History YMMV / DavidCopperfield

** The 1999 [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] adaptation features a number of actors who would go on to feature in the ''Film/HarryPotter'' films.
** Young David himself is Creator/DanielRadcliffe.
** Betsey Trotwood is Creator/MaggieSmith.
** Jane Murdstone is Zoe Wanamaker.
** Mrs. Micawber is Creator/ImeldaStauton.
** Mrs. Crupp is Creator/DawnFrench.
** From other works: Creator/IanMcKellen is Mr. Creakle and Creator/HarryLloyd as young James Steerforth.

** The 1974-75 [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] adaptation featured two actors who would play major roles in ''Series/BlakesSeven'' a few years later: Creator/GarethThomas as Mr. Murdstone and Creator/Jacqueline Pearce as Rosa Dartle.

* RetroactiveRecognition: The 1999 [[Creator/TheBBC BBC]] adaptation features a number of actors who would go on to feature in the ''Film/HarryPotter'' films.

* FoeYay: Uriah gets very touchy-feely with David, who for his part, is fascinated by Uriah's strange appearance. Once he compares Heep's reddish brown eyes to "two glowing suns", and another time, when Uriah has wormed himself into David's home, David gives in to an irresistible temptation to watch him sleep.

* HoYay: The entirety of Steerforth and David's friendship is loaded with it, especially since in order to heighten the dramatic impact of Steerforth's ultimate betrayal Dickens gives David a number of unabashedly gushy rants that read exactly as though David has a crush on his older, handsome, hugely charming friend.

* TearJerker: So many! Like [[spoiler: Mr. Mell being fired and humiliated]], [[spoiler: David being told that both his mother and half-brother died]], [[spoiler: Barkis' death]], the revelation that [[spoiler: Steerforth betrayed David and Ham via seducing Emily]], and [[spoiler: Dora's death.]]

* TheWoobie: David as a child. Also his mother, Dora and Little Emily.

** Young David himself is Harry Potter.
** Betsey Trotwood is Professor [=McGonagall=].
** Jane Murdstone is Madame Hooch.
** Mrs. Micawber is Professor Umbridge.
** Mrs. Crupp is The Fat Lady in ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban''.
** From other works: Creator/IanMcKellen is Mr. Creakle and [[Series/GameOfThrones Harry Lloyd (Viserys Targaryen)]] as young James Steerforth.

* InformedWrongness: While Uriah's ''methods'' of obtaining his promotion to partner aren't exactly laudable, it's treated as a travesty that he should be promoted to partner at all even before this is known for sure, despite the fact that Uriah has been working for Mr Wickfield since he was eleven years old, appears to have done most of the work of the business for a substantial period of that time, and is, if nothing else, a capable lawyer.

* HilariousInHindsight: In the 1999 miniseries Mrs Micawber is played by Creator/ImeldaStaunton, who treats David (played by a young Creator/DanielRadcliffe ) with great affection. Their next encounter is not [[Film/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix so pleasant...]] The inverse is true with Zoe Wanamaker, wicked Jane Murdstone in this series but playing the SternTeacher Madame Hooch in the Potterverse. Creator/MaggieSmith is stern and caring to Radcliffe's character in both.

* HilariousInHindsight: In the 1999 miniseries Mrs Micawber is played by Creator/ImeldaStaunton, who treats David (played by a young Creator/DanielRadcliffe ) with great affection. Their next encounter is not [[Film/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix so pleasant...]] The inverse is true with Zoe Wanamaker, wicked Jane Murdstone in this series but playing the SternTeacher Madame Hooch in the Potterverse. Creator/Maggie Smith is stern and caring to Radcliffe's character in both.

* DamselScrappy: Agnes, for some readers.

** Mr. Dick is portrayed fairly positively for a mentally challenged character in an older book.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Mr. and Mrs. Micawber, Steerforth, even Dora Spenlow, and a host of others. Many have noted that the least interesting character of ''David Copperfield'' is Davey himself.

* JerkAssWoobie: Yes, Rosa Dartle is a massive bitch, but in some interpretations a very tragic one as well.
* PinballProtagonist: David, increasingly towards the end of the book, is a mere looker-on at the dramatic resolution of others' subplots, including Micawber's expose of Heep and (less plausibly) Dan Peggotty's rescue of Emily.

