls. Looks rather like my place. The sets and outdoor locations are hardly vast. This isn't an epic production. But they're evocative and clever.
The performances are all fine as well. The cockney accents are sometimes daunting and some words must be understood in context, as when "child" becomes "chow." Of course, the Dickensian dialog can be peerless. "Oh, joy! What a reversal of desolation!" (Sometimes it sounds like W. C. Fields, only Dickens makes it less deliberately pompous.) Acting: Good, all around, but Tom Courtenay, as Daniel Quilp, has never given a better performance. Courtenay is no longer recognizable as the clean-cut innocent young man of forty years ago. (Who is?) Quilp's criminally fraudulent money lender is an affable, greedy, kyphotic, snaggletoothed hobgoblin of a bugaboo. He's as coarse as they come. It would have been easy to treat the role seriously and turn Quilp into an unalloyed and generic personification of evil, but Courtenay gives him character. He smiles with sarcasm and makes gargoyle faces at people.
Peter Ustinov is stiff with age, alas, though it fits the role, and Sally Walsh as Little Nell is winsome, perceptive, and ultimately vulnerable. Infectious diseases abounded in 1840s Europe. Quilp's office is located on the London docks where an early scene shows us fishermen with nets. It's hard to imagine what they might have caught in the Thames of 1849 except cholera.
Pretty much a winner, given that the story isn't as gripping as some of Dickens' other tales. Little Nell may die a peaceful but tragic death, yet she doesn't have to wait around to have her head cut off by a guillotine.
Bright and Breezy
keith-moyes-656-48149123 May 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Despite the weaknesses of the book, I have long wanted to see a really good adaptation of The Old Curiosity Shop.
This is not quite it.
It was shot in Ireland with a largely local cast and crew, but it is Disney through and through.
The production design is mediocre. Nothing looks quite right or quite in period. The sets are all too raw and new and because nothing was properly aged even the dank alleys and crumbling wharves of Victorian London look too clean and pristine. The cinematography doesn't help. The whole film is flooded with light and there is too little contrast between the grimy gloom of the city and the freshness and vibrancy of the countryside. Overall, it is one of the less atmospheric Dickens adaptations I have seen.
The director, Kevin Connor, was obviously under instructions to keep the tone fairly light and he tends to downplay the menace and danger and anguish of many of the scenes. He does have fun with the dream sequences and these scenes give a glimpse of what the whole film might have looked like if Connor had been given a freer hand to direct it in his own way.
It also seems to have been made very quickly and on a tight budget. Although it was filmed as a TV movie, it often looks like a cheap videotape recording. Much of it is shot very simply through the 'fourth wall', with a minimum of camera set ups and relatively little cutting. I even noticed a couple of fluffed lines that were probably left in to avoid the expense of retakes.
The screenplay is a reasonable condensation of the novel. The picaresque, episodic story needs plenty of time if it is to develop at the right pace, but even at three hours this film sometimes feels a bit hurried. For example, the sequence with the kind schoolmaster passes so quickly that the character barely registers, which is unfortunate, because he later reappears to play an important role in the story. As I remember, the 1979 BBC version was over an hour longer and even that felt a bit rushed in places.
This production is not particularly well served by the actors. Some give typically ripe 'Dickensian' performances (Julia McKenzie, Adam Blackwood, Christopher Ettridge). These are fine, except that this approach is not consistent and some of the key characters are actually slightly underplayed.
For example, Tom Courtney is a good Quilp but has clearly been instructed to stay away from the 'twisted dwarf' aspect of the character. I like his performance but it could do with a bit more of the demonic energy of Trevor Peacock in the 1979 version.
Similarly, Sally Walsh is fairly restrained as Nell. She manages to steer clear of the sickly sweetness of the character, but at a cost. Her placid, undemonstrative performance is ultimately just too calm and too composed. I would like to say her performance is subtle and understated but, in truth, it is just bland.
James Fox simply walks through his scenes, probably because that is all he is capable of doing.
Peter Ustinov is wretched. No surprises there. He is a classic ham. I don't mean he overacts here; merely that everything he does is bogus. His Grandfather is just a succession of shallow tricks drawn from his over-familiar repertoire. In the right context, Ustinov can be fun and his tricks have enlivened some poor movies, but this part requires a performance not a show. However, my real objection to him is the way he seems to upstage young Sally Walsh; treading on her lines and continually drawing attention away from her with his characteristic burbling, murmuring and fluttering.
