Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Douglas McGrath

Writers (WGA):

Charles Dickens (novel)
Douglas McGrath (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 May 2003 (New Zealand)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Every family needs a hero.

Plot:

A young compassionate man struggles to save his family and friends from the abusive exploitation of his coldheartedly grasping uncle.

Plot Keywords:

Father | Uncle | Sister | Boys School | Mother

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Stella Gonet	...	Mrs. Nickleby
Andrew Havill	...	Mr. Nickleby
Henry McGrath	...	Child Nicholas Nickleby
Hugh Mitchell	...	Boy Nicholas Nickleby
Poppy Rogers	...	Child Kate Nickleby
Jessie Lou Roberts	...	Young Kate Nickleby
Charlie Hunnam	...	Nicholas Nickleby
Romola Garai	...	Kate Nickleby
Tom Courtenay	...	Newman Noggs
Christopher Plummer	...	Ralph Nickleby
Anne Hathaway	...	Madeline Bray
Jim Broadbent	...	Mr. Wackford Squeers
Angela Curran	...	Parent
Jamie Bell	...	Smike
Juliet Stevenson	...	Mrs. Squeers
Bruce Cook	...	Little Wackford Squeers
Greg Sheffield	...	Bolder
Alexander Graham	...	Cobbey (as Alex Graham)
Jordan Calvert	...	First Boy
Joel Pitts	...	Second Boy
Billy Hill	...	Tomkins
Heather Goldenhersh	...	Fanny Squeers
Lucy Davis	...	Maid (as Lucy Davies)
Helen Coker	...	Tilda
Kevin McKidd	...	John Browdie
Edward Fox	...	Sir Mulberry Hawk
Nicholas Rowe	...	Lord Verisopht
Angus Wright	...	Mr. Pluck
Nathan Lane	...	Vincent Crummles
Barry Humphries	...	Mrs. Crummles / Mr. Leadville (also as Dame Edna Everage)
Alan Cumming	...	Mr. Folair
Eileen Walsh	...	The Infant Phenomenon
Alfred Harmsworth	...	Young Smike
Mark Wells	...	Romeo in play
Daisy Haggard	...	Juliet in olay
Jacob Engelberg	...	Boy Messenger (as Jacob Engleberg)
Philip Davis	...	Brooker (as Phil Davis)
Sophie Thompson	...	Miss Lacreevy
Timothy Spall	...	Charles Cheeryble
Gerard Horan	...	Ned Cheeryble
Lisa Martin	...	Ribbon Girl
William Ash	...	Frank
David Bradley	...	Nigel Bray
Celia Henebury	...	Mrs. Bray
Edward Hogg	...	Young Mr. Bray
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	Doctor
Diana Morrison	...	Bray's Maid
Amber Batty	...	Mrs. Ralph Nickleby
Mark Dexter	...	Young Ralph Nickleby
Mark Meadows	...	Lone Soldier

Directed by
Douglas McGrath

Writing credits (WGA)
Charles Dickens		(novel)
Douglas McGrath		(screenplay)

Produced by
Simon Channing Williams	....	producer
Gail Egan	....	executive producer
John Hart	....	producer (as John N. Hart)
Michael Hogan	....	executive producer
Robert How	....	line producer
Robert Kessel	....	executive producer
Jeff Sharp	....	producer (as Jeffrey Sharp)

Original Music by
Rachel Portman

Cinematography by
Dick Pope		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Lesley Walker

Production Design by
Eve Stewart

Art Direction by
Andrew Grant
Tom Read		(supervising art director)

