Fingersmith (2005– )

Susan "Sue" Trinder is a fingersmith (British slang for thief) who lives in the slums of London with a baby farmer (person who looks after unwanted babies) Mrs.Sucksby. When a once rich man... See full summary »

Stars:

Elaine Cassidy, Sally Hawkins, Imelda Staunton

3 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Elaine Cassidy	...	Maud Lilly (3 episodes, 2005)
Sally Hawkins	...	Sue Trinder (3 episodes, 2005)
Imelda Staunton	...	Mrs. Sucksby (3 episodes, 2005)
Rupert Evans	...	Richard 'Gentleman' Rivers (3 episodes, 2005)
Polly Hemingway	...	Mrs Stiles (3 episodes, 2005)
Sarah Badel	...	Mrs. Frobisher (2 episodes, 2005)

Storyline

Susan "Sue" Trinder is a fingersmith (British slang for thief) who lives in the slums of London with a baby farmer (person who looks after unwanted babies) Mrs.Sucksby. When a once rich man, who gambled all his money away, presents them with a scam that has a payout of 40,000 pounds, Sue signs on to swindle rich Maud Lilly. Maud is an orphan who lives with her uncle, but what exactly is going on in the Lilly house? Sue will pose as Maud's maid so that Mr.Rivers (the gentleman) can get close to and eventually marry her. Their plan is to put Maud in the madhouse and take the money for themselves. All goes astray though when Sue falls in love with Maud. And the question is: Who can you trust?

---

Plot Keywords:

thief | marriage of convenience | betrayal | lesbian love | wrongful commitment | 

---

Taglines:

Two young women... one passion, mutual betrayal... Final retribution...

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

---

Details

Official Sites:

BBC [United Kingdom]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 March 2005 (UK)

Also Known As:

A tolvajlány

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sally Head Productions, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

181 min 181 min (3 parts)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sally Hawkins, who plays Sue Trinder, also appeared as a maid in the earlier adaptation of another Sarah Waters' books Tipping the Velvet.

---

Quotes

Sue Trinder: Country! I never knew there was so much of it. Mile after bleedin' mile.

User Reviews

Fingersmith - An Amazing Adaption

This was indeed an amazing adaption. I missed the first episode so I unfortunately missed out on the bonding between the characters and the smooth flow of the storyline. But as soon I watched the second and then the third instalment I was just blown away. I ordered the DVD less than a week later and unable to wait for it to come I went straight out and brought the book. From the moment I opened it I was hooked, I just couldn't put it down. I decided to finish the whole book before I dare watch the DVD at all. I preferred the book because it got inside the characters minds, you could understand totally where they were coming from and what there role was within the story. They missed a lot out of the adaption which was disappointing as the book is a master piece and I think they could have done it superbly if they had been able to stretch it over a longer period of time. But considering only being able to be fitted into a 3 hour slot I think it was done excellent. It followed the main twisted storyline brilliantly. And the actors which were enrolled as the main characters where amazing! The love making scene was pure beautiful. It was so tender and loving and just showed how natural homosexual love can be. I was totally blown away with both the book and the TV adaption! I loved both of Sarah Waters previous novels and also found the Tipping the Velvet adaption quite enjoyable. But when I read and watched Fingersmith I knew none of her previous novels/adaption could beat it. Sarah Waters has indeed exceeded herself this time! I recommend that you watch this adaption! If Tipping the Velvet wasn't your thing, then don't let it put you off this one. Fingersmith is a whole new ball game. It is a beautiful yet dark twisted story about love, greed and betrayal...

A MUST SEE!