I realise I am probably being too hard on this Old Curiosity Shop because I had hoped it was going to be better. In truth, it is a reasonably accurate and faithful telling of the story and a good introduction to the book for people who have not yet read it. There are no other versions that are significantly better. I do slightly prefer the darker and more comprehensive BBC version, but it has flaws of it own and I cannot really argue it is especially better than this one.
The only real problem is that this bright and breezy production has no personality or viewpoint of its own and feels too safe and too untroubled. You hardly notice that it all ends in tragedy. The death of Little Nell, famously mocked by Oscar Wilde, is treated so discreetly that I felt they might just as well have ditched the Dickens ending and let her live. The best (and worst) I can say of this production is that it is harmless.
But Dickens is not harmless and his books are not really meant for children, so they are probably not suitable material for release under the Disney brand. If Disney had handed this project over to its Miramax or Touchstone subsidiaries and made it for general sale, rather than for showing on the Disney Channel, I suspect it would have ended up looking very different from this.
It might even have been the version I have been waiting for.
PS: I cannot change my reaction to this production, but my speculation about what went wrong has now been called into question. I have just watched Kevin Connor's Great Expectations. It is a very faithful and comprehensive adaptation of the book and one of the best and most atmospheric Dickens dramas I have seen.
It was co-produced by Disney.
This is not quite it.
It was shot in Ireland with a largely local cast and crew, but it is Disney through and through.
The production design is mediocre. Nothing looks quite right or quite in period. The sets are all too raw and new and because nothing was properly aged even the dank alleys and crumbling wharves of Victorian London look too clean and pristine. The cinematography doesn't help. The whole film is flooded with light and there is too little contrast between the grimy gloom of the city and the freshness and vibrancy of the countryside. Overall, it is one of the less atmospheric Dickens adaptations I have seen.
The director, Kevin Connor, was obviously under instructions to keep the tone fairly light and he tends to downplay the menace and danger and anguish of many of the scenes. He does have fun with the dream sequences and these scenes give a glimpse of what the whole film might have looked like if Connor had been given a freer hand to direct it in his own way.
It also seems to have been made very quickly and on a tight budget. Although it was filmed as a TV movie, it often looks like a cheap videotape recording. Much of it is shot very simply through the 'fourth wall', with a minimum of camera set ups and relatively little cutting. I even noticed a couple of fluffed lines that were probably left in to avoid the expense of retakes.
The screenplay is a reasonable condensation of the novel. The picaresque, episodic story needs plenty of time if it is to develop at the right pace, but even at three hours this film sometimes feels a bit hurried. For example, the sequence with the kind schoolmaster passes so quickly that the character barely registers, which is unfortunate, because he later reappears to play an important role in the story. As I remember, the 1979 BBC version was over an hour longer and even that felt a bit rushed in places.
This production is not particularly well served by the actors. Some give typically ripe 'Dickensian' performances (Julia McKenzie, Adam Blackwood, Christopher Ettridge). These are fine, except that this approach is not consistent and some of the key characters are actually slightly underplayed.
For example, Tom Courtney is a good Quilp but has clearly been instructed to stay away from the 'twisted dwarf' aspect of the character. I like his performance but it could do with a bit more of the demonic energy of Trevor Peacock in the 1979 version.
Similarly, Sally Walsh is fairly restrained as Nell. She manages to steer clear of the sickly sweetness of the character, but at a cost. Her placid, undemonstrative performance is ultimately just too calm and too composed. I would like to say her performance is subtle and understated but, in truth, it is just bland.
James Fox simply walks through his scenes, probably because that is all he is capable of doing.
Peter Ustinov is wretched. No surprises there. He is a classic ham. I don't mean he overacts here; merely that everything he does is bogus. His Grandfather is just a succession of shallow tricks drawn from his over-familiar repertoire. In the right context, Ustinov can be fun and his tricks have enlivened some poor movies, but this part requires a performance not a show. However, my real objection to him is the way he seems to upstage young Sally Walsh; treading on her lines and continually drawing attention away from her with his characteristic burbling, murmuring and fluttering.
