If you haven't seen this version, definitely add it to your list. I appreciate the exploration of just how dark a 19th century Scrooge (Guy Pearce) could have gone; I actually applaud this version for bringing some rawness and grit to a story that’s become somewhat sanitized in popular adaptations to date. For our latest addition, FX's A Christmas Carol, from writer Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) and director Nick Murphy (The Awakening), you can read my review here before seeing where it falls amongst the other adaptations. [2] The film was produced after Patrick Stewart performed a series of successful one man shows of A Christmas Carol on Broadway and in London.[3][4]. In a positive review, Variety wrote "Oft-told tales are difficult to pull off, but...this one gets it right...Director David Jones displays a smooth hand that adds mounds of style to the rendition, and his approach to Peter Barnes’ script is a tribute to delicate staging...Stewart as Scrooge is such a perfect piece of casting that it will be hard to imagine anyone else as the sour ol’ tightwad in years to come. That idea in and of itself isn’t new; we’ve seen Scrooge’s troubled boyhood days left alone over the holiday break at a boarding school, or suffering in silence at the death of his sister or the heartbreaking dissolution of his romantic relationships. This first adaptation isn't really included in the rankings since it's such an obscure one, but since it's the oldest known film version version in existence, I had to at least bring it to your attention. In addition to Belle and Old Joe getting extended roles, this version introduces a family of dormice that act as expressive go-betweens for younger audiences, but they're not the only new additions. At midnight, Scrooge is visited by the childlike Ghost of Christmas Past, who takes him back in time to his childhood and early adult life. Yes, there's the portrayal of Scrooge as thinking himself above the common man, especially street urchins and those who owe him money, but director Henry Edwards goes further. This 2017 addition to the canon of A Christmas Carol takes a different tack in that it follows Dickens himself, played by Dan Stevens, on his journey toward writing and publishing the timeless tale. Despite the fact that Dickens' story is a timeless tale, I was a bit surprised to find how dated Rich Little's HBO special was. More than 170 years after the infamous miser-turned-do-gooder Ebenezer Scrooge entered our culture for the first time, there are still quite a few folks out there who could do with taking this timeless lesson to heart. The Ghost transports Scrooge to Cratchit's house, discovering Tiny Tim has died. Benedict Cumberbatch Says "Never Say Never" (But Don't Hold Your Breath), 'Lost Ollie': Jonathan Groff, Mary J. Blige, Jake Johnson Join Netflix Version of 'Toy Story', How to Watch ‘Yellowstone’, One of TV’s Most Popular Shows, New 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' Trailer Teases Darkseid's Sinister Plan. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. Scrooge (Christopher Plummer) and the familiar Ghosts of Christmas still make an appearance, but from a skewed perspective that takes quite a few liberties with Dickens' life. Ms. Scrooge is our first real departure from A Christmas Carol as a traditional adaptation to more of a contemporary re-imagining. Yabba-dabba-doo! While Broadway is dark, our favorite "Aladdin" genie, Michael James Scott, is releasing a new holiday album, "A Fierce Christmas." You can read Matt Goldberg's full review here. Though it plays up some of the story's more horrific and supernatural elements, the spirits themselves are borderline ridiculous. If you're looking for a great introductory version of A Christmas Carol to show the kids, then look no further than this special. That alone makes this Scrooge one of my favorite adaptations, but the fact that it feels like the most earnest and least "produced" certainly doesn't hurt. N – 2016 Annual Con-Cor Donner Christmas Car $ 28.98 $ 10.99 Add to cart We'll pretty much be splitting hairs from here on out, because these adaptations of A Christmas Carol appeal to different folks for different reasons. Though only four minutes and 55 seconds of the six-minute-and-20-seconds-long film are available to curious audiences, at least the 35mm reel is preserved by the British Film Institute. I'd suggest they take the time to do what I did and watch 20 or so adaptations of A Christmas Carol until the moral sinks in, but the good-willed among you who don't need a lesson from the spirits can check out our ranked list to see which version is most worthy of your time. It's an odd choice that offers a bigger role to Scrooge's former flame Belle (voiced by Kate Winslet) and Scrooge's henchman, Old Joe (Robert Llewellyn). Author of "The Science of Breaking Bad" from MIT Press | Twitch Affiliate: twitch.tv/drclawmd | Co-host of the Saturday Mourning Cartoons podcast | Community manager for Ironface Studios | Former science freelance writer for Nerdist.com | Former Animation editor, Streaming Content editor for Collider.com | Founder of ATL S.T.E.A.M. Scrooge and the Ghost visit Cratchit's house, learning his family is content with their small dinner. What follows is an exploration that goes behind the scenes of a "traditional" TV adaptation of the story, and more importantly, a character examination of Cross as a modern-day Scrooge. It's at this point in the list where we start to talk about the classic adaptations of A Christmas Carol and the names associated with them. You can tell right off the bat whether the brand of humor seen in Scrooged is your cup of mulled cider or not, as it opens with a promotional piece showing armed assailants shooting up Santa's workshop, only to see Lee Majors save the day. It makes his redemptive scene towards the movie's end a little less impactful, though watching it just for Stewart's bizarre laughter as Scrooge learns to take himself less seriously almost makes it all worthwhile. Oscar-winner John Korty directs the Oscar-nominated Cicely Tyson as, wait for it, Ms. Ebenita Scrooge. And while the musical numbers are nowhere near as memorable as Rudolph, there's quite a bit of Dickens' actual dialogue used here. You can pass on this one unless you're filling out your Rankin/Bass bingo card. There's pretty much a version of Scrooge for everyone out there, but five-time Oscar-nominated actor Albert Finney is most decidedly not for me. Though Little's one-man show in which he takes on 15 or so roles by himself is impressive, I'd reserve this one for the nostalgic and the Dickens dedicated. One occurs during the lessons of Christmas Past when a younger Scrooge and his fiancee Belle are trying to sort out their relationship and "cross this bridge together"; it's fittingly heart-breaking. Domestic Pay TV Cable & Network Features, "A Christmas Carol (1999) - David Hugh Jones | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related", "Review/Theater; Patrick Stewart's Dickens - The New York Times", "THEATRE / Personal voyage: Paul Taylor reviews Patrick Stewart's", "TV WEEKEND; A Timeless Spirit of Giving Melts That Hardened Heart", Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Christmas_Carol_(1999_film)&oldid=1011888753, Television shows based on works by Charles Dickens, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from May 2019, All articles needing additional references, Pages using infobox television with editor parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 March 2021, at 12:23. Ian Wilson was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography at the Emmy Awards in 2000. Regardless, this version is definitely worth your time. Scott's redemptive scenes at the movie's end is one of the best out of all the adaptations, a moment that led to his nomination for a Primetime Emmy for the role. The huge budget for this production was more than made up for by a few weeks atop the box office charts, but the film didn't quite turn into a worldwide blockbuster the way Disney had probably intended. That used to be enough to humanize Scrooge. Now here's an animated adaptation of a different sort. It's the rare version that actually includes Dickens' playful preface at the introduction of the tale, but adds its own clever embellishments along the way. If your kids have graduated past the stage of Flintstones and Mickey Mouse but still prefer to view their Dickens' stories in animated fashion, then this 1997 version makes a great next step. And while Scrooge's redemption scene benefits from Carrey's particular brand of over-the-top acting, the fact that Carrey also plays the part of all three Spirits limits their range somewhat. But Stewart's Scrooge eventually just sort of wanders through his scenes, even though the supporting cast is strong. There are some elements of Dickens' story that are rekindled in this version that others seem to have forgotten, such as the author's metaphorical mulling over the phrase "dead as a doornail" or the visit to far-flung Christmas revelers at a distant lighthouse and a ship at sea during the Ghost of Christmas Present's lesson. It plumbs the depths of darkness to the point that even the usually buoyant Cratchit Family is dragged down with Scrooge. That, and a moment where Scrooge is in danger of relapsing into his old ways, make this a version worth watching, as long as you keep in mind that it's an embellished adaptation rather than a straight translation. Personally, I blame the Uncanny Valley effect for this film not being bigger than it was. Scrooge himself (Simon Callow) is much younger, which gives him a chance to rekindle his love with Belle once he's found redemption. The opulence, refinement, and even humor of this one scene is juxtaposed against Scrooge's own meager feast (by his own design) in a dingy chop house in which he sups alone. And using a classic tale of redemption as the framework for a satire of modern culture's desire to embrace the irredeemable is just too good to pass up. The only downside is that Hicks feels a bit too old to really let himself get carried away during the redemptive scene. Scrooge and the Cratchits celebrate Christmas and Tiny Tim has recovered from his illness. 2 months ago Elf hitches a ride on police officer's motorcycle The saving grace here is that Mister Magoo's redemption as Scrooge is quite cute and literally brings down the house. Paul in 1901, the British short film featured an unidentified actor playing Scrooge. That would be fine if Scrooge was offered the time and opportunity to bounce back in the other direction. In Prose. 'WandaVision' Creator on That Ending, Wanda Criticism, and Why Paul Bettany Is Allowed to Troll, New 'WandaVision' Behind-the-Scenes Images Reveal the Magic of Making the Show, 'The Flash' Loses a Dad and Gains a Mom in Latest Superhero Movie Casting News, How the MCU Was Made: ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’, Recasting Hulk, and How That Thanos Scene Happened. At the stock exchange, Scrooge's acquaintances discuss the death of an unnamed colleague, saying that they only plan to attend the funeral if lunch is provided and do not expect anyone else to attend either, given how unpleasant a person the deceased was. In his house, Scrooge encounters the ghost of his deceased business partner Jacob Marley, who warns Scrooge to repent of his wicked ways to avoid being condemned in the afterlife, as Marley has been. Rather than deliberately trying to resemble either the 1938 MGM version or the George C. Scott made-for-TV version in the cheerfulness and "Christmassy" feeling of their settings, the 1999 film takes as its inspiration to the classic 1951 film version with Alastair Sim in the grimness of some of its scenes and set design, although it still includes many cheerful moments. It's worth noting that this is a very loose adaptation of the story, but the emotion between Cross and his bleeding-heart true love Claire (Karen Allen) is a great example of how adaptations can trump translations. Another occurs during Scrooge's redemptive scene in which Curry gets to express his character's Christmas spirit through a song. Now we can start getting into the serious stuff! However, this is a very loose and silly adaptation that's better left for the little ones to enjoy. The film was produced after Patrick Stewart performed a series of successful one man … Franny died a young woman while giving birth to Scrooge's nephew. This is a worthwhile and fairly traditional adaptation despite the modern technology, but if the Uncanny Valley effect bothers you, look elsewhere. Ebenezer Scrooge (born February 7, 1786) is the main character in Charles Dickens' tale, A Christmas Carol.He is a very cold-hearted, selfish elderly man, who has no love for Christmas, children, family, or anything that even resembles happiness.The story of his transformation by the three Ghosts of Christmas (Past, Present, and Yet to Come) has become a defining tale of the Christmas holiday. Now we're solidly into the classics. Further deepening this tale, Fred's star status starts to go to his head as the play goes on, and it's up to his family, friends, and fellow cast members to bring his ego back down to Earth. Though Scrooge is a very rich man in all versions of the tale, this telling goes a step further in elucidating that fact. Easily the best non-traditional adaptation of A Christmas Carol, Richard Donner's 1988 comedy Scrooged is a testament to just how timeless Dickens' tale is. Again, your mileage may vary here, but for my money and time, these three are the best traditional adaptations of A Christmas Carol that currently exist. It not only entertains adults and children alike, it manages to pull of Dickens' Christmas classic and reforms Fred's selfishness at the same time. He falls into the grave, then clings to his own dead body as he falls through the earth into Hell. However, Finney's performance is eerily similar to Adam Sandler's Little Nicky, so it's on the list of A Christmas Carol adaptations I'd rather not watch again. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. His loyal, low-paid employee Bob Cratchit suggests that Scrooge have Christmas off, as there will be no business for Scrooge during the day. It also helps that Alastair Sim reprises his role of Scrooge, a role he made famous 20 years earlier. Oh, and then Winslet sings for some reason. Still, a worthy watch if you're looking for an alternative take on the classic story. And it's not great. We've already featured a feature film, TV special, and cartoon adaptations in our list, but this is our first live-action TV special that's also a musical. This animated remake of a popular live-action musical special by the same name, which starred Basil Rathbone as Scrooge, featured Tom Bosley as a narrating "humbug" and Walter Matthau as the penny-pinching lender. Memet Walker Saw His Neighbor in the Nude For Hire? Like the version above and those that follow, this take on A Christmas Carol is at least worth a watch if you haven't seen it before. Another interesting note is that we actually see Scrooge temporarily wear his very own ponderous chain just before his redemptive moment, with Marley stopping by to bid him a not-so-fond farewell and a Merry Christmas. Originally named after Ebenezer Scrooge himself, none other than Scrooge McDuck plays the villainous role in this version; could you have it any other way? It's a beautiful rendition of Dickens' tale that looks like classic Victorian era illustrations come to life. It's done with a deft touch and shows attention to detail, much like the character design that draws directly from Dickens' own poetic descriptions.

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