10 Best Charles Dickens Adaptations

6. Little Dorrit (TV, 2008)

When it comes to making a good Dickens adaptation, often the choice of cast can be as important as the adaptive screenplay or direction. The archetypes and characters that Dickens created are so rich and memorable that a whole production can be thrown off course if the actor or actress in question doesn't look or feel the part. Little Dorrit, Andrew Davies' second appearance on this list, is a very good case in point.

Little Dorrit tells the story of Amy Dorrit, who has lived in Marshalsea Prison for Debt with her father since the day she was born. Now 21, she helps her family by working as a seamstress for the cranky Mrs. Clennam and her servants Mr. and Mrs. Flintwinch. But her life is thrown off-balance when she befriends Mrs. Clennam's son Arthur, returned from China where his father has just died. What follows is a story of love and misfortune, all started by a mysterious message contained inside a pocket watch... While Davies' adaptation of Dickens' novel is typical adept, and the direction is suitably moody and bleak, the factor which separates this adaptation above the others is Claire Foy's performance in the title role. Even when surrounded by established, talented actors like Andy Serkis, Alan Armstrong and Amanda Redman, she manages to hold her own and deliver a performance of great range and control. She brings a depth to Dorrit whether other actresses have made her shrill and pitiful, and in doing so she makes the story all the more memorable.