I realise I am probably being too hard on this Old Curiosity Shop because I had hoped it was going to be better. In truth, it is a reasonably accurate and faithful telling of the story and a good introduction to the book for people who have not yet read it. There are no other versions that are significantly better. I do slightly prefer the darker and more comprehensive BBC version, but it has flaws of it own and I cannot really argue it is especially better than this one.
The only real problem is that this bright and breezy production has no personality or viewpoint of its own and feels too safe and too untroubled. You hardly notice that it all ends in tragedy. The death of Little Nell, famously mocked by Oscar Wilde, is treated so discreetly that I felt they might just as well have ditched the Dickens ending and let her live. The best (and worst) I can say of this production is that it is harmless.
But Dickens is not harmless and his books are not really meant for children, so they are probably not suitable material for release under the Disney brand. If Disney had handed this project over to its Miramax or Touchstone subsidiaries and made it for general sale, rather than for showing on the Disney Channel, I suspect it would have ended up looking very different from this.
It might even have been the version I have been waiting for.
PS: I cannot change my reaction to this production, but my speculation about what went wrong has now been called into question. I have just watched Kevin Connor's Great Expectations. It is a very faithful and comprehensive adaptation of the book and one of the best and most atmospheric Dickens dramas I have seen.
It was co-produced by Disney.
Dickens as Dickens should be
thniels2 April 1999
This TV series is really brilliant and more over not as sobbing as Dickens often tend to become. Peter Ustinov is almost a guarantee of success but actually it is Tom Courtenay as Daniel Quilp who makes this rendition of a dramatic tale outstanding. He is nothing less than excellent. His facial expressions are as vivid as Tom Cruise's are not, not to mention his hobgoblin' about.
Should you get the opportunity to see it, please don't rob yourself of an exquisite piece of drama.
Should you get the opportunity to see it, please don't rob yourself of an exquisite piece of drama.
Outstanding adaption
plowboy422 January 2000
This is a great movie. Very well acted by all the main characters, and the setting is superb. A wonderful story of human tragedy and triumph. Anyone who is a fan of Charles Dickens will love this movie. The attention to period detail in the costumes and scenery is very good. Some lessons can be learned about human nature as well from this story. Highly recommended.
A family friendly version which works really well. A nice Sunday afternoon movie, sorely underappreciated and undertelevised in favour of other more well know, eg. Oliver
mickman91-129 August 2022
This is one of the most charming and family-friendly Dickens adaptations I have ever seen, and I have seen almost all of them over many years of effort. The only other Dickens which have this family movie type atmosphere are versions of Oliver Twist and Christmas Carol, most of his others don't get such a treatment. But I think Old Curiosity Shop works so well in a family oriented version. It has the lovely young girl (Nell) and her grandfather for young people to get behind, and an abject and characitaured villain in Quilp who everyone loves to see the downfall of. In reality though the novel ends quite tragically, showing the audience the harsh realities of the times in which the story is set. This version does partially romanticise the ending and cuts a little out. This is fine for what else it has achieved.
In an outstanding production,Tom Courtney stands out.
philtrau-221 January 2000
For anyone who loves Dickens, this is going to be a surprise of the best kind. Few productions can capture the details that make Dickens' words come alive. This version of The Old Curiosity Shop does more with an empty set than most do at full steam. The set design strengthens every performance, adding nuance and flavor to actors who are already working at the peak of their craft.
If this seems like slavering, it's only because something of this quality comes maybe once a decade. The cast is a director's dream, and each member delivers just the right spice to this dish.
With so much excellence, it would seem incongruous to isolate any single aspect as standing out, but Tom Courtney, as the menacing Quilp becomes the very heart of Evil around which all this revolves. And a more entertaining Evil you will never see. He makes Quilp a fascination first to last.
This is a recommendation for anyone; and a must-see for Dickens fans.
If this seems like slavering, it's only because something of this quality comes maybe once a decade. The cast is a director's dream, and each member delivers just the right spice to this dish.
With so much excellence, it would seem incongruous to isolate any single aspect as standing out, but Tom Courtney, as the menacing Quilp becomes the very heart of Evil around which all this revolves. And a more entertaining Evil you will never see. He makes Quilp a fascination first to last.
This is a recommendation for anyone; and a must-see for Dickens fans.
