Chaplin

Story

Sir Richard Attenborough's biographical film of the life and times of Charles Chaplin is a little thin as a narrative, but it is so charmingly creative and ultimately moving, it's hard to care about any deficits. Robert Downey Jr. does an excellent job re-creating Chaplin's graceful slapstick and getting inside the silent-film superstar's head over many years of triumph, defeat, scandal, official persecution, exile, and inner peace. A huge cast portray the allies, friends, lovers, and enemies in Chaplin's life, including Moira Kelly as his final, longtime wife, Oona, Kevin Kline as Douglas Fairbanks, Geraldine Chaplin as Charlie's mother, and James Woods as a prosecutor working hard to nail Chaplin for anti-American sentiments. Attenborough declines to tell the story in a flat, linear way, employing such clever techniques as detailing one chapter in Chaplin's life as a silent comedy. The climactic scene set at an Oscar tribute for Chaplin will get the tears flowing. --Tom Keogh

DVD Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen
• Dolby

Cast

Robert Downey Jr.	Charles Spencer Chaplin
Geraldine Chaplin	Hannah Chaplin
Paul Rhys	Sydney Chaplin
John Thaw	Fred Karno
Moira Kelly	Hetty Kelly / Oona O'Neill Chaplin
Anthony Hopkins	George Hayden
Dan Aykroyd	Mack Sennett
Marisa Tomei	Mabel Normand
Penelope Ann Miller	Edna Purviance
Kevin Kline	Douglas Fairbanks
Maria Pitillo	Mary Pickford
Milla Jovovich	Mildred Harris
Kevin Dunn	J. Edgar Hoover
Deborah Moore	Lita Grey (as Deborah Maria Moore)
Diane Lane	Paulette Goddard
Nancy Travis	Joan Barry
James Woods	Joseph Scott
Hugh Downer	Charlie Age 5
Nicholas Gatt	Sydney Age 9
Bill Paterson	Stage Manager
Anthony Bowles	Conductor
Bryan Coleman	Drunk
Howard Lew Lewis	Workhouse Official (as Howard 'Lew' Lewis)
P.H. Moriarty	Workhouse Official
Brian Lipson	Warder
Alan Ford	Warder
Thomas Bradford	Charlie Age 14 (as Tom Bradford)
Liz Porter	Matchgirl
Ultan Ely-O'Carroll	Rummy Binks
Marcus Eyre	Policeman
Anwar Adaoui	Lambeth Kid
Bein Bilson	Lambeth Kid
Mattew Cartwright	Lambeth Kid
Ian Covington	Lambeth Kid
Adam Goodwin	Lambeth Kid
Milly Gregory	Lambeth Kid
Sam Holland	Lambeth Kid
Jos Maguire	Lambeth Kid
Daniel Sherman	Lambeth Kid
Luke Strain	Lambeth Kid
Frankie Sullivan	Lambeth Kid
Karen Salt	Little Girl
Gerald Sim	Doctor
Una Brandon-Jones	Inmate
Audrey Leybourne	Inmate
Graham Sinclair	Master of Ceremonies
Karen Lewis	Yankee Doodle Dancer
Andrée Bernard	Yankee Doodle Dancer (as Andree Bernard)
Carole Jahme	Yankee Doodle Dancer
Jacqueline Leonard	Yankee Doodle Dancer
Claire Perriam	Yankee Doodle Dancer
Theresa Petts	Yankee Doodle Dancer
David Gant	London Maitre d'
Mary Healey	Mrs. Karno
Malcolm Terris	Stallholder
Phil Brown	Projectionist
Matthew Cottle	Stan Laurel
Ena Baga	Pianist
David Duchovny	Rollie Totheroh
Mario Govoni	Swiss Butler
David Mooney	Wedding Photographer
C.J. Golden	Bride's Mother
Raymond Lynch	Bride's Father
Peter Georges	Groom
Mike Randleman	Groom's Mother
Mike Peluso	Groom's Father
Caroline Cornell	Wedding Guest
Ann Fairlie	Wedding Guest
Paul Hayes	Wedding Guest
Dennis Vero	Wedding Guest
Francesca Buller	Minnie Chaplin
Nick Corello	Masseur
Richard Fast	Bronco Billy Anderson
Brad Parker	Party Photographer
Yoshio Be	Chauffeur
Peter Crook	Frank Hooper
David Totheroh	Cameraman
Jack Totheroh	Cameraman
Jack Ritschel	William Randolph Hearst
Heather McNair	Marion Davies
Laura Bastianelli	Dinner Guest
Joy Claussen	Dinner Guest
Paul Bruno Grenier	Dinner Guest
Marykate Harris	Dinner Guest
Charles Howerton	Dinner Guest
Jason Logan	Dinner Guest
Renata Scott	Dinner Guest
Michael Villani	Dinner Guest (as Mike Villani)
Jerry Jensen	Hotel Porter (as Jerry Jenson)
Larry Randolph	Waiter
Alan Charof	Federal Marshal (as Alan Charoff)
Dana Craig	Federal Marshal
Kennedy Grant	Federal Marshal
Ken Magee	Federal Marshal
Benjamin Whitrow	Station Master (as Ben Whitrow)
Edward Crangle	Young Autograph Hunter
Stuart Richman	Barman
Mark Vegh	Barman
Caroline Guthrie	Courting Couple
Lawrence Lambert	Courting Couple
Robert Stephens	Ted the Drunk
Tim Chaplin	Working Man
Nick Edmett	Working Man
David Finch	Working Man
Mark Long	Working Man
Tommy Wright	Working Man
Leonard Kirby	Young Fan
Sean O'Bryan	Lewis Seeley
Donald Elson	Prop Man
Donnie Kehr	Sound Engineer
Sky Rumph	Charles Chaplin Jr. Age 7
Bradley Pierce	Sydney Chaplin Jr. Age 8
Richard James	Pianist
William Dennis Hunt	US Maitre D'
Michael Blevins	David Raksin
Norbet Weisser	German Diplomat
Vicki Frederick	Party Guest
Gene Wolande	Party Guest
Michael Adler	Party Guest
Iris Bath	Party Guest
Thomas K. Belgrey	Party Guest
Tom Preston	Party Guest
Mary Stark	Party Guest
Annie Waterman	Party Guest
Noah Lee Margetts	Clapper Boy (as Noah Margetts)
Rhett Smith	Tennis Party Guest
John Standing	Butler
Michael A. Goorjian	Charles Chaplin Jr (as Michael Goorjian)
Michael Cade	Sydney Chaplin Jr
Todd Mason Covert	Reporter
Phil Forman	Reporter
Chaley J. Garrett	Reporter
Jerry Giles	Reporter
Howard Hughes	Reporter
Jayson Kane	Reporter
Michael Miller	Reporter
John Otrin	Reporter
J. Michael Patterson	Reporter
Paul Sinclair	Reporter
Terrence Stone	Reporter
Ralph Votrian	Reporter
Emma Lewis	Production Assistant
Charles Chaplin	The Little Tramp / Adenoid Hynkel / A Jewish Barber (archive footage) (uncredited)