Homeless little boy Oliver (Trench) abandoned at orphanage and during one meal he pleads : 'Please, Sir I want some more' . He's mistreated and the abused orphan escapes and befriends Artful Dodger (a scoundrel Elijah Wood) , a roguish pickpocket . Dodger introduces him into a band of youthful thieves commanded by Fagin (Richard Dreyfuss, also producer) in debt to the cruel Sikes (David O'Hara) . Then the young boy is forced into a life of thievery until his rescue by a good and kindly maid.
This is one of at least ten versions of the world-known novel , being an entertaining adaptation from Charles Dickens classic . Cool performance by Richard Dreyfuss as the great manipulator Fagin , though Elijah Wood at the height of his stardom , steals the show . It's made in a television style and shot in Ireland . The motion picture was professionally directed by Tony Bill , usual actor and occasionally director of cinema and TV films.
Other renditions about this popular story are the followings : The silent version with Jackie Coogan and Lon Chaney ; 1948 the classic film by David Lean with John Howard (Oliver) , Anthony Newley(Dodger) , Alec Guinness(Fagin), Sikes(Robert Newton) ; musical and Oscarized 1968 version by Carol Reed with Mark Lester (Oliver) , Jack Wild (Dodger), Ron Moody (Faguin), Oliver Reed (Sikes) and finally recent and lush version by Roman Polanski with Ben Kingsley (Fagin).