One of the best Dickens-adaptations for TV that I've seen!
johannes2000-126 July 2006
As a big Dickens-fan I find "The Old Curiosity Shop" one of his best novels: a road-movie-like coming-of-age story that gives us some of the finest (and most hilarious) of Dickens-characters, like the notorious Quilp, his mother-in-law, Dick Swiveller and the Brass-siblings, and a beautiful description of the English countryside. Although there is a fair amount of (melo)drama involved, Dickens succeeds in keeping a light tone and an fine calculated balance between the laughs, the tears and the fast-paced intrigue. I was glad to find that this adaptation is very true to the book, almost all the characters have kept there place and there own special charms, and the tone of the movie has exactly the right balance of lightness and seriousness.
The acting is overall great and by some of the cast superb. Peter Ustinov is very convincing as the grandfather who is full of love for Nell as well as full of sinister secrets and he plays his role with a kind of modest dignity. Sally Walsh is excellent too, of course she had the burden of a Dickens-heroine and has to be throughout the whole of the movie this endearing spotless angel. This can easily result in an irritating goody-two-shoes, but Sally Walsh succeeds in keeping up a strong and sympathetic character with just the right mixture of half-child, half grown-up person. To me the undisputed star of this version is Tom Courtenay as the infamous Quilp: the sinister face, the spasmodic movements, the lisped voice and the sardonic humor are brought with just the right amount of restraint to make him totally believable. A special mention should go to William Mannering, the young actor who plays Kit. He didn't have much screen-experience at that time, judging from the information on IMDb, but he gave a great performance an moved me to tears at the dramatic ending.
The direction by Kevin Connor was very good, as were the beautiful photography and settings. An absolute 10!!
The acting is overall great and by some of the cast superb. Peter Ustinov is very convincing as the grandfather who is full of love for Nell as well as full of sinister secrets and he plays his role with a kind of modest dignity. Sally Walsh is excellent too, of course she had the burden of a Dickens-heroine and has to be throughout the whole of the movie this endearing spotless angel. This can easily result in an irritating goody-two-shoes, but Sally Walsh succeeds in keeping up a strong and sympathetic character with just the right mixture of half-child, half grown-up person. To me the undisputed star of this version is Tom Courtenay as the infamous Quilp: the sinister face, the spasmodic movements, the lisped voice and the sardonic humor are brought with just the right amount of restraint to make him totally believable. A special mention should go to William Mannering, the young actor who plays Kit. He didn't have much screen-experience at that time, judging from the information on IMDb, but he gave a great performance an moved me to tears at the dramatic ending.
The direction by Kevin Connor was very good, as were the beautiful photography and settings. An absolute 10!!
Too Disneyfied? The Dickens you say.
Bernie444424 March 2024
An owner of a curiosity shop loses it by gambling away money borrowed from an evil being, Daniel Quilp. The Made for T. V. movie starts up after this fact at the time Quilp (knowing the owner is old and senile can be put into an asylum) is hunting the grandfather for the fun of torturing him and giving false hope of riches to his acquaintances.
You cannot properly distill a serial that was made into a book and now into a quick 135-minute movie (screenplay by John Goldsmith.) So, I cannot blame them completely for cutting out the purpose of the story, but they did not have to make it all sugary and sweet. John Goldsmith
A few new things have been added or corrupted to be sure that it plays well on the screen. However, doing so has distracted again from the essence of the original story that has kept people spellbound through the years. The original was more of a serial and the Harry Potter of its time.
While Peter Ustinov made a good stab at the original grandfather, most of the other actors were a pale reflection of the originals in the book.
Well, Jonathan Coy as Rev. Pratchett makes a good speech about "Don't you see, there is nothing innocent or good that dies and is forgotten. We must hold to that faith or none'" It is close to the book where on that occasion the schoolmaster persuades her that "There is nothing, no, nothing innocent or good, that dies, and is forgotten;" its "blessed work" persists.
I wonder what is missing from this presentation as there is a version 3 hr. 4 min (184 min) (2 parts). A little further investigation leads me to believe the DVD is only the second half of the movie. And if you have not read the book, you can get lost.
The case says Eco Bridge home entertainment (2013) 188 minutes.
It lies.
The Aspect Ratio 1.33: 1 Filming location Ardmore Studios Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland 1994.
