Tom Brown's Schooldays

Stephen Fry stars as reforming headmaster Dr Arnold and newcomer Alex Pettyfer as the title character in Ashley Pharoah's faithful adaptation of Thomas Hughes' classic novel about loyalty, camaraderie and survival. The moving story follows the wide-eyed youngster as he joins 19th-century boarding school Rugby, forging bonds of friendship with the ever-faithful East, cheeky Tadpole, dutiful head of house Frobisher and tragic underdog Arthur. But mob rule prevails after dark in the hallowed halls of the famous institution, thanks to an anarchic band of older boys led by sadistic bully Flashman, arguably one of literature's most notorious child creations. Luckily, new headmaster Dr Arnold is determined to right all the wrongs at the school and embarks on a programme of radical reforms, resisting fierce objections from staff and older pupils to win the trust of the boys in his care. Joseph Beattie, Jemma Redgrave and Harry Michell co-star