I'm a sucker for a good redemption story, and Dickens knew his stuff. So it may not be an original or modern choice, but A Christmas Carol is my favorite holiday movie. And not just any old adaptation. There's only one that I watch nearly every year, and that's the 1984 version originally made for television that stars George C. Scott.
There's something magical about this movie. It's moody, misty, cold and dark, and the production values are excellent. But in my opinion, what elevates this particular version is the cast. George C. Scott was a brilliant actor, and his Scrooge so... well, Scrooge-y that it's hard to believe he could ever find redemption. His most unfeeling lines ("Then let them die, and decrease the surplus population") sound as if he believes them with all of his Grinch-like heart. And yet, we can totally believe his transformation. I particularly love how his joyous laughter looks and sounds like an evil cackle. He's wonderful.
Even better, the entire supporting cast is as good as Scott is. I am particularly fond of Edward Woodward, who dominates the screen as the immense, be-robed Ghost of Christmas Present. Some of the best lines in the movie are his, mostly because of his exceptional delivery. "Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons?" he gleefully sneers as he throws Scrooge's words back at him. Other strong performances include the always wonderful Susannah York as Mrs. Cratchit, and Roger Rees, my favorite diplomat from The West Wing, as Scrooge's long-suffering nephew Fred.
Best of all, David Warner breathes life into the thankless role of Bob Cratchit and manages to make a caricature into a real person – so much so that he's my favorite part of the movie. (You have to love an actor who can pull off Bob Cratchit and Jack the Ripper. That's range, people.) One of my favorite movie moments ever is near the end (I don't have to add spoiler space, do I?) when Scrooge tells Cratchit, who thinks he's about to get fired, "Therefore... I am going to... double your salary!" Scrooge laughs maniacally. David Warner's face in this scene is priceless.
I thought about why I love this story while writing my review, and it came down to this – that it's never too late to change for the better, that even the smallest act of charity can change someone's life. And most importantly, that even when everything appears black, there's always hope. Cliched, yes, but there's a reason a cliche is a cliche, right?
So it's not perfect. The tiny actor who played Tiny Tim looked the part but sounded like he was reading his lines off a cue card. George C. Scott was an American, and his British accent occasionally came and went. But that's the worst I can say about this production. You'd think a made-for-television movie nearly thirty years old would have disappeared from the public consciousness a long time ago, but it's still available. I'm not the only one who loves it.
I'm a bit blue this year, and this site and all of the contributing writers and faithful readers always, always, always make me feel better. So best wishes to all of you, no matter what you celebrate, and may 2013 be a great year for us all.
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Oh, Billie, I hope your blueness fades...I don't comment a lot, and when I do, I don't have much to add to the conversation - but know that you and your fabulous writers are running the best blog around (IMHO) with the most clever and entertaining posts, along with witty and thoughtful responses from your readers (even though I don't understand french!) - and it brings a smile to my face every day!
ReplyDeleteA Christmas Carol is definitely a movie to watch when blue - I personally go for the Muppets version, but any version works. Hope it helps :)
ReplyDeleteThis was the first "Christmas Carol" adaptation that was made 'during my time'. I was in elementary school, and we for some reason had gotten a whole lot of promotional materials around it for one of my classes, that included interviews with the cast and crew. This means that this was probably one of the first times it dawned on me the stuff on TV was 'made', if that makes sense? (It also included the now infamous 'how much would the 12 days of Christmas cost in today's world?', but we had to figure out the math.)
ReplyDeleteAs a result, this one will always have a special place in my heart, and to this day I still remember how terrified I was of this Christmas Yet To Come.
Other than the old black and white film this is my next favorite. George C Scott just oozes scrooginess
ReplyDeleteJust watches tis in the UK and loved it! have you tried the 1999 tv version with Patrick Stewart, highly recommend that too, Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteNeil, yes I have. I'm a fan of Patrick Stewart's and he made a terrific Scrooge. I think my problem with that adaptation was that the supporting actors weren't quite what I wanted.
ReplyDeleteI love this version too. This is the movie that comes to mind when I think 'Christmas Carol', although I do enjoy the version with Patrick Stewart and the Black Adder spoof as well.
ReplyDeleteI remember this version. It was a good one. It is of the time period where George C. Scott was staring in TV shows based on the classics. He was Rochester in Jane Eyre with Susannah York as Jane, probably my favorite version of Jane Eyre. He was the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, where he was a great beast, until he became human and suddenly became George C. Scott. He was Fagin in Oliver Twist.
ReplyDeleteAre there really any bad versions of A Christmas Carol? I can't think of any. I'd like to think that anyone taking on that project would be human enough to put some heart and soul into it, no matter what.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen the George C Scott version; I'll have to add that to the list. Scott is, of course, always worth watching, and one needs no excuses to love David Warner, who is invariably fabulous, so I'm sure I'll enjoy it.
The Alastair Sim version is, of course, the classic against which all are measured. My favourite, though, and it is perhaps an unpopular choice, is Scrooge, the musical version with Albert Finney. Finney can't sing, and yet manages to pull off his musical numbers in a way that absolutely works, in much the same way Rex Harrison managed it in My Fair Lady. And the entire film is worth watching just for Anton Rogers singing 'Thank You Very Much' atop Scrooge's hearse as it heads to the churchyard. I prefer the extended version, with Scrooge's longer visit to Hell; the typically broadcast (old school!) version with that portion cut never felt right. Acting and special effects are excellent all around, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is terrifying.
Anyway. Blueness this time of year seems almost inevitable, and there are more reasons than ever, it seems, to suffer from it. I hope it passes quickly for you. I love the site, have been reading it for more years than I care to think, and enjoy everyone's comments immensely. Cheers to all.
I'm sorry you are feeling blue and hope you feel better soon! There are definitely a few movies/tv-series/books I turn to when feeling a bit sad, and "A Christmas Carol" is a beautiful story, beautifully told.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen this particular version, but I will look for it now, especially since you mention David Warner. I first encountered his distinctive voice and compelling acting skills in the game "Baldur's Gate II" (he played the main villain) which led me later shouting "STOP THAT'S JON IRENICUS!" when I finally saw him in a screen role XD (everyone else was like "Who??"). Even now, I'm more familiar with his audio work: for example he plays a fantastic alternate universe Doctor (of "Doctor Who" fame) in a series by Big Finish. I do love that he played Jack the Ripper too - what an interesting role (and an interesting film).
Speaking of Doctor Who and "A Christmas Carol," another actor who appears in both is David Collings, who was in "The Robots of Death" and played Bob Cratchit in the 1970 "Carol" version (and did a good job there: gentle, funny, could pull the heart-strings, and pretty good with the singing).
Finally, also related to Doctor Who (I didn't start with connecting it in mind but now I'm going for the hat trick haha) I want to recommend an audio version of "A Christmas Carol," which is on Audible and is read by Tom Baker (yes, THAT Tom Baker). He clearly had a whale of a time recording the book and is just delightful to listen to.
Once again, I hope you feel better soon! Thank you for all your reviews, which are always entertaining and very often educational as well!