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Hard Times (1994)

Hard Times (1994)
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The difficult realities of life in Britain during the early Industrial Age are explored in this made-for-television adaptation of the novel by Charles Dickens. Thomas Gradgrind (Bob Peck) is a schoolteacher working in Coketown, a grim industrial town in the North of England, who believes that facts are of supreme importance and imagination is folly. Gradgrind imposes his philosophies on his children, arranging for his daughter, Louisa (Beatie Edney), to marry Josiah Bounderby (Alan Bates), a businessman old enough to be her father, who also employs her brother, Tom (Christien Anholt). As Louisa tries to find a way out of her relationship with Bounderby, she finds herself pursued by the even more repellant James Harthouse (Richard E. Grant). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Richard E. GrantAlan Bates, (more)
Director(s):
Peter Barnes
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Hard Times

The difficult realities of life in Britain during the early Industrial Age are explored in this made-for-television adaptation of the novel by Charles Dickens. Thomas Gradgrind (Bob Peck) is a schoolteacher working in Coketown, a grim industrial town in the North of England, who believes that facts are of supreme importance and imagination is folly. Gradgrind imposes his philosophies on his children, arranging for his daughter, Louisa (Beatie Edney), to marry Josiah Bounderby (Alan Bates), a businessman old enough to be her father, who also employs her brother, Tom (Christien Anholt). As Louisa tries to find a way out of her relationship with Bounderby, she finds herself pursued by the even more repellant James Harthouse (Richard E. Grant). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
104 mins

Complete Cast of Hard Times


Director(s):
Peter Barnes
Writer(s):
Peter Barnes
Producer(s):
Richard LangridgeRebecca Eaton
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Member Reviews
 
John J.

A superior BBC television adaptation of a Charles Dickens novel that hasn't been "done to death." This time the theme is how industrialazation not only could wreak havoc on the lower classes but on the upper middle class as well. All the characters in the story are trapped in one way or another either by their socil/economic standing or by moral/ethical torpitude. At 104 mins. a lean but by no means deficit presentation which moves swifty along and is highlighted by appropriately gothic colors.

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Elizabeth M.

Very boring. Not one to waste more than 6 minutes of watching. I tried. I really tried, but took it out after 6 minutes.

Yes   |   No

 
Susan K.

I have always been a big fan of Charles Dickens and , as a rule, an even bigger fan of BBC literary adaptations, but I struggled to make it through this lackluster presentation. The limited length did not allow for enough character development and the score was loud, cheesy and very distracting. Not recommended by this viewer.

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