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Oliver!

Play trailer 1:40 Poster for Oliver! G Released Sep 26, 1968 2h 26m Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 76 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
In this award-winning adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the Charles Dickens novel, 9-year-old orphan Oliver Twist (Mark Lester) falls in with a group of street-urchin pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger (Jack Wild) and masterminded by the criminal Fagin (Ron Moody). When Oliver's intended mark, Mr. Brownlow (Joseph O'Conor), takes pity on the lad and offers him a home, Fagin's henchman Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed) plots to kidnap the boy to keep him from talking.
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Oliver!

Oliver!

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Critics Consensus

Oliver! transforms Charles Dickens' muckraking novel into a jaunty musical Victorian fairytale, buoyed by Ron Moody's charming star turn and Onna White's rapturous choreography.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker Carol Reed has just made the kind of movie they don’t make anymore, and it’s as good as ever -- maybe better, coming when it’s more difficult to do. Jul 6, 2022 Full Review Joe Morgenstern Newsweek The most important thing about [Oliver!] is pleasure, the sheer delight of a movie that can change the lives of kids who see it -- for the better, for the better -- and serve as a public bath for adults to luxuriate in, sing in, get cleansed in. Jul 6, 2022 Full Review John Russell Taylor Times (UK) In the constant seesaw of realism/fantasy it is hard for anyone to keep one clear thread continuously in mind, and most of the performances are as muddled and indecisive as you might expect. Mar 3, 2022 Full Review Mark Johnson Awards Daily Oliver! is a fine and entertaining family favorite filled with fantastic musical numbers. Jun 27, 2023 Full Review Zita Short InSession Film It will inevitably win you over with its elegance and delicate approach to storytelling. Feb 2, 2023 Full Review Gordon McGill Sunday Mirror (UK) Oliver! will send Charles Dickens spinning in his grave -- in waltz time! Mar 11, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jean F I DON'T KNOW WHAt HAPPENED. IT'S LIKE IT never ENDED. i CAN’T breAth. Oliver! is NOT A MOVIE. IT'S A TORTURE. A TORMENT. A DEATH TRAP with no exits. I am trapped, TRAPPED in a dark, endless tunnel of Fagin's EYES and THOSE HIDEOUS FINGERS, and I CAN'T ESCAPE. He’s always there, ALWAYS, like a shadow that DRAGS YOU DOWN into a sLimY pit of GUILT and DESPAIR. THE PLOT? ha, dOESN’T MATTER! It's just a TRICK. a TRAP. POOR OLIVER, oh, pOOOR OLIVER, but NOBODY CARES ABOUT HIM!!! Not when Fagin’s THERE, laughing, cackling, CHOKING ON HIS EVILNESS. "Pick a pocket or two", the words rattle in my head like they're made of steel, scraping my skull, burning into my brain. HE’S CONTROLLING ME NOW. He’s in my thoughts. He’s the whisper, the scratch at the back of my mind. I CAN'T THINK! I CAN’T ESCAPE! He’s teaching those kids—those innocent kids to STEAL. TO BE CRIMINALS. He IS a CRIMINAL. and every time he’s ON SCREEN, he’s there in the corners of my EYES, SMIRKING. I can feel him. I can FEEL HIM. Those eyes—THOSE EYES—HAUNT ME. EVERY TIME FAgIN SINGS, IT’S LIKE HE’S RIPPING MY MIND OPEN. I hear his laugh, and it echoes. And the KIDS—THE POOR KIDS—oh, they’re stuck! They CAN’T GET OUT! Neither can I! I’m chained to his voice. His SMIRK. THE WHOLE MOVIE—just a continuous loop of Fagin’s EVIL, the streets of London, filled with grime and SHAME. I can’t breathe. THE AIR IS STUFFY. Too thick. TOO THICK WITH HIM. FAgIN!! He's the everything. The all. The movie doesn’t care. It doesn’t care about Oliver, it doesn’t care about Nancy, it only CARES ABOUT FAgIN. And Nancy—God, Nancy! She TRIES to do the right thing, TRIES to save Oliver, but oh no... FAGIN. HE WON’T LET HER GO. HE WON'T LET ANYONE GO! SHE CAN'T ESCAPE. I CAN'T ESCAPE. It’s all part of his PLAN. HIS SICK GAME. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? IT NEVER ENDS. It keeps going. It keeps turning in my head. It NEVER STOPS. I am trapped in the sound of Fagin's voice, in his manipulation, in his tricks, in his disgustingness. I can’t escape this HELL. SO WATCH IT IF YOU WANT TO BE CONDEMNED. Watch it if you want to FEEL THE CREEPINESS OF Fagin's VOICE CRAWL UNDER YOUR SKIN, into your bones. I’VE TRIED TO RUN. I’VE TRIED TO HIDE. BUT HE’S ALWAYS THERE. ALWAYS. ALWAYS. I’M TRAPPED. I WILL NEVER BE FREE. NEVER. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 12/15/24 Full Review Yusuf N I absolutely Adore this movie i love all the characters and actors its a must-see! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/04/24 Full Review Emily B Hey kids! Have you ever wanted to feel such PAIN and SUFFERING that you CRAVE to have Peppa Pig toddle along and hold your head underwater for hours just to put an end to the TORTURE? Then why don't you watch "Oliver!"? Seriously - the pain I felt while watching this garbage was the worst I have EVER felt in my whole life, ESPECIALLY when Fagin🤮 was on screen. And he was on screen for AGES (probably more than the TITLE CHARACTER) and basically all he did in the whole movie was 1) Waddle up and down in front of the camera making ugly faces and weird noises which are apparently supposed to be his voice but they sound more like DEMONIC GARGLES and 2) Randomly break into the most absurd song you have ever heard and stomp around the floor saying things like "Iwuhawaysweepaclarrages arunthefeetacarraiges" (I still have NO IDEA what the actual lyrics are and I have literally replayed that part over 50 times). And the worst part is in Dickens' original book which this movie seems to be loosely based on, Fagin🤮 actually DIED, which totally serves him right, but in this movie they had to just go and RUIN THE WHOLE THING by giving him a HAPPY ENDING. I'm sorry, but WHAT?????? I just wasted 2 WHOLE HOURS on this movie thinking that at the end of it it would all finally pay off by Fagin🤮 dying. And GUESS WHAT? I JUST GET TO SEE FAGIN🤮 AND THE ARTFUL DODGER JOYFULLY DANCING OFF INTO THE SUNSET (or sunrise, I don't care) AFTER PROUDLY DECLARING THAT THEY WOULD BE TOGETHER UNTIL THEIR DYING DAY. Ew. So, in conclusion, I BEG YOU not to waste your time on this. If you want to see what Oliver Twist is, please just read the book. At least Fagin🤮 is actually a well written character in that. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/24 Full Review Tony M A timeless classic. Great story, great acting and great memorable songs. By far the best version of Oliver Twist. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/24 Full Review Josiah Grew up watching this. Nostalgic fantastic classic. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/18/23 Full Review Simon T The last of the great big screen musicals, with brilliant production design, characteristically strong direction by Carol (The Third Man) Reed, a wonderful score and lyrics by Lionel Bart, and marvellous choreography by Onna White. Ron Moody and Shani Wallis take the acting honours, and Mark Lester is a winsome Oliver. Only Oliver Reed's pantomime villain Bill Sikes let's the side down: about as menacing as a haddock. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Oliver!

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Cast & Crew

Oliver!

Oliver!: Official Clip - You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two Oliver!: Official Clip - You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two 3:45 Oliver!: Official Clip - Food, Glorious Food Oliver!: Official Clip - Food, Glorious Food 2:32 Oliver!: Official Clip - As Long As He Needs Me Oliver!: Official Clip - As Long As He Needs Me 3:58 Oliver!: Official Clip - Oom-Pah-Pah Oliver!: Official Clip - Oom-Pah-Pah 3:18 Oliver!: Official Clip - Caught Stealing Oliver!: Official Clip - Caught Stealing 2:54 Oliver!: Official Clip - Where Is Love? Oliver!: Official Clip - Where Is Love? 2:34 Oliver!: Official Clip - Consider Yourself Oliver!: Official Clip - Consider Yourself 4:11 Oliver!: Official Clip - I'd Do Anything Oliver!: Official Clip - I'd Do Anything 3:52 Oliver!: Official Clip - Please Sir, I Want Some More Oliver!: Official Clip - Please Sir, I Want Some More 3:10 Oliver!: Official Clip - Bill Sikes Hangs Oliver!: Official Clip - Bill Sikes Hangs 2:51 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis In this award-winning adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the Charles Dickens novel, 9-year-old orphan Oliver Twist (Mark Lester) falls in with a group of street-urchin pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger (Jack Wild) and masterminded by the criminal Fagin (Ron Moody). When Oliver's intended mark, Mr. Brownlow (Joseph O'Conor), takes pity on the lad and offers him a home, Fagin's henchman Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed) plots to kidnap the boy to keep him from talking.
Director
Carol Reed
Producer
John Woolf
Screenwriter
Vernon Harris
Production Co
Romulus Films Ltd., Warwick Film Productions
Rating
G
Genre
Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 26, 1968, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Dec 10, 1968
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 1, 2010
Runtime
2h 26m
Sound Mix
Stereo
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