Nicholas Nickleby (2002 film) The film received positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 77% out of 122 professional critics gave the film a positive review, with a rating average of 6.8/10 and the critical consensus being: "Thanks to a strong cast of experienced actors and director Douglas McGrath's steady hand, "Nicholas Nickleby" is a worthy and respectful adaptation of the Dickens novel." In his review in "The New York Times", A. O. Scott called the film "two hours of swift, engaging entertainment" and added, "The book's theme and spirit have been dutifully respected. No, what Mr. McGrath has done with
Nicholas Nickleby style is considered to be episodic and humorous, though the second half of the novel becomes more serious and tightly plotted. Dickens began writing "Nickleby" while still working on "Oliver Twist" and while the mood is considerably lighter, his depiction of the Yorkshire school run by Wackford Squeers is as moving and influential as those of the workhouse and criminal underclass in "Twist". "Nickleby" marks a new development in a further sense as it is the first of Dickens's romances. When it was published the book was an immediate and complete success and established Dickens's lasting reputation. The cruelty of