- Actors: Patrick Day, Jim Dale, Frederic Forrest, Anne Shropshire, Sada Thompson
- Directors: Peter H. Hunt
- Writers: Guy Gallo, Mark Twain
- Producers: Jane Iredale, Kim Eveleth, William P. Perry
- Format: PAL
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: 12
- Studio: Prism
- DVD Release Date: 1 Sep 2001
- Run Time: 240 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B0000649JT
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 21,567 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is the best adaptation of Huckleberry Finn on film, yet is not without its flaws. But considering all the other woeful attempts, be thankful we have at least one that at least hints at the genius of Mark Twain's novel. Patrick Day is a bit too cute and cuddly, as in most adaptations - nobody wants to see quite the disheveled and homely character that Twain described. In the visual medium of film a character's appeal is invariably enhanced by appearance more than content. Despite these shortcomings, the film has many genuine moments. Sam-Art Williams offers a fine performance as Jim - his retelling of the discovery of his daughter's deafness is heart wrenching. The screenplay, though abridged and at times contrived or reworded, is generally faithful to the spirit of Twain.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This American Playhouse production is simply the best adaptation of Huckleberry Finn I've seen (out of seven, including all five American cinematic productions from 1931-1993). Much, perhaps most, of the dialogue is taken or only adapted slightly from the novel, so the dialects the characters speak retain the flavor of the book. Patrick Day is not only excellent as Huck Finn, when he speaks, he sounds like the novel's narrator come to life. This long production captures the mood of the novel, alternately humorous and somber, and stresses all the major themes. The main regret I have is that this 3.5 hour production wasn't another 60 minutes longer, so that the Wilkes episode (and the King and Duke's greatest scam) could have been included as well.
Note to North Americans (US/Canada): The UK DVD will probably play on a computer's DVD drive, and many commercial DVD players (for example, it played on my portable DVD player, which I could in turn connect to my TV). The DVD comes in just a few days via Royal Mail, and at around US $10, including shipping (at least in Dec. 2005), this movie is a great bargain.
24 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Made by PBS in 1985, this is widely regarded as the best screen adaptation of Mark Twain's brilliant novel but don't be fooled by the hype. It's not bad; it's just not as good as people would have you believe. For a start Huck is far too clean-cut and his relationship with Jim is artificial and uninspiring. Furthermore, the acting is at times very dodgy. All too often the actors appear to be just rattling off their lines without any attempt at evoking the spirit of 19th century America. For example, Patrick Day's (Huck) attempts at conveying fear at apparently encountering Jim's ghost is so unconvincing that it's right up there with Andie MacDowell's "Is it still raining, I hadn't noticed" speech in Four Weddings and a Funeral (and believe me, that's saying something!!). To give Day credit he brings an understated energy to his portrayal but, like his sidekick Eugene Oakes (Tom Sawyer), he never comes close to recapturing the raw emotion of the novel. Absent, for example, is the darkness, grit and sheer sense of excitement, so essential to the enjoyment of the novel. On the plus side are the production values. The costume department does a decent job and some of the location shoots are great. All in all it's worth buying, if only because you get 215 minutes entertainment at a staggeringly low price. In all honesty though this is far from the best adaptation of Huckleberry Finn. That honour goes to a mini-series starring Canadian actor Ian Tracey called Huckleberry Finn and His Friends. You may remember it from numerous BBC repeats in the mid 80's. At 26 episodes long it is by far the most comprehensive and, arguably, the most evocative and accurate screen adaptation of both the Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn novels. Sadly it has yet to be released commercially on either video or DVD.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Love this movie!
I looked for this movie forever, not knowing the exact title or any of the actors. I watched it as a kid and it is still 3 hours of awesomeness. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Lydia
Disappointing
Huckleberry Finn was one of my favourite stories when I was a kid and so I watched this with some trepidation. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mike Heron
Whoops!
I ordered this one to show at school but couldn't as it had racist names - obviously ok at the time it was made but not suitable now - thank goodness I watched it at home first... Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2010 by F. Lewis
Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn
I loved this film and it will delight both childern and adults alike !! It's based on the classic novel by Mark Twain and has a all-star cast. Read more
Published on 18 Sep 2002 by 423206
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