The Personal History of David Copperfield

"From rags to riches... and back again."

2019 1h 59m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 557

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A fresh and distinctive take on Charles Dickens’ semi-autobiographical masterpiece, The Personal History of David Copperfield, set in the 1840s, chronicles the life of its iconic title character as he navigates a chaotic world to find his elusive place within it. From his unhappy childhood to the discovery of his gift as a storyteller and writer, David’s journey is by turns hilarious and tragic, but always full of life, colour and humanity.

“From rags to riches... and back again.”

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Cast

Dev Patel
David Copperfield
Peter Capaldi
Mr. Micawber
Ben Whishaw
Uriah Heep
Tilda Swinton
Betsey Trotwood
Gwendoline Christie
Jane Murdstone
Hugh Laurie
Mr. Dick
Anthony Welsh
Ham
Aneurin Barnard
Steerforth

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Armando Iannucci
Writers: Douglas Ingram, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 74% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Armando Iannucci, shot by Zac Nicholson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Christopher Willis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Peter Lambert shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Dev Patel and Peter Capaldi and Ben Whishaw carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "From rags to riches... and back again.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Armando Iannucci directs. Zac Nicholson behind the camera. Christopher Willis scores. Peter Lambert cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 74% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 7 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by Armando Iannucci, shot by Zac Nicholson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Christopher Willis. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Peter Lambert shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Dev Patel and Peter Capaldi and Ben Whishaw carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "From rags to riches... and back again.".
9IMDB entry: tt6439020 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 22 themes, including "london, england", "based on novel or book", "affectation", "orphan".
11Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Zac Nicholson
Original score: Christopher Willis
Editing: Peter Lambert
Production design: Cristina Casali
Costume design: Suzie Harman
Makeup / hair: Helen Cannon
VFX supervisor: Ingo Putze
Sound: Steve Little
Stunt coordinator: Paul Kennington
Runtime: 119 min · 1h 59m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,600,000
Box office: $11,620,337
Return: 74% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019)