You cannot properly distill a serial that was made into a book and now into a quick 135-minute movie (screenplay by John Goldsmith.) So, I cannot blame them completely for cutting out the purpose of the story, but they did not have to make it all sugary and sweet. John Goldsmith
A few new things have been added or corrupted to be sure that it plays well on the screen. However, doing so has distracted again from the essence of the original story that has kept people spellbound through the years. The original was more of a serial and the Harry Potter of its time.
While Peter Ustinov made a good stab at the original grandfather, most of the other actors were a pale reflection of the originals in the book.
Well, Jonathan Coy as Rev. Pratchett makes a good speech about "Don't you see, there is nothing innocent or good that dies and is forgotten. We must hold to that faith or none'" It is close to the book where on that occasion the schoolmaster persuades her that "There is nothing, no, nothing innocent or good, that dies, and is forgotten;" its "blessed work" persists.
I wonder what is missing from this presentation as there is a version 3 hr. 4 min (184 min) (2 parts). A little further investigation leads me to believe the DVD is only the second half of the movie. And if you have not read the book, you can get lost.
The case says Eco Bridge home entertainment (2013) 188 minutes.
It lies.
The Aspect Ratio 1.33: 1 Filming location Ardmore Studios Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland 1994.
Dickens' most tragical novel realized on the screen with overwhelming results
clanciai27 March 2020
It is almost three hours long but well worth every minute of it. Seldom has a novel by Dickens been so meticuliysly broght to life on film with such faithful adherence to the text. Dickens is always good if not outstandingly excellent, you can always rely on his stories, and therefore there are only successful screenings of his novels - they are like Shakespeare's plays impossible to fail in. The question is who makes the best performance here, as they are all excellent, but I think the price still goes to Tom Courtenay as the terrible Quilp, whom he succeeds in rendering even more ghastlty and abominable than he is already in the novel, as Courtenay adds so much to the character with his hypocrisy and cringing manners of outrageous guile that the interpretation becomes a masterpiece of acting. Peter Ustinov as the grandfather addicted to card gambling is also outstanding, like of course Sally Walsh as little Nell. All the other characters are more than execellent also.
To this comes the heart-warming photography following the pilhgrims on their wanderings all over western England, choosing all the finest villages and landscapes on the way, to culminate in reaching the sea. It is an all around exquisite film and certanily one of the best Dickens adaptations ever, even if it is only for television.
What a mess!
rosedickens28 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
What a disappointment! I only watched it because of the great reviews but I think the writers messed up so much that the story lost its essence. They took away some great charismatic characters of the book such as The Marchioness, the Garlands, Barbara (Kit's real love interest), the children and the people of the last village Nell and her grandfather stay. Also Dick Swiveller is such a complex character who had even the chance to redeem himself in the end and get a new start, but in the movie he's just a pathetic idiot. On the other hand, they gave such an importance to Quilp's wife who does not have much importance or voice throughout the development of the story as she was really submissive with Quilp in the book. All the interaction of the people and specially the children in Nell's final destination was simply cut out and it was such a beautiful moment because she captivated everybody and was finally in peace and happy. In the book, the grandfather was so useless and no help at all, but in the movie he was giving advice on how to proceed during their journey and even survived in the end while in the book he couldn't manage to live alone with all his guilty for her destiny and death. It's a shame that some of the best passages of the book were simply left out and so much new stuff was put in. And why is Nell always wearing the same dress? I know she had no money, but she could have taken at least another dress along when she ran away or even Mrs. Jarley would have given her another one. It just makes it feels like everything happened in such a short time.
Really nicely done
TheLittleSongbird7 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
My first exposure to The Old Curiosity Shop was through the Derek Jacobi/Toby Jones adaptation, that respective year's literary adaptation of the Christmas break. Without having read the book beforehand, that was surprisingly good, Jones' Quilp was particularly memorable. Since then, I saw two other adaptations and read the book. The book is not one of Dickens' masterpieces(better than Barnaby Rudge though at least) but if you love Dickens everything you love about his writing is in The Old Curiosity Shop, so it is a highly recommended book. Whimsical, intense and with some of Dickens' best comic scenes.
The other two adaptations were a 80s low-budget animated version from Australia and this one, the 1979 TV series is very high on the must-see-but-not-yet-watched list. The animated version was pretty poor really and only had the background art going for it.
