Alan Bates has a comic field day in this droll adaptation of Dickens' angry novel. Set in Coketown, England, where Blake's "satanic mills" operate day and night, the story follows the misfortunes of the Gradgrind family: Utilitarian teacher-father, dutiful daughter, bounder son, and their dealings with the paragon of reason, Josiah Bounderby (Bates). Apt reminder of the danger of putting information above all else. (R. Pitman)
Hard Times
(PBS, 108 min., not rated, $69.95, 800-344-3337) Vol. 10, Issue 5
Hard Times
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: