A Christmas Carol (1984)

The striking thing of the 1984 television movie starring George C Scott as Scrooge is the faithfulness to the text, not only in the lines spoken by the cast but in director Clive Donner bringing it in the visuals such as the door knocker changing to the face of Marley and bringing to life the sparse Victoria setting of Scrooge's lifestyle.

Of course there is no issue that an excellent actor such as Scott will have no issue playing the miser Scrooge and there are excellent turns from Frank Finlay as Marley and Edward Woodward as the gigantic Ghost of Christmas present with a touch of malevolence.

Maybe the casting of David Warner did not feel right as Bob Cratchit, an actor who spent most of the 1980s playing villains and maybe was a little too old for the role.

The film is filled with British character actors, sadly many of whom along with Scott are no longer with us. However if you want to see a traditional adaptation of Dicken's festive tale then you cannot go wrong with this one.

Fmovies: a well known story. and its impeccable adaptation. this is all. George C. Scott does the perfect Scrooge because he has the gift to impose to you to ignore the expected story of Dickens. all begins in the moment of the first scene. and this change everything. because Elbenezer Scrooge is...different. its story is not exactly a metamorphose but result of evolution. George C. Scott explores in the right manner the frustrations and the meet with the spirits and the new day who impose a new perspective about life. and this does this version special. because it is a film of details more than the film of a classic book. the atmosphere of London, the small gestures, the humanity of each character are admirable. and, after the final credits, you discover a significant truth who is out of aesthetic rank or moral lessons- it is the expected story from the period of childhood.

I have made "A Christmas Carol" a bit of a hobby. I scoop up any performance or movie version when it becomes available. I am still a big fan of the Alastair Sim and I doubt that during my lifetime anyone will achieve what was done in this film. It's the bleakness, the three dimensional characterization. But my second choice is this one. George C. Scott was one of those actors that "if he was in a movie" I would go see it. While he was a bit gruff in the performance, maybe a little Pattonesque, he plays the part of Scrooge with subtlety and depth. I so obviously sets up the commercials. There were a few wonderful scenes that I'm sure were left out or cut short so that it could fit in that formula Even the concluding scene is a bit anticlamactic.

All that aside, I believe that the role of Cratchit by David Warner and Roger Rees, who seems made to play Victorian males, as Scrooge's Nephew are very strong. I like that there were a few liberties taken with the original. As long as it's true to the book, have some fun. I think the visuals are striking and I really enjoyed the soundtrack (which was also wonderful in the Sim version). This is sort of my idealized Christmas setting and my basic sentimentality really embraces it. If you've never seen it, watch.

A Christmas Carol fmovies. It's a lavish TV film of the classic Dickens tale. Ebenezer Scrooge (George C. Scott) is a ruthless businessman and employer to Bob Cratchit. Scrooge rejects Christmas cheers and his nephew Fred Hollywell's invitation. That night, he's haunted by the spirit of his late business partner Jacob Marley who tells him about the impending visit by the three Ghosts of Christmas.

The great George C. Scott brings another level to Scrooge. He's not simply misery but also a ruthless businessman. The words "Greed is Good" come to mind. This is a better made than the usual TV production. This is cinematic. The sets are good looking. It's as compelling as any of the traditional A Christmas Carol and Scott is simply brilliant.

Christmas Carol, A (1984)

**** (out of 4)

George C. Scott plays Scrooge in this made for TV version of the classic Dickens story. I've seen quite a few of these films based on the famous story and I think this one here has become my favorite. This is an incredibly beautiful, eerie and very touching version of the story, which is pitch perfect from start to finish. What really separates this film from other versions is the terrific look, which really feels authentic and sets up the story well. Every single scene is full of wonderful detail and the colors, cinematography and lighting are perfect throughout. Another wonderful thing are the performances, which are all brilliant from Scott to the smallest person in the film. Scott really does a great job in the role and he perfectly captures the coldness of the character and he brilliantly pulls off the final act of his breakdown and new life. The supporting cast is equally great with Frank Finlay as Marley's Ghost, Angela Pleasence as Ghost of Christmas Past, Edward Woodward as Ghost of Christmas Present, David Warner and Susannah York as Bob Cratchit and his wife and Michael Gough as Mr. Poole. The film has an incredibly warm heart and captures the morals of the story very well but it's also quite creepy during the ghost sequences.

As the celebration of Christmas has evolved through the years, whether one concentrates on the religious or the secular traditions, it is a time when people are supposed to behave a little better to each other. That has somehow slipped past one Ebenezer Scrooge, merchant and money lender in 19th century London.

As his nephew points out to his uncle, he doesn't keep Christmas in any way because Scrooge feels the whole thing is humbug. The humanity in Scrooge was driven out long ago, he's a hard case, a whole lot like his 20th Century counterpart, Mr. Potter of Bedford Falls, New York.

But as Charles Dickens told this tale, redemption is not too late for any of us and a lonely ghost and three spirits visit Scrooge and show him how.

A Christmas Carol is such a timeless holiday classic that we sometimes forget that it is as much a social commentary of 19th century Great Britain as Oliver Twist was. The characters in this film are middle and lower class. The Cratchits are a couple of rungs above the street people in Oliver Twist, but they are having to struggle to stay up there. Still love and happiness radiate their home, no thanks to the guy Bob Cratchit works for.

Like George Bailey who did a whole lot of good in his life and just had to be reminded how much, Ebenezer Scrooge needed a wake up call as to the potentiality he still had for doing some good in this old world.

Patrick Stewart in his live performances and filmed play has pretty much taken over the part of Scrooge. But George C. Scott captures the old miser pretty well in this film. The meanness of him, but with a trace of sadness that makes us root for him to change. Scott joins a fine tradition of people like Reginald Owen and Alastair Sim who've both done great interpretations of Scrooge.

Among the supporting roles I particularly enjoyed David Warner as Bob Cratchit and Edward Woodward as a hearty and stern spirit of Christmas present.

According to IMDb this is one of 32 versions of A Christmas Carol made that they have archived and it is one of the best.