Costume Design by
Ruth Myers

Makeup Department
Sue Ignatius	....	makeup artist
Sarah Monzani	....	makeup designer
Graham Pownall	....	hair stylist
Maralyn Sherman	....	key makeup artist
Simon Thompson	....	hair designer
Christine Whitney	....	crowd makeup artist
Trefor Proud	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Steve Harrow	....	post-production supervisor: UK
Christopher Kenneally	....	post-production supervisor: US
Ian Pollington	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vicki Allen	....	crowd third assistant director
Dan Channing-Williams	....	third assistant director (as Dan Channing Williams)
Ben Howard	....	third assistant director
Dan John	....	second assistant director
Josh Robertson	....	first assistant director
Rob Burgess	....	assistant director: second unit (uncredited)
Christian Rigg	....	additional third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Eddie Baker	....	stand-by props
David Cheesman	....	storeman (as Dave Cheesman)
Tanya Clark	....	art department researcher
Gary Davies	....	stand-by stagehand
Steve Deane	....	chargehand carpenter
Andrew Forrest	....	assistant art director (as Andy Forrest)
Gary Fox	....	stand-by props
Claire Grainger	....	prop buyer
Katy Harvey	....	stand-by art director (as Katy Pain)
Dave Hill	....	stand-by carpenter
Martin Lane	....	stand-by painter
Jo Littlejohn	....	art department coordinator
Leon McCarthy	....	stand-by carpenter
Adam McCreight	....	dressing props
Richard Mills	....	property master
John O'Connor	....	chargehand carpenter
Justin Overhill	....	scenic artist
Dave Perschky	....	construction manager
Don Santos	....	dressing props
Ben Smith	....	draftsman
Michael Standish	....	prop buyer
David Stapleton	....	chargehand painter (as Dave Stapleton)
Ed Walsh	....	draftsman
Kimberley Fahey	....	art department trainee (uncredited)
Nick Pelham	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Tom Barrow	....	sound assistant
John Bateman	....	adr and foley recording: UK
Jonathan Bates	....	supervising sound editor
Philip Bothamley	....	dialogue editor (as Phillip Bothamley)
Ricky Butt	....	foley artist (as Ricki Butt)
Tim Cavagin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tim Fraser	....	production sound mixer
Bobby Johanson	....	adr and foley recording: US
Claire Mahoney	....	foley artist
Nadine Finzi Maybruck	....	adr assistant: US
Michael Redfern	....	foley editor
Mark Rose	....	sound editor
Steve Single	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alastair Sirkett	....	adr editor (as Alistair Sirkett)
Andy Tait	....	consultant: DTS
William Towers	....	boom operator (as Will Towers)
Chris Wilson	....	consultant: Dolby
Graham Day	....	sound trainee (uncredited)
Steve Finn	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Christopher Longhurst	....	special effects assistant (as Chris Longhurst)
Graham Longhurst	....	special effects advisor
Keith Dawson	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Andrew Jeffery	....	visual effects supervisor (as Andy Jeffery)
Simon Carr	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Gary Connery	....	stunts
Rowley Irlam	....	stunts
Gareth Milne	....	stunt coordinator
Bill Weston	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Ashley Bond	....	first assistant camera
Robert Brown	....	rigging gaffer
Richard Carroll	....	second assistant camera
Mike Cooper	....	electrician
Ray Evans	....	photographer: title sequence
Alex Griffiths	....	camera loader
Stuart Howell	....	camera operator
Lorraine Jones	....	video technician
Paul McGeachan	....	electrician
Michael McHugh	....	electrician
Simon Mein	....	still photographer
Mike Miller	....	camera operator: second unit
Andy Ormesher	....	stand-by rigger
Tommy O'Sullivan	....	best boy
John Powell	....	electrician
Darren Quinn	....	grip: second unit
Alex Scott	....	gaffer
Gordon Segrove	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Colin Strachan	....	grip
Danny Espey	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Steve Finberg	....	additional electrician (uncredited)
Stuart Howell	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Rosalie Clayton	....	casting assistant
Tamara Gillon	....	casting assistant
Nina Gold	....	casting: UK
Alison E. McBryde	....	casting associate
Lina Todd	....	casting: USA

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Liam Flavell	....	costume assistant
William McPhail	....	costume supervisor
Michael Mooney	....	costume assistant
Marnie Ormiston	....	costume assistant
Kirsty Wilkinson	....	costume assistant
Nicole Young	....	assistant costume designer
Lucy Denny	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Claire Ferguson	....	assistant editor: avid
Alec Gibson	....	color timer
Joe Hobeck	....	assistant editor: avid (as Joseph Hobeck)
Jeremy Hume	....	assistant editor
Mark Neale	....	assistant editor: avid
Marsha Bramwell	....	trainee assistant editor (uncredited)
Matthew Streatfield	....	trainee assistant editor (uncredited)
Jason Wheeler	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Jeff Atmajian	....	orchestrator
Chris Dibble	....	music engineer
George Hamer	....	orchestral contractor
Rachel Portman	....	music producer
David Snell	....	conductor
Graham Sutton	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Jimmy Carruthers	....	unit driver (uncredited)
Enyo Mortty	....	driver: Christopher Plummer (uncredited)