Awards

European Film Award for Best Production Designer

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Armando Iannucci

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2020-06-14
★ 8/10
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com Based on Charles Dickens' novel, The Personal History of David Copperfield is the first Armando Ianucci's film I ever watched. I didn't really know much about this movie besides its stellar cast. I'm not the biggest fan of biographical works. Usually, I find them too constricted to the genre's formulas, and if I don't think the protagonist's life is remotely entertaining, then the whole film crumbles. Fortunately, it's not the case of this Ianucci's adaptation. It's one of the most pleasant surprises of the year, I finished it with a massive smile on my face. David Copperfield's life is portrayed in such a captivating, entertaining, genuine, heartfelt manner, but always maintaining this sort of lightness. There's always something positive coming out of even the worst of situations. Actually, I think that's the best message transmitted to the viewer: it doesn't matter how horrible your life might be at a particular moment, it will only get better if you don't give up, and if you surround yourself with true friends and family. Throughout the runtime, David shares his life with different families and friends, working and living in the poorest and wealthiest places. His lifestyle changes drastically after each new significant development in his journey to become a writer, and it's such a joy to watch him grow up. From working like a slave in a factory and being homeless to living in a boathouse and eventually in a mansion like a true gentleman, David goes through all of the obstacles life throws at him, learning from them to become a better person. A really nice touch is the distinct names that people call him throughout his life, depending on where he lives/works and who's he talking to: Davy, Doady, Daisy, Trotwood… These might be merely different nicknames for David, but they mean much more. They're a tiny yet efficient detail that remarkably distinguishes his unique lifestyles. Ianucci and Simon Blackwell do a terrific job with the screenplay, by offering Dev Patel an exceptional platform to shine. The whole cast delivers outstanding performances that elevate the movie in an invaluable way. Patel is an excellent protagonist, and I don't want to diminish his extraordinary display, but he's only as great as his counterparts. Tilda Swinton (Betsey Trotwood) and Hugh Laurie (Mr Dick) form a hilarious couple, deeply important to help David rise from the ground. Peter Capaldi brilliantly portrays Mr Micawber, a family man with immense debts, who teaches young David (impressively represented by Jairaj Varsani) how London works by escaping his creditors. Darren Boyd and Gwendoline Christie use their physical attributes to interpret the evil Murdstone brothers, who employ extreme, violent measures to educate David. Everyone involved in bringing the Peggotty family to life is as essential as the family's importance to the protagonist. Benedict Wong (Mr Wickfield) shows his funny side once again, as Morfydd Clark is charming enough as Dora Spenlow and Clara Copperfield. Aneurin Barnard (James Steerforth) becomes David's best friend, but his final arc doesn't quite fit the film, in my opinion, prolonging the latter for a few unnecessary extra minutes. So, as you might have figured, every cast member has a vital role to play in some shape or form. All are incredibly fun to watch, making this two-hour flick flow tremendously well. Technically, the production and costume design are award-worthy. The XIX century streets, houses, and clothes are really immersive, creating a realistic environment, elevated even more by the subtle yet powerful score (Christopher Willis). Seamless editing (Mick Audsley, Peter Lambert) and impeccable cinematography (Zac Nicholson) also help the movie's pacing and even contribute for a few transition jokes. All in all, The Personal History of David Copperfield is one of the most entertaining biographical works I've ever seen, as well as one of the most pleasant surprises of 2020. It's one of those films that leaves you with a huge smile, from ear to ear. As the viewer, watching David Copperfield's journey to becoming a writer is so captivating and fun, not only due to the humorous screenplay, but mainly because it's such an honest, emotional, genuine story. Only a few minutes in, and I already wanted him to succeed in life. My emotional attachment to the protagonist was so strong that I couldn't help myself drop a couple of tears by the end. I don't have enough words to describe how wonderful every cast member is and how important each role has in David's life. Dev Patel is an impressive lead, but his performance is elevated by the work of his counterparts. It's technically flawless, but the story and its characters make this movie an absolute delight to watch. Definitely, one of the best films of the year, so don't you dare miss it! Rating: A-
SWITCH.2020-07-22
★ 8/10
This has really been a banner year for the period film. We've had Gerwig's spectacular 'Little Women', Autumn de Wilde's wondrous adaptation of 'Emma.', and on television, the bombastic imagination of 'The Great'. Armando Iannucci's 'The Personal History of David Copperfield', even with its flaws, sits beautifully beside them. This film left me giddy with joy, my eyes filled with tears, leaping from my seat with every rapturous surprise and unexpected burst of imagination. It brims over with humanity, humour and heart, and reminds us of the importance of these things for a rich and satisfying life. This is an absolute gem of a film, and one of my favourite of this year so far. - Daniel Lammin Read Daniel's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-the-personal-history-of-david-copperfield-a-rhapsodic-delight-on-taking-ownership-of-our-own-stories
CinemaSerf2022-03-28
★ 5/10
I'm not Armando Iannucci's biggest fan so saw this at the Opening Gala of the London Film Festival with some trepidation. Unfortunately, I wasn't pleasantly surprised. Dev Patel does bring some charm to the proceedings, but the attempts at comedy in this retelling of Dickens' classic just don't work for me at all. Ben Whishaw and Tilda Swinton appear to be fish out of water and whilst it is good to see Hugh Laurie back on the big screen it all comes across as a bit of a hotch-potch of ideas and aspirations. The book's original questioning of Victorian values around child exploitation and of more general social attitudes seem to have been largely sidelined, robbing the story of much of it's heart and soul. It is also quite unnecessarily lengthy at just shy of two hours. As you'd expect, it is a good film to look at, featuring some very picturesque East Anglian villages that probably haven't changed anything like as much as this story from the days of Charles Dickens himself.