Thomas Hughes’ wonderful 19th-century novel about a boy’s courage in the face of school bullies emerges as a cinematic tour de force. Tom Brown’s School Days, set at Hughes’ own alma mater, Rugby School, follows the young hero’s transformation from timid doormat to courageous defender of his friends and himself. Alex Pettyfer sparkles as the young Tom Brown, with co-stars Jemma Redgrave, Stephen Fry, and Joe Beattie.