* TearJerker: So many! Like [[spoiler: Mr. Mell being fired and humiliated]], [[spoiler: David being told that both his mother and half-brother died]], [[spoiler: Barkis's death]], the revelation that [[spoiler: Steerforth betrayed David and Ham via seducing Emily]], and [[spoiler: Dora's death.]]

** Among other instances, a lot of readers think Dickens' shipping of the Peggottys to Australia after Emily's fall from grace is unfair, but the book actually was a fair look at prostitution at the time (and that kind of thing really happened, too). Not to mention the local prostitute, Martha, is treated as a sympathetic figure. Her OnlyFriend Emily clearly cares for her, helps her to go to London and start her life all over again, and later [[spoiler: she helps Daniel and David to find Emily again.]] Besides, even in their exile, both Emily and Martha's stories have happy endings endings [[spoiler: (Martha gets married, while Emily lives a good life of caring for those in need)]], in an era when "fallen woman" characters were more typically [[DisposableSexWorker killed off.]]

* FairForItsDay: Among other instances, a lot of readers think Dickens' shipping of the Peggottys to Australia after Emily's fall from grace is unfair, but the book actually was a fair look at prostitution at the time (and that kind of thing really happened, too).
** Not to mention the local prostitute, Martha, is treated as a sympathetic figure. Her OnlyFriend Emily clearly cares for her, helps her to go to London and start her life all over again, and later [[spoiler: she helps Daniel and David to find Emily again.]]

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: " ... and the name of that scoundrel is - HEEP!"

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Mr. and Mrs. Micawber, Steerforth, even Dora Spenlow, and a host of others. Many have noted that, that the least interesting character of ''David Copperfield'' is Davey himself.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: "I have loved you all my life!"
** "I'll take my chances with the boy."
** The scene where David gets home from his trans-continental vacation of perpetual depression and meets up with his old buddy Traddles.
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: Aunt Betsy's... ''bizarre'' reaction to young!David showing up on her doorstep and telling her who he is.

* {{Designated Hero}}: David, increasingly towards the end of the book, is a mere looker-on at the dramatic resolution of others' subplots, including Micawber's expose of Heep and (less plausibly) Dan Peggotty's rescue of Emily.

** From other works: Creator/IanMcKellen is Mr. Creakle and Creator/HarryLloyd as young James Steerforth.

* FreudWasRight: {{Inverted}}, as Freud may have been influenced by this novel!

* FoeYay: Uriah gets very touchy-feely with David, who for his part, is fascinated by Uriah's strange appearance. Once he compares those reddish brown eyes to "two glowing suns", and another time, when Uriah has wormed himself into David's home, David gives in to an irresistible temptation to watch him sleep.
* FreudWasRight: {{Inverted}}, as Freud may have been influenced by this novel?
* JerkAssWoobie: For some, [[spoiler: Rosa Dartle]] is a massive bitch... but as a very tragic one as well.

** The 1935 adaptation, David, after finding his mother has married Murdstone and is booted from his old bedroom to a crappy, broken down guest room, tearfully reads his Crocodile Book, and then breaks down crying. It's hard not to feel for him.
* ValuesDissonance: Tons, most notably in the treatment of women. The entire emotional impact of Emily's subplot depends on assumptions re: female virtue that are very nearly unimaginable today.

* TearJerker: So many! Like [[spoiler: Mr. Mell being fired and humiliated]], [[spoiler: David being told that both his mother and half-brother died]], [[spoiler: Barkis's death]] and the upcoming revelation that [[spoiler: Steerforth betrayed David and Ham via seducing Emily]], and [[spoiler: Dora's death.]]
** The 1935 adaptation, David, after finding his mother has married Murdstone and is booted from his old bedroom to a crappy, broken down guest room, tearfully reads a crocodile book, and then breaks down crying. It's hard not to feel for him.
* ValuesDissonance

* PuritySue: Agnes Wickfield, David's 'dearest sister'. Albeit somewhat more realistic than most examples, and even quite likeable in spots, she's clearly intended as the 'angel in the house' archetype beloved of most authors of the period. Kinda hard to ignore when she's ''introduced'' standing in the light of a stained-glass window, 'pointing upward'.