But this version is very good and really nicely done, of the three adaptations seen it's the best. It's very beautifully photographed with countryside scenery to die for, true to period costumes and is reasonably evocative. The city settings could have looked a little more grim though, occasionally they did look too clean. One of only two things that the Jacobi version did better, the other being the handling of Little Nell's death. Still moving here but also a little discreet whereas it was heart-breaking in Jacobi's. The music never overbears things, neither does it feel too low-key, while the dialogue is intelligently adapted and easy to understand.
The story keeps one's attention throughout and doesn't feel overly-simplified(certainly not to the extent of the 1974 TV film of Great Expectations), the basic gist of Dickens' writing and such are intact. The pacing is fine on the whole, with only a couple of scenes like the schoolmaster scene that were a little on the rushed side.
And the performances are excellent, the secondary roles are very well filled and true to Dickens. Peter Ustinov is in more restrained mode here than usual, and gives a charming and compassionate performance that is capable of both quirks and nuances. At no point to this viewer did he feel hammy. Sally Walsh is radiant and innocent as well as allowing us to identify and sympathise with her. She's also closer in age to the Little Nell of the Jacobi version and doesn't fall into the trap of being cloying and bland. But it's Tom Courtenay who takes the acting honours, a fine and sometimes under-valued actor Courtenay is literally unrecognisable and gives an extremely vivid and sinister performance(especially in the facial expressions). Toby Jones brings out more of the twisted dwarf part of the character but Courtenay is much creepier and much more vivid.
So all in all, very good version that works as an adaptation and on its own. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox
The other two adaptations were a 80s low-budget animated version from Australia and this one, the 1979 TV series is very high on the must-see-but-not-yet-watched list. The animated version was pretty poor really and only had the background art going for it.
But this version is very good and really nicely done, of the three adaptations seen it's the best. It's very beautifully photographed with countryside scenery to die for, true to period costumes and is reasonably evocative. The city settings could have looked a little more grim though, occasionally they did look too clean. One of only two things that the Jacobi version did better, the other being the handling of Little Nell's death. Still moving here but also a little discreet whereas it was heart-breaking in Jacobi's. The music never overbears things, neither does it feel too low-key, while the dialogue is intelligently adapted and easy to understand.
The story keeps one's attention throughout and doesn't feel overly-simplified(certainly not to the extent of the 1974 TV film of Great Expectations), the basic gist of Dickens' writing and such are intact. The pacing is fine on the whole, with only a couple of scenes like the schoolmaster scene that were a little on the rushed side.
And the performances are excellent, the secondary roles are very well filled and true to Dickens. Peter Ustinov is in more restrained mode here than usual, and gives a charming and compassionate performance that is capable of both quirks and nuances. At no point to this viewer did he feel hammy. Sally Walsh is radiant and innocent as well as allowing us to identify and sympathise with her. She's also closer in age to the Little Nell of the Jacobi version and doesn't fall into the trap of being cloying and bland. But it's Tom Courtenay who takes the acting honours, a fine and sometimes under-valued actor Courtenay is literally unrecognisable and gives an extremely vivid and sinister performance(especially in the facial expressions). Toby Jones brings out more of the twisted dwarf part of the character but Courtenay is much creepier and much more vivid.
So all in all, very good version that works as an adaptation and on its own. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox
An amazing production!
nflbob10 April 2021
Everything about this Movie version is superb! Actors, Scenics, Dialogue, Costumes and sets is is of top quality. While all the characters are excellent, Tom Courtenay's Quilp is the show stopper! This has got to be the very pinnacle of Dickens Film productions.
Long and lacking focus - blame both Dickens and the director
ghamiltonsq20 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The movie runs nearly three hours, easily an hour longer than it needs to be. Nothing would be lost if certain scenes or pieces of which ended up on the cutting room floor. Not having read the novel, I can only assume the director remained true to Dickens' plot, and if so, it's on Dickens that the story lacks focus. A loan shark (Courtney) gives money to an owner of a failing curiosity shop (Ustinov) in the expectation that Ustinov will double the investment playing cards. Ustinov has nephews who lust after his money, unaware that he's nearly destitute. Ustinov's granddaughter, Nell, whom he cherishes, lives with him but is aware of his card playing. Having learned that Ustinov lost at the tables, Courtney seeks revenge by having Ustinov committed. How this helps Courtney is a mystery. Ustinov and Nell flee to the coastline to escape and gain peace of mind. Ustinov's estranged brother, James Fox, learns that Ustinov is in debt to Courtney and seeks to buy the debt. Courtney refuses thinking Fox may be a source of even more money. One of Courtney's co-criminals, in order to escape prosecution, tells the authorities that Courtney has a strongbox that contains evidence of prior misdeeds. Courtney learns of this and decides to flee with the strongbox and other wealth stored in a canvas bag. While loading a row boat on the Thames and about to flee, he falls overboard and drowns. Simultaneously Nell takes ill and dies. Fox locates Ustinov and the two brothers reconcile as both mourn the death of Nell. Numerous other characters come and go and innumerable examples of Courtney's malevolence to others including to his wife are exhibited, all of which extend the run time to no useful purpose. Strip the tale of this and we are still left with a question. Who or what is the protagonist in this story? What is the lesson to be learned? Don't gamble? Take better care of your granddaughter's health?
