David Copperfield

Also known as: – Directed by: Peter Medak Written by: John Goldsmith Produced by: John Davis, Greg Smith Motion Picture Rating: Not Rated Genres: Drama Original release: December 10, 2000 Running time: 3 hours Other cast: Michael Richards, Eileen Atkins IMDB Amazon iTunes News Official Site

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.