Few authors who passed away before cinema itself was invented have proven to be quite as prominent within the world of film asCharles Dickens. The famed English writer was born in 1812 and passed away in 1870, withthe earliest short film (if it can be defined as such)being made in 1874. All that’s to say, there’s clearly no way Dickens would’ve known this is how many of his stories would be consumed and enjoyed, yet there has proven to be something surprisingly cinematic about his stories, ideas, and characters. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be countless adaptations of his works by various filmmakers over the past century or so.
His novels, short stories, and other publications live on not just because such writings are still studied and read, but also because they’re continually adapted into film and sometimes miniseries. Compiling some of the best adaptations among these inevitably leads to multiple adaptations of the same source material, but the different approaches to such stories keep these new spins on old tales interesting. What follows is a collection of the best and most notable filmed Charles Dickens adaptations, starting with the good and ending with the great.
25’The Pickwick Papers' (1952)
Directed by Noel Langley
Noteworthy for being the debut novel of Charles Dickens,The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Clubisn’t far off turning 200, considering it was published at first in a serial format throughout 1836 and 1837. Despite its historical importance within the Dickens canon, it’s not a hugely popular story for film adaptations, at least compared to numerous other well-recognized – and continually retold – stories from cinema history.
1952’sThe Pickwick Papersalso isn’t hugely well-known, but it does a decent enough job of adapting the novel to the format of a feature film. The story, which is about a group of friends adventuring and reporting on what they come across,does work better as something that’s serialized, owing to the episodic nature of such a premise, but it’s condensed pretty well here, and in under two hours at that.
The Pickwick Papers
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24’Oliver & Company' (1988)
Directed by George Scribner
If you look over all the Charles Dickens adaptations that have ever existed, it gets a little dull if you only stick to the works that directly – or more literally – adapt his stories. So, sure,Oliver & Companyis very different fromOliver Twist, but it works and reshapes things in interesting ways, the most obvious of them being the fact that many characters are now animals, instead of humans.
Also, givenOliver & Companyis aimed at younger viewers,it does tone down some of the more intense elements of the original story, which might feature young characters, but does get surprisingly dark at points. Anyway, as faras animated Disney movies go, this one might not necessarily be among the best, but it can certainly be called underrated/overlooked.
Oliver & Company
23’Great Expectations' (1999)
Directed by Julian Jarrold
If you havegreat expectations for this late 1990s movieversion ofGreat Expectations, they’ll hopefully be met… though you do have to approach it knowing that it was a TV movie, instead of a full-blown theatrical release. Still, it has a pretty ambitious runtime that nears three hours, and there are a few recognizable faces in the cast here, making it not feel like a TV production in a negative way.
Great Expectationshas many characters who come and go, and continually interact in ways that shift their individual standings in life, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. It’s always an interesting exploration of wealth, class, and social status, and though it was written long ago, some of the issues relating to those themes remain distressingly relevant, even in modern times.
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is currently not available to stream, rent, or purchase in the U.S.
22’The Old Curiosity Shop' (1995)
Directed by Kevin Connor
AlongsideThe Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club,The Old Curiosity Shopis another Charles Dickens story that doesn’t have all too many film adaptations, with this 1995being another TV movie, albeit a good quality one. It was written a few years on from Dickens’ debut, and mostly centers on a young girl and her grandfather forced to make dramatic changes in their lives, owing to financial issues.
Like a good many Dickens stories,The Old Curiosity Shopexplores class and paints a sympathetic view of society’s downtrodden, albeit here, there is a gentle sense of comedy that exists alongside the more dramatic and serious elements.Taken for what it is, and considering it was made on what appears to be a fairly modest TV budget, this 1995 adaptation ofThe Old Curiosity Shopis mostly pretty good.
The Old Curiosity Shop
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Directed by Mike de Seve and Mike Judge
Charles Dickens is generally seen as a classy and maybe even sophisticated (albeit quite approachable) writer, whileBeavis and Butt-Head– if you couldn’t tell from the title – is rather lowbrow and crude in comparison. But Dickens combined withBeavis and Butt-Headsurprisingly well in this TV special that just qualifies for feature-length, thanks to being over three-quarters of an hour long, calledBeavis and Butt-Head Do Christmas.
Part of this special is a comedic riff onA Christmas Carol, while the other part of it serves as something of a spoof of the somewhat Dickens-ish (but not Dickens-written)It’s a Wonderful Life. You get the themes of those stories shining through, butall with some dopey, crass, and generally funny humor thrown in for good measure, making for a fun and unique watchthat can still be considered, at least in part, a Dickens adaptation.