Other crew
Chris Allies	....	title designer
Libbie Barr	....	script supervisor
Barbara Berkery	....	dialect coach
Barbara Berkery	....	dialogue coach
Sam Chwat	....	dialogue coach: US
Chris Cozens	....	auricle operator
Andrew Gwyn Davies	....	production runner
Hannah Davies	....	assistant: Rachel Portman
Piers Dunn	....	assistant location manager
Graham Easton	....	completion bond guarantor: Film Finances
Daniel Feiner	....	production assistant: Hart Sharp Entertainment
Poppy Field	....	base runner
Candice Fonseca	....	production coordinator
Vic Fraser	....	copyist
Anwen Griffiths	....	assistant: Gail Egan and Simon Channing Williams
Claudia Kalindjian	....	unit publicist
Sue Lefton	....	choreographer
Ben Limberg	....	assistant: John N. Hart and Jeffrey Sharp
Matthew Love	....	stand-in
Sarada McDermott	....	assistant production coordinator
Jon Miller	....	assistant accountant
Justin Miller	....	assistant accountant
Gerard Naprous	....	horse master
Clive Noakes	....	laboratory contact
Malcolm Ranson	....	fight arranger
Ben Rimmer	....	location manager
Jonathan Rutter	....	publicity: McDonald & Rutter
Joy Scott	....	stand-in
Tracey Tucker	....	assistant location manager
Will Tyler	....	production accountant
Brett Williams	....	production assistant: Hart Sharp Entertainment
Hayley Williams	....	assistant: Douglas McGrath
Zoe Wilson	....	production runner (as Zoë Wilson)
Nina Wolarsky	....	executive: Hart Sharp Entertainment
Ian Pollington	....	location manager (uncredited)
Joy Scott	....	floor runner (uncredited)
Diana Scrivener	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)

Thanks
Tim Cribb	....	thanks: Churchill College, Cambridge University
Gordon Campbell Gray	....	thanks: One Aldwych
Daniel Johansson	....	thanks: One Aldwych
Trevor May	....	thanks
Betty Moore	....	thanks: DTA Tours & Travel
Andrew Xavier	....	thanks: The Dickens House Museum, London

Production Companies

• Hart-Sharp Entertainment
• United Artists Film Corporation (as United Artists Films Inc.)
• Potboiler Productions (in association with) (as Cloud Nine Films)

Distributors

• United Artists (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (an MGM company)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• Bodega Films (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Compañía General de la Imagen (CGI) (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Gateno Films (2004) (Peru) (theatrical)
• Lighthouse Pictures (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Solo Film Verleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (????) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation (MGM) (????) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (200?) (France) (DVD)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (????) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Cine Image Film Opticals (end titles)
• Mill Films (I) (uncredited)

Other Companies

• Aeroshoot Film Services  set facilities
• Airstar  grip and lighting equipment (as Airstar Space Lighting)
• Angels the Costumiers  costumier
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• Churchill College, Cambridge University  thanks
• DTA Tours & Travel  thanks
• Dickens House Museum  thanks (as The Dickens House Museum)
• Edit Hire (New Technology) Ltd.  editing equipment (as Edit Hire)
• Film Finances  completion bond guarantee
• Global Music Service  music copyist
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Kodak  motion picture products
• Lansdown Recording Studios  music mixed at (as Lansdowne Recording Studios)
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Leighton House Art Gallery and Museum, London  thanks
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting (uncredited)
• McDonald and Rutter  publicity (as McDonald & Rutter)
• Midnight Transfer  cutting rooms
• Mill Films (I)  titles and opticals
• Mobile Mouthful  catering (as The Mobile Mouthful)
• Movietech  camera equipment provided by
• On Set Location Services  set facilities
• One Aldwych  thanks
• Orbit Digital  editing equipment
• Post Production Playground  cutting rooms
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services
• Sapex Scripts  scripts (as Sapex)
• Technicolor  color timing (uncredited)
• The National Trust at Hardcastle Crags, Gibson Mill  thanks
• Timber Tops  animal training (as Timbertops)
• Twickenham Film Studios  cutting rooms
• Twickenham Film Studios  re-recorded at
• Twickenham Film Studios  sound re-recording (uncredited)
• Unit Security  security
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack released by (uncredited)
• Visual Emergency Medical Services  medical services
• Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting (as Jason Wheeler Film Services)
• Whitfield Street Studios  music recorded at (as Whitfield Street Sony Studios)
• Wigs Specialties  hair
• Wood Hall Catering  catering

