What it is: Little Dorrit chronicles the life of young Amy Dorrit (Claire Foy) and her family. You can’t help but grow to love Amy and her tender approach to life or sympathize with her unrequited feelings towards the honorable Arthur Clennam (Matthew Macfayden). The viewer witnesses the more unpleasant side of social hierarchy in 19th century London as Amy struggles and her family revels in an unexpected change of fortune. Gleaming moments of the mini-series are performances by Eddie Marsan as the resourceful rent collector Pancks, the great character actor Alun Armstrong as the scheming Jeremiah Flintwinch, and Andy Serkis (Gollum from LOTR) as French villain Rigaud.
Why it’s Significant: I’m a fan of any literary adaptation by BBC and tackling Charles Dickens is no small task. Dickens’ tale is a sarcastic, and perhaps accurate, portrayal of the uglier side of government and society in 1800s England. Watching the series at times can feel like catching the nightly news: Characters are thrown into debtors prison unable to work but expected to pay off their debts; a two-faced landlord expects his collectors to do the dirty work while he glows in the admiration of his tenants; people lie, cheat, and blackmail to advance their own ends; and then there is the ultimate parallel – a banking ponzi scheme which plays out in a Madoff-esque way. Throughout the ugliness of this side of life is the bright light of Little Dorrit herself. Her outlook on life and loyalty to her family make the darker side of the story more bearable to watch. I hope you agree. Buy your copy of Little Dorrit on DVD today. — Lesley
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