Tom Courtenay is magnificent
aramis-112-8048809 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I love Dickens but I've never cared for THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP. Even by Dickens standards, it sprawls.
To do any Dickens novel properly would take as many hours as the RSC's "Nicholas Nickleby" (if you're intrigued by Dickens catch that; it's the best version of any Dickens book--theatrical, but he loved the theater). He wrote for serial purposes and though he claims he always worked to a plan he didn't think like a modern novelist.
The double draw to this "Old Curiosity Shop" is the acting powerhouse and Oscar winner Peter Ustinov, who blusters his way through as the weak-willed grandfather; and Tom Courtenay, who is a truly menacing Quilp (when some people who have undertaken the part merely look silly).
In the novel the death of Quilp, like the hanging of Ralph Nickleby in NICHOLAS NICKLEBY or the fall of any of Dickens' truly evil characters, feels like the fall of a Titan. That feeling is missing here, but Courtenay doesn't cheat on his performance. Unlike his limp William Dorrit in "Little Dorrit," he's as strong here as he's ever been.
Unfortunately, it's still a simpering story and I paraphrase Oscar Wilde that it would take a heart of stone to watch the death of Little Nell without laughing. Another wag suggested that when the fires of his imagination burned low Dickens threw another child on the flames. Dickens' kids were often doomed, like Jo in BLEAK HOUSE.
And as with any "Old Curiosity Shop" keep an eye peeled for Samson and Sally Brass. They always liven up proceedings but I've seen better.
Damning it with faint praise, it's better than some Dickens adaptations I've been exposed to. The main problem with this "The Old Curiosity Shop" is its story, and no matter how it may have been altered that's a problem with Dickens himself.
When I was young I doted on weird, sprawling stories. Children today might have different notions and be bored by anything taking more than five moments together. Then again, the odd young person might admire it.
To do any Dickens novel properly would take as many hours as the RSC's "Nicholas Nickleby" (if you're intrigued by Dickens catch that; it's the best version of any Dickens book--theatrical, but he loved the theater). He wrote for serial purposes and though he claims he always worked to a plan he didn't think like a modern novelist.
The double draw to this "Old Curiosity Shop" is the acting powerhouse and Oscar winner Peter Ustinov, who blusters his way through as the weak-willed grandfather; and Tom Courtenay, who is a truly menacing Quilp (when some people who have undertaken the part merely look silly).
In the novel the death of Quilp, like the hanging of Ralph Nickleby in NICHOLAS NICKLEBY or the fall of any of Dickens' truly evil characters, feels like the fall of a Titan. That feeling is missing here, but Courtenay doesn't cheat on his performance. Unlike his limp William Dorrit in "Little Dorrit," he's as strong here as he's ever been.
Unfortunately, it's still a simpering story and I paraphrase Oscar Wilde that it would take a heart of stone to watch the death of Little Nell without laughing. Another wag suggested that when the fires of his imagination burned low Dickens threw another child on the flames. Dickens' kids were often doomed, like Jo in BLEAK HOUSE.
And as with any "Old Curiosity Shop" keep an eye peeled for Samson and Sally Brass. They always liven up proceedings but I've seen better.
Damning it with faint praise, it's better than some Dickens adaptations I've been exposed to. The main problem with this "The Old Curiosity Shop" is its story, and no matter how it may have been altered that's a problem with Dickens himself.
When I was young I doted on weird, sprawling stories. Children today might have different notions and be bored by anything taking more than five moments together. Then again, the odd young person might admire it.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
