Before I watched this movie, I did not expect anything extraordinary. After I watched, I felt the same as if I had not watched it. Having read David Copperfield a few years earlier and having seen several other versions of it, I realized the impossibility of adapting this novel. I believe the main reason for this is because the emphasis of this novel is not the plot (though it is absolutely important and necessary), it is the wonderful characters. And since there are so many of them, they cannot possibly be covered in a film without boring the viewer. I have a feeling that the producer of this film was trying to achieve what BBC's Pride and Prejudice (1995) achieved a few years back. As I said before, a number of characters in Dicken's novel compared to Jane Austen is incomparable, therefore we cannot expect the same success using the same production method.
Yet, I have to note something positive. I surely enjoyed the performance of Uriah Heep and Agnes Wickfield. Perhaps the reason is they were almost exactly as I imagined when I read the book a few years back. The slimy, cold, eerie feeling was there every time we see Heep. And we get a sense of peace, beauty, and serenity when we see Agnes (I thought that could be played out more...it was very much emphasized in the book through David's thoughts). Amanda Ryan had the perfect countenance of Agnes Wickfield but she did not have a large enough of a role in the movie as in the novel.
One more thing. David Copperfield's hair looked awful towards the end. The proposal to Agnes was well done, but I couldn't stand looking at David. His hair made him look really ugly. I finished watching the movie in disgust because of that. I don't care how some guys let their hair grow a bit in "those days." I think it might have been more clever to make the main character somewhat more attractive in order to retain a more pleasant feeling in viewers.
Yet, I have to note something positive. I surely enjoyed the performance of Uriah Heep and Agnes Wickfield. Perhaps the reason is they were almost exactly as I imagined when I read the book a few years back. The slimy, cold, eerie feeling was there every time we see Heep. And we get a sense of peace, beauty, and serenity when we see Agnes (I thought that could be played out more...it was very much emphasized in the book through David's thoughts). Amanda Ryan had the perfect countenance of Agnes Wickfield but she did not have a large enough of a role in the movie as in the novel.
One more thing. David Copperfield's hair looked awful towards the end. The proposal to Agnes was well done, but I couldn't stand looking at David. His hair made him look really ugly. I finished watching the movie in disgust because of that. I don't care how some guys let their hair grow a bit in "those days." I think it might have been more clever to make the main character somewhat more attractive in order to retain a more pleasant feeling in viewers.