Our Mutual Friend

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Starring: Paul McGann
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Type: DVD
Directed By: Julian Farino
Studio: BBC Warner
Release Date: 2005-09-06
Running Time: 351 minutes
Critically acclaimed as Dickens' crowning achievement, this sweeping tale of two turbulent love affairs plays out amidst a tangled web of wealth, corruption, passion and betrayal in 1860s London.

Rich and complex tale
I ordered this dvd sight-unseen and was very pleased. My whole family (plus kids) watched it together. My kids (10 and 7) found it a bit hard to follow and wandered off after the first episode or two, but my husband and I watched it over several nights and loved it. If you don't know the story it might be a little hard to follow but no more than any of Dickens' usual complicated storylines with many characters that wander in and out of each other's lives. The film did a good job of including pretty much all of the story and characters and only simplified things a little. I loved all the performances, and my husband particularly enjoyed the storyline with Paul McGann and Keeley Hawes as would-be lovers from opposite ends of the social spectrum. If you're in the mood for a solid adaptation of a brilliant Dickens story of love, loss, greed, and social commentary, buy this one! For the bargain price, you can't beat this one for entertainment as well as the interesting dvd extras.

Great BBC adaptation of a great Dickens novel - but unusual
This has all of the qualities of excellent BBC adaptations of classics with one very strange exception: Jenny Wren. One of Dickens' most memorable characters from Our Mutual Friend is certainly Jenny Wren. She is the disabled child of an alcoholic who manages to take care of herself and her father by doing doll dress-making. She does some mischevious things in the novel and you really root for her, as well as sympathizing for her condition. But in this adaptation they chose to have a woman play the part of Jenny who becomes an adult character. So instead of a child who is street-wise and deals with her difficulties using play-acting like a child (who cannot play with children), she becomes a woman who appears a little like a simpleton. It is the strangest thing I've seen in a Dickens adaptation. Certainly this is very enjoyable production and I encourage anyone who likes this movie to read the book. But this is a very curious way to handle this character.

Jenny Wren has been considered in various articles concerning children of alcoholic parents as well as the subject of a Paul McCartney song.

Aside from this one weird thing the production is true to the novel. Regardless of this, it is very enjoyable.

IF YOU LIKE DICKEN'S CHRISTMAS CAROL, THEN YOU'LL LIKE THIS DICKENS MURDER MYSTERY DOUBLE ROMANCE
This is Charles Dickens's last novel into TV series form. A very excellent portrayal of the classic book. Dickens is a treat for anyone who enjoys early Victorian British life. This "river" story shows the poor and the rich side of life in London. It is a double romance and at the same time multiple murder mysteries are woven into one story. Only Dickens can make such a complicated plot and make it work so delightfully.

I've always like the Christmas story of Scrooge but I do believe this is better. It is disappointing at the end of the 4 episode story (nearly 6 hours) only because you have become so familiar with many fun and quirky characters that you will not want for it to end.

This is one DVD worth much more than the retail cost. 5 stars and highly recommended. Extras on the DVD provide additional information about Dickens--an interesting plus. Make this one a Christmas or Birthday gift as well--they will thank you.

Another great production from BBC
Enjoyed this Charles Dickens adaptation. A very talented cast that kept the story moving along seamlessly. Never a dull moment. Recommend it to fans of Victorian Literature.

Well Executed Performances
I purchased these items on DVD to replace items taped of PBS years previously. They were excellent then and are equally interesting now.