Arthur Clennam returns to London after working abroad for many years with his now deceased father. Almost at once he becomes involved in the problems of his mother's seamstress Amy Dorrit ...
See full summary »
Related News
-
The Poirot Collection: Blu-ray box set
26 January 2014 | The Guardian - Film News -
Roger Hammond obituary
14 November 2012 | The Guardian - Film News -
Roger Hammond obituary
14 November 2012 | The Guardian - TV News
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: Little Dorrit (1987)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
More Like This
Little Dorrit
(2008)
Drama
|
Mystery
|
Romance
Stars:
Claire Foy,
Matthew Macfadyen,
Tom Courtenay
The Wings of the Dove
(1997)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Iain Softley
Stars:
Helena Bonham Carter,
Linus Roache,
Alex Jennings
Little Dorrit
(1934)
Drama
Director:
Karel Lamac
Stars:
Gustav Waldau,
Anny Ondra,
Hilde Hildebrand
Mrs Henderson Presents
(2005)
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Music
Director:
Stephen Frears
Stars:
Judi Dench,
Bob Hoskins,
Christopher Guest
A Handful of Dust
(1988)
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
Charles Sturridge
Stars:
James Wilby,
Kristin Scott Thomas,
Richard Beale
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Derek Jacobi | ... | Arthur Clennam | |
| Joan Greenwood | ... | Mrs. Clennam | |
| Max Wall | ... | Flintwinch | |
 |
Patricia Hayes | ... | Affery |
|
|
Luke Duckett | ... | Young Arthur |
| Alec Guinness | ... | William Dorrit | |
| Cyril Cusack | ... | Frederick Dorrit | |
|
|
Sarah Pickering | ... | Little Dorrit |
|
|
Amelda Brown | ... | Fanny Dorrit |
|
|
Daniel Chatto | ... | Tip Dorrit |
| Miriam Margolyes | ... | Flora Finching | |
|
|
Bill Fraser | ... | Mr. Casby |
| Roshan Seth | ... | Mr. Pancks | |
|
|
Mollie Maureen | ... | Mr. F.'s Aunt |
|
|
Diana Malin | ... | Mr. Casby's Maid |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (46) »
Storyline
Arthur Clennam returns to London after working abroad for many years with his now deceased father. Almost at once he becomes involved in the problems of his mother's seamstress Amy Dorrit and of her father residing in the Marshalsea debtors' prison. Pursuing their cause Arthur comes across a successful business opportunity and also gains a number of new acquaintances, while his and Amy's paths continue to cross. A reversal of fortune lays him low, but to fully understand how, this story must now be seen through Little Dorrit's eyes. Written by Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
Plot Keywords:
british renaissance | debtor's prison | seamstress | f rated | suitor |Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
21 October 1988 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Little Dorrit's Story See more »Filming Locations:
Sands Films Studios, Rotherhithe, London, England, UKEdit
Box Office
Gross USA:
$1,025,228Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
StereoColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1
Edit
Did You Know?
Goofs
Near the end of part 1, Mr Pancks puts his finger through Arthur's coat's right lapel button hole and pulls him toward the stairs. In the next shot, at the bottom of the stairs, his finger is through a hole in the left lapel. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.Contribute to This Page
Enjoy a night in with these popular movies available to stream now with Prime Video.
This sprawling movie can take a lot of discipline to watch in its entirety, but it is worth seeing just for the performances of Derek Jacobi in the first half and Alec Guinness in the second. Jacobi is wonderful as the gentle, unlucky Arthur Clennam, who keeps finding that through nobody's fault, he keeps missing out on happiness. It is sweetly heartbreaking to follow his growing affection for Minnie Meagles, only to watch her throw herself away on a conceited young fool, whom even she seems to realize cannot equal Clennam in worth. Jacobi has a great actor's ability to tell a story without saying a word, as when he gently drops Minnie's roses into the river and watches them float away, and we realize he is saying goodbye to love. The scene later on in prison, when he discovers that he has missed his chance for love again, but this time it is he who all unaware has been the object of another's love, is breathtaking. Once again, without a word, Jacobi is able to portray his anguish and the chaos of memories and ideas that suddenly assail him, until he is almost suffocating, trapped and helpless in his little cell in the Marshalsea.
The second half of the movie suffers from the absence of Jacobi, and I found myself eagerly looking forward to every chance appearance of his, but Alec Guinness also gives a fine performance as the indigent William Dorrit, whose sudden acquisition of a legacy not only frees him from debtor's prison, but also turns him into a heartless snob and social climber. Among the other performances in this film worth noting, is that of Miriam Margolyse as the aging coquette, Flora Finching, a kindly, ridiculous scatterbrain, talking nonstop while taking little nips out of the medicine bottle to keep up her spirits.