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic material involving some violent action and a childbirth scene.

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:LH | USA:PG (certificate #39321) | Ireland:PG | France:U | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:MG6 | New Zealand:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | Italy:T | Argentina:Atp | Chile:14 | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Churchill College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Company:

Hart-Sharp Entertainment

Trivia:

French visa # 111470.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Madeline Bray can be seen clearly with pierced earring holes. Pierced ears were not of regular use until more than a decade later. At the time, only rich women pierced their ears.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Vincent Crummles: What happens when the light first pierces the dark dampness in which we have waited? We are slapped and cut loose. If we are lucky, someone is there to catch us and persuade us that we are safe. But are we safe? What happens if, too early, we lose a parent? That party on whom we rely for only everything? Why, we are cut loose again and we wonder, even dread whose hands will catch us now? There once lived a man named Nicholas Nickleby...

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#31.14)" (2004)

sparkling Dickensian effort

Writer/director Douglas McGrath has done a splendid job bringing Charles Dickens' delightful novel 'Nicholas Nickleby' to the big screen.

'Nickleby' is quintessential Dickens in its mixture of sentiment and satire; its finely drawn characters and caricatures; its clear cut delineation of good and evil, hero and villain; its melodramatic and coincidence-ridden plotting; and its championing of the downtrodden underclass of 19th Century England. Like many of Dickens' protagonists, Nicholas is a young man who is forced by circumstances (in this case the death of his father) to leave the comfort and security of his home and family and to venture forth to make his way in the world. On his journey he meets many vivid and colorful characters, all of whom reveal to him both the goodness and the cruelty inherent in human nature. These picaresque tales almost always end up with the hero a bit wiser and less naïve for his experiences - but more committed than ever to righting wrongs and seeking justice for those less able to do so on their own. And 'Nicholas Nickleby' is no exception.

In his approach to the material, McGrath has employed an amazing economy that allows him to effectively compress a 500-page novel into a 2 hour and 12 minute film. With so much storyline to work with, McGrath wastes no time in setting the scene and defining the characters, then moving merrily along from one dramatic incident and encounter to the next. Yet, the film never feels rushed or telescoped as movies derived from lengthy novels so often do. Each character, whether major or minor, is given the opportunity to make his or her mark on the scene. It's true that, in Dickens' world, the villains and eccentrics are generally far more intriguing and memorable than the comparatively pallid heroes and heroines, but McGrath has succeeded in making even those latter characters moving and interesting. Above all, the film is blessed with a cast made up of first-rate performers who bring each of the author's creations to vivid life. Charlie Hunnam, despite his having to embody a character who is a fairly one-dimensional, conventional 'pretty boy,' manages to make Nicholas a bit more active and a bit less passive than he might have become in lesser hands. Nathan Lane and Barry Humphries make a delightful couple as Mr. and Mrs. Crummles, the leaders of the fifth-rate theatrical troupe that, for a short while, becomes a family for young Nicholas. Jim Broadbent enacts a fine comic villain as Mr. Squeers, the brutal but henpecked schoolmaster with whom Nicholas quite literally comes to blows. The film's finest performance comes from the ubiquitous Christopher Plummer as Nicholas' evil Uncle Ralph. Plummer understands that the key to conveying villainy effectively is by underplaying the role. By doing so, he helps to ground the film with a much-needed center of gravity.

Special recognition should go to the handsome production and costume design, to the fine cinematography and to the lovely score by Rachel Portman. In fact, everyone involved in the making of 'Nicholas Nickelby' should take a bow for converting such a fun, entertaining novel into such a fun, entertaining film. Dickens, I believe, would feel honored and proud.