The Jujube Spotlight - A Christmas Carol




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	Spotlight Date: 15-December-02 Spoiler Rating: Low Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol As a huge fan of Charles Dickens, I am not surprised that A Christmas Carol has been adapted for the movies about a zillion times. Not only is it just the right length for a film, it's a damn fine yarn filled with excellent characters, clever lines, and enough heart to melt the stodgiest bastard in Christendom (and beyond). This holiday season, The Jujube gave me the perfect excuse for immersing myself in my literary hero's most famous work. Over the last couple of weeks, I revisited A Christmas Carol both in print and in a handful of screen adaptations featuring everything from singing rodents to Oscar winners to enactments of the Kama Sutra. (I also picked up a 1938 Mercury Theater radio version on cassette, with Orson Welles as Scrooge and Joseph Cotten as Nephew Fred.) I can tell you up front that I don't have much criticism for any of the films, which speaks to the high quality of Dickens' original tale and the loving treatment it seems to inspire. My reviews, therefore, focus on the movies' unique qualities, how they do or don't adhere to the original (all of them are remarkably faithful), and which ones earn such honors as Best Pre-Ghost Scrooge, Best Ghost of Christmas Present, and Best Tiny Tim. For you unlucky folks who haven't experienced A Christmas Carol recently, click here for a recap of the main sections of the tale, highlighting points found in all or most of the movies. Recap of A Christmas Carol Scrooge (aka A Christmas Carol) (1951) This version, featuring Alastair Sim in the title role, takes more liberties with Dickens' original than most, adding new characters and scenes that (in all due respect to the author) help to add depth to the tale. Kathleen Harrison has an expanded role as Mrs. Dilber, Scrooge's housemaid, who is present the morning after the ghostly visits and thinks her employer has lost his mind. Most of the other plot additions appear during the visit of the Ghost of Christmas Past, including scenes of Ebenezer being lured away from Mr. Fezziwig by a ruthless entrepreneur, meeting Jacob Marley (Patrick McNee of "Avengers" fame) for the first time, and casually visiting Marley's deathbed years later. The one original piece that doesn't make sense is a view of Scrooge's one-time fiancée (whose name is changed from Belle to Alice here, for some reason) serