Scrooge

Makes me cry and also laugh.Heartwarming and uplifting. Great music. Lovely, atmospheric sets.

This is an incredibly biased review, as I expect most reviews of Holiday Classics would tend to be. This is a film I grew up with and, thus, no other version of a Christmas Carol will do, at least for me.

I remember watching this movie every year, sometimes more than once. Even as I prepared to write this review I thought, 'I don't really need to watch it again but I probably should just so that it is fresh in my mind. When I popped the DVD in I was instantly transported into the Christmas season, which up until that moment, even after hanging lights, decorating the rooms of our house, and visiting my Grandparents for Thanksgiving, I simply had not felt like it was Christmas yet.

But those bells that play and the frosty blue and white painted credits title cards ushered in the Christmas spirit into my winter season as surely as a visit from Jacob Marley's ghost.

While I may be biased, I do truly believe this is the best adaptation of Charles Dickens' story that has ever been made. I doubt this review will change your mind about your favorite but I do hope it will at least prompt you to try this one out as, perhaps, an addition to your Holiday-time Queue.

I'm going to begin with Scrooge, our titular character, played by Albert Finney ("Big Fish," 2003). If there's been a more truly cantankerous, tragically calloused, monetarily focused, hilariously oblivious, and joyfully redeemed version of this character, I'll eat my hat, coat, and winter boots alongside my Christmas goose and pudding. Watching other versions, the actor playing scrooge always seems to be performing the part of Scrooge as if they are in a TV special (sometimes they are) and their real job is to make sure they get out every iconic line from the story. Finney, on the other hand, doesn't just run through his lines in an 'already prepared' fashion. The lines seem to come from deep in his hard heart. He's always fussing around as if he can't even sit still during his conversations, subtly communicating how little stock he places in humanity. Scrooge feels like a real person in this version, not just a story book character come to life with a funny voice, although he does have one, and a cartoonish grimace on his face (such as Jim Carrey in "Disney's A Christmas Carol").

Another wonderful aspect "Scrooge" is the music. A Christmas Carol is no stranger to musical adaptations and while I give credit to quite a few of the songs in "A Muppet Christmas Carol" for being fun, Christmas-y, and often hilarious, they simply don't hold a candle to the musical sequences in "Scrooge." This is in part because the songs are simply better, in my opinion, feeling more like a stage musical's words and score, but also because the sequences, and indeed the entire film, actually takes advantage of the fact that it is a film and not just a TV special.

The scenes where Scrooge is just standing there and singing are few and are actually motivated by the scenes and communicate something about Scrooge and who he is willing to sit and listen to and who he isn't. The first musical number features three songs "Christmas Children," "I Hate People," and "Father Christmas" is frenetically paced as Scrooge attempts to slip away from the mocking song that the street urchins sing, even as he goes about London, collecting on debts, even on Christmas Eve. This is contrasted with Bob Cratchit who meets two of his children after work, walks them home collecting items for their celebration, and marveling at the magic of Christmas on the London Streets.

Of course this is all helped by some of the best production design I have ever seen in a movie, let alone a Christmas movie. London feels large, with little neighborhoods and districts not because we get some CGI flyover but because the streets of London aren't just a single cross street set and an alley that the Cratchits live on. We wander all over the streets of London and when we do go inside, Scrooge's office, The Cratchits one room home, and Scrooge's chambers all feel so real and lived in that they themselves communicate the state of their occupiers souls: the Cratchit house full of bustling family and light; Scrooge's home full of old dingy heavy and dark drapes, starkly furnished, and kept as dirty and barely kept as Scrooge's disgusting fingernails..

This brings up the last thing I'll mention; Light. This film actually uses light as a tool for storytelling, beginning the night before Christmas where Scrooge lives with an eternally dark heart as black as the sky and ending with Christmas morning shining bright as Scrooge literally runs around like a schoolboy (he doesn't just say it then continue to walk around like an old man as in "Muppet Christmas Carol"). This isn't the only example of how light is used to communicate generosity and the spirit of Christmas in the film but I will leave those to you to discover on your own.

This is one of those movies that appeals to me on almost every level. The acting is great, the music is fun, and it actually feels like I am watching a movie that the director was thinking more about how to communicate the feeling of a hard-hearted man being redeemed than he was thinking about how to achieve a special effect or make an exact copy of every scene from the book. I find myself spontaneously singing the songs from this film all year round and there are few things that bring my soul the sort of satisfaction that this film does as it ends with Scrooge lavishing his riches upon the town and walking back home all by himself, still singing under his breath and skipping as he does.

May we all find and share that kind of joy this holiday season.

There have been so many versions of this literary masterpiece filmed that it is high praise indeed from me when I say this is easily my favourite version and one of the best. Albert Finney gives a tour-de-force performance as Ebeneezer Scrooge. He is barely middle-age when making the film yet gives one of the best cranky, curmudgeonly old man performances seen in film. Finney gives such life to lines that have become tainted by overuse over the years. All the performers do excellent jobs with some old English stalwarts lending a hand. Dame Edith Evans plays one of the most charming and pithy Ghosts of Christmas Pasts I have seen. Kenneth More, an under-appreciated actor, adds so much life as the Ghost of Christmas Present. And let's not forget Alec Guinness as the Ghost of Jacob Marley. In some moments he is a clown and others a very scary spirit. The scene where Scrooge sees his fate as being a co-worker of Marley's in Hell is one of the most innovative plot additions I have seen to this classic, timeless tale. Guinness hams it up; watch how he walks with those chains all over him. The actors playing Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Nephew Fred, Mr. Fezziwig, and so on are all very believable and give genuine performances. I love the music. I know some people are not musical people, but each song is catchy and some like "I Hate People," "I Like Life," "December the 25th," and the best "Thank You Very Much" will possibly remain in your head days after having seen the film. Because of its status as a tale of redemption and forgiveness and the possibility each of us have in changing our lives, A Christmas Carol(Scrooge) gets little recognition for being one of the greatest ghost stories ever written. I cannot say enough good about this film. What more can you ask for than good, solid acting, mellifluous tunes, authentic Victorian settings, and one heck of a good ghost story with a moral that each of us can relate to. If you don't like musicals, you will be put off by people combusting into song. As for me, Scrooge is the one version that my family and I make a point of seeing every holiday season. It just isn't Christmas here without it!

In this delightful musical adaptation of The Charles Dickens' classic, Albert Finney is cast as Ebenezer in `Scrooge,' directed by Ronald Neame, who successfully manages to put a fresh face on the familiar tale. Original music and songs (by Leslie Bricusse), from the jaunty to the poignant, add to this uplifting and appealing version, skillfully crafted and delivered by Neame, and beautifully acted by one and all. At 7:00 on Christmas Eve, Scrooge finally tears himself away from his counting house and makes his way home, commenting along the way (in song) that `I Hate People,' only to be greeted at his front door by the apparition of his late partner, Jacob Marley (Alec Guinness). And of course for Scrooge, it's only the beginning of a night that will change his life forever. First, the visit from Marley's ghost, followed, in succession, by the spirits of Christmas Past (Edith Evans), Christmas Present (Kenneth Moore) and Christmas Yet To Come (Paddy Stone). Though not, perhaps, the definitive portrayal of Scrooge, Finney is outstanding and does lend some distinction to the character of the curmudgeonly miser, from the stoop-shouldered walk he affects to his twisted mouth. But, more importantly, he gets beyond the mere physical aspects to capture the personality and singular perspectives of the man as well, and in doing so makes his Scrooge unique; no small accomplishment considering how many times on stage and screen this character has been done, and by how many different actors. Also turning in notable performances are Edith Evans, who makes her spirit of the past warm and accessibly intimate, and Kenneth Moore, whose spirit of the present is as big and engaging as the life he represents. But the real highlight of the film is the portrayal of Marley's ghost by Alec Guinness. What a magnificent actor, and what a magnificent performance! When Marley first enters Scrooge's room he fairly glides, disjointedly across the room, encumbered by the chains he forged in life and which he now must carry around for eternity. There is a fluid rhythm to his every movement, to every step he takes, that lends a sense of the ethereal to him, without-- it must be noted-- the help of any special effects whatsoever. With nuance and precision, with care given to every minute detail, Guinness truly makes him an otherworldly presence. There has never before been, nor will there ever be in the future, an interpretation of Marley any better than this. It IS the definitive portrayal, and a tribute to talents and abilities of one of the great actors of all time.

In addition to the music and songs, there are a couple of scenes that consign this presentation of `A Christmas Carol' the stamp of uniqueness. The first involves the visit from Marley's ghost, wherein Scrooge is taken in flight by Marley, and once aloft they encounter lost souls and phantoms, doomed to wander aimlessly for all eternity. The second is courtesy of the Ghost of the Future, who gives Scrooge a glimpse of the nether world, where he is greeted by Marley, who shows him to the `office' he will occupy for eternity, as well as the massive chain Scrooge has forged for himself during his lifetime. The supporting cast includes Anton Rodgers (Tom Jenkins), who delivers one of the most memorable songs, `Thank you very much;' Mary Peach (Fred's wife), Kay Walsh (Mrs. Fezziwig), Laurence Naismith (Mr. Fezziwig), David Collings (Bob Cratchit), Frances Cuka (Mrs. Cratchit), Richard Beaumont (Tiny Tim) and Suzanne Neve (Isabel). Heartwarming and thoroughly entertaining, `Scrooge' is a welcome addition to the annual holiday festivities. It's always fun to see a new spin on a familiar story, especially when it's as well crafted as this; moreover, this one will leave you whistling a tune and humming for the rest of the day, maybe even for the rest of the year. And that's a deal that's just too hard to pass up. I rate this one 9/10.

Christmas films, like Christmas songs, are a hugely personal choice, and depend so much on childhood experience. But this is one film which does not lose it's charm, no matter how often I see it. The songs, sets and costumes are fantastic, the acting is inspired, and the musical scenes are beautifully choreographed. In fact, there is no other Christmas film, which has contributed so many songs to my Christmas repertoire! The fact that this version is an English production also helps considerably in the credibility department - the accents are authentic.

Aside from the scene in "hell", this film is admirably true to the spirit and content of Dicken's text, with some inevitable cuts which frankly, I didn't miss. More importantly, I have seen no other version which manages to combine the miserable qualities of Scrooge with the touches of wit and humour which Dickens so skillfully wrote with. Other versions of the film so often succeed at being dour, while failing to capture the joyous aspects of the story, and the humour Scrooge himself sometimes provides. Happily, this version Succeeds at both.

The 1951 version of the film, with Alastair Sim as Scrooge, is often touted as being the best. This may be where my age betrays me, but when I saw it recently, it left me feeling rather flat. Sim did a good job of appearing afraid of the ghosts, but where was his bitterness, skepticism and sarcastic wit? By contrast, Albert Finney's portrayal is a joy to watch - you cannot help but both love and hate the miserable old creature, which makes his transformation at the end all the more joyous.

Highlights...

The clever use of songs like "Father Christmas" and "Thank You Very Much" to convey very different sentiments at the end of the film than they do when first introduced in eaarlier scenes - marvelous!

Albert Finney, as the hilariously miserable Scrooge, singing "I hate People"

Alec Guinness as a truly original ghost of Jacob Marley - fantastic!

Kenneth More's Ghost of Christmas Present - what presence, what a costume!

Laurence Naismith as the exuberant Fezziwig - exactly as he should be, and a good dancer too!

Edith Evans (Elderly Ghost of Christmas Past), in response to Scrooge's "You don't look like a ghost", primly replying "Thank You!".

Mrs. Cratchhit's scream of shock when she realises who is delivering the enormous turkey to her door! I could watch it a hundred times!

...and too many others to mention. This movie was released on DVD this year - by all means see it!