Beavis and Butt-Head Do Christmas
20’The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby' (1947)
Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti
Nicholas Nickleby(orThe Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby) was one of Charles Dickens' earliest novels, and was originally published in a serialized format, like many of his works. Narratively and thematically, there are definitely elements that make it feel Dickensian (Dickens is one of those rare creatives whosestyle has inspired an adjective), though when it comes to adaptations,Nicholas Nicklebyis a little less well-represented than other stories by Dickens.
This 1947 adaptation is up there with the most well-known and is faithful to the original work insofaras it focuses on being a drama and telling, in a straightforward manner, a story about the titular character’s struggle to provide for his family after the patriarch suddenly passes away. The fact a version of this story retold in such an old film still holds up suggests that maybeNicholas Nicklebydeserves to have a few more high-profile film adaptations.
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
19’Oliver Twist' (2005)
Directed by Roman Polanski
AlongsideNicholas Nickleby,Oliver Twistis another highly regarded story by Charles Dickens from a relatively early point in his writing career, with both being published in monthly installments during the late 1830s. It’s safe to callOliver Twistthe more popular of the two, when it comes to adaptations, and it’s even one that’s inspired a sequel miniseries of sorts as recently as 2023,withThe Artful Dodger.
The overall enduring nature ofOliver Twistmeans it’s one story that doesn’t need too much of an introduction, following an orphaned boy who falls into a gang of criminals and finds himself facing some harsh realities of life at a very young age. This 2005 adaptation might not be one of the very best, but it works fairly well overall, and is perhaps most notable for having a compelling villainous turn fromBen Kingsley, here playing Fagin, who oversees the gang of young criminals the titular character gets involved with.
Oliver Twist
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18’Nicholas Nickleby' (2002)
Directed by Douglas McGrath
Perhaps the best version ofNicholas Nicklebywould be this one from 2002, and it’s therefore worth seeking out for anyone who wants to experience the story without reading it in its original form. It’s a bigger production than the aforementionedThe Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, and has its fair share of well-established actors in supporting roles, including the likes ofChristopher Plummer,Nathan Lane, andJim Broadbent.
It’s also home to one ofAnne Hathaway’s earliest film roles (just one year on from 2001’sThe Princess Diaries), and stars a pre-Sons of AnarchyCharlie Hunnamin the title role. The story of family struggles, financial hardships, and having to come of age while dealing with difficult circumstances is still taken seriously, butthere’s a little more humor found in this 2002 adaptation ofNicholas Nickleby, which ultimately helps balance everything out tonally.
Nicholas Nickleby
17’Oliver Twist' (1922)
Directed by Frank Lloyd
1922’sOliver Twistshows thateven during cinema’s earlier days, filmmakers were still well aware that there was something inherently cinematic to be found within Charles Dickens' work. Given this one’s from the early 1920s, it is a silent film, so it sticks to the basics as far as the classic tale goes. But given the young age of the protagonist, the genuinely impactful stakes, and the universality of the themes at the heart ofOliver Twist, much of the impact is still felt, even without spoken words.
Beyond standing out for being a silent adaptation and one with a runtime of 70-ish minutes, 1922’sOliver Twistalso feels noteworthy for having two well-remembered stars of the silent age in lead roles. The protagonist is played byJackie Coogan, who was the kid inCharlie Chaplin’sThe Kid, as well as Uncle Fester inThe Addams Family. Additionally,Lon Chaney- most remembered for starring in various silent horror classics - plays Fagin.
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16’Scrooged' (1988)
Directed by Richard Donner
Admittedly,Scroogedtakes more liberties with its source material than many Charles Dickens adaptations, especially because it updatesA Christmas Carolto the late 1980s, well over 100 years after when the originalA Christmas Carolis set. However, as will become clearer and clearer later on,there are manyChristmas Carolsout there, so the factScroogedis a little different tonally and setting-wise inevitably helps it stand out and feel a little fresher.
The always-reliable Bill Murray stars here as Frank Cross, who’s basically Ebenezer Scrooge. He’s an unhappy individual who seems to take out his anger on others, making the world a darker place. It falls on various spirits, therefore, to make him reassess his life and change his ways, all on Christmas Eve (a time of the year that generally makes Cross cross). Murray inevitably makes Scrooged a little funnier than mostA Christmas Caroladaptations, and given it doesn’t entirely come at the expense of the drama/heart of the original story, such an approach ends up working quite well.
