Content warning: this review mentions animal abuse.
Welcome to Part 10 of looking at various adaptations of Wuthering Heights and seeing if they can capture the spirit of the book by Emily Brontë. Today, I’ll be looking at the 2009 miniseries made by ITV and aired on PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre starring Tom Hardy as Heathcliff and Charlotte Riley as Catherine.
The 2009 miniseries comprises two episodes, both of them over an hour long. Of the two Wuthering Heights television series, this one is the best. It depicts many of the story beats while also fleshing out the relationships, and it’s not just Catherine and Heathcliff’s. Director Coky Giedroyc takes some time to focus on the ones between Edgar and Isabella as well as Mr. Earnshaw, Heathcliff, and Hindley. I especially love how the show spent time with Catherine and Heathcliff when they were children, and viewers even see them messing with younger versions of Edgar and Isabella. My chief problem with the 1967 BBC miniseries was how it gave little attention to these relationships to cover the wider scope of the book. Luckily, this one strikes a great balance.
Moreover, this is another faithful adaptation of the novel with a few noted changes. The first is how some of the dialogue gets reassigned to different characters. For example, some of the lines from when Catherine proclaims to Nelly that she’s going to marry Edgar and tries to justify her reasons for doing so get transferred to an earlier scene when she explains to Heathcliff her plan to marry Mr. Linton. This certainly improves the communication between the two lovers, but Heathcliff runs off just the same. The second is how Catherine’s dying scene is drastically reduced in this version. Some viewers complained about this because it contains some beautiful dialogue between her and Heathcliff. I felt that it was a bit weird to shorten an important scene from the book.
The biggest change is the structure. Usually, it starts with Nelly telling Mr. Lockwood about what went down. Instead, this miniseries begins with Linton – Heathcliff’s son – moving from Thrushcross Grange to the Wuthering Heights estate. In this way, the second half of the book acts as a framing device for Heathcliff to flash back to his relationship with Catherine, especially after he digs up her grave. Of the non-Lockwood frameworks I’ve seen, I prefer this one because it utilizes what’s already in the novel and doesn’t try to add anything unnecessary (I’m looking at you, 1992 movie). In fact, this is one of two adaptations that eliminate Mr. Lockwood. The other is the 1970 film.
Speaking of the 1970 flick, there’s another thing that the 2009 miniseries has in common with that one. Both acknowledge that Heathcliff is Mr. Earnshaw’s illegitimate son, thus making him and Catherine half-siblings. However, the latter does it better since it shows how it affects his relationships with others, especially with Hindley, as well as Mr. Earnshaw’s character. For instance, there’s a nice scene where Mr. Earnshaw purchases a horse for Heathcliff in front of onlookers, thus making it understandable as to what he means to him.
It certainly captures the gothic horror spirit of the novel. This is especially true with the vast shots of the Moors and the percussion-based music that’s right at home in Riverdance. Additionally, this shows more of Heathcliff’s violent nature. For example, he beats up the dog that bit Catherine and chokes Hindley to death later on. To be fair with the latter, Hindley put a pistol to Heathcliff’s forehead. However, they could have highlighted the supernatural parts more. They show Catherine’s ghost towards the end, but outside of that, there’s not much. Throughout, Heathcliff will say that he placed curses on certain people. It felt like they didn’t have much of a budget for the special effects, so screenwriter Peter Bowker wrote in those parts to satisfy that and to foreshadow the spell he puts on Catherine. This felt like a cop-out.
I also wasn’t crazy about the costumes. For one thing, it’s not set in the 1700s, but in the early 1800s. This is not the first time that an adaptation has changed the time period (the 1939, 1950, and 1958 versions did this as well). My problem is not that the clothing isn’t historically accurate to the book. It lies in how they don’t always look good. Some of the outfits Charlotte Riley wears as Catherine when she roams throughout the Moors feel like a 2000s interpretation of a casual Regency dress, especially with the scarf she has on. In addition, let’s talk about Tom Hardy’s wig. I love Hardy’s performance, and I like how the Professor-Snape hair suits him in a way. My issue is how it can be distracting from seeing his face at times. Despite this, it’s not the worst hairpiece in a Wuthering Heights adaptation (see the 1967 miniseries review on that).
Like the other Wuthering Heights reviews, this wouldn’t be complete without discussing the performances. As mentioned earlier, Charlotte Riley plays Catherine. She’s fine. Riley plays the snob and wild parts of that character, but she feels too much like an innocent victim in an abusive relationship. Catherine has more agency and is as much of an enabler as Heathcliff is in the novel. However, I will concede that Riley and Hardy have great chemistry. I truly believed in their romance even when I knew how toxic it was (I’m not saying this because the two are married in real life). Kevin McNally (best known as Mr. Gibbs in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise) is Mr. Earnshaw, and he plays as if he’s a proud man who has good intentions, but doesn’t realize how it affects others. Burn Gorman (best known for his work in Torchwood and Game of Thrones) plays the pettiest Hindley ever. He takes great pleasure in putting Heathcliff in his place during the first half of the series, especially when he orders him to shake Catherine’s hands. When Hindley starts drinking, Gorman tries to hide the character’s addiction, whether he’s the focus or in the background. For example, he remains composed despite being visibly drunk at Catherine’s wedding. Then, he drinks at the reception and proceeds to chase his son Hareton around.
And, there’s Tom Hardy. Yes, I know he’s another white guy as Heathcliff, but he is one of the better ones. He’s emotional and manipulative with lots of brooding. Hardy is not that cruel compared to other interpretations, but he remains cold and distant, particularly to Isabella. He also has plenty of swagger, which comes out when Heathcliff returns. When the character gets older, Hardy uses the voice he would later utilize as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises three years later (side note: Gorman is also in that movie). I’ll admit that it took some time getting used to that tone, but it suits the character well. Hardy’s best acting moments in this series are his nonchalant/smirk reaction to Hindley putting a pistol to his head and the scream he emits after hearing the news that Catherine died. What a great vocalization of grief in the most passionate way possible!
If there ever was going to be a miniseries of Wuthering Heights, the 2009 one would be it. It covers most of the story while fleshing out the characters and their relationships with others in meaningful ways, not just Heathcliff and Catherine. The changes it makes mostly work. The best part is the performances, especially Tom Hardy. It’s no wonder that he was able to have the career he has now because of this miniseries. I would recommend it to anyone, whether they are actively watching every adaptation of Wuthering Heights, are a Tom Hardy fan, or just want a miniseries to see.
Now, let’s see how this one fits into the ranking.
- Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights 1992 Movie
- Wuthering Heights 2009 Series
- Wuthering Heights 1939 Movie
- Wuthering Heights 1958 Teleplay
- Wuthering Heights 1967 Series
- Wuthering Heights 1998 Television Movie
- Wuthering Heights 1970 Movie
- Wuthering Heights 1950 Teleplay
- Wuthering Heights 2026 Movie
We’ll see how this ranking evolves after I see all the others.
Stay tuned next month when I review the 2011 movie with James Howson and Kaya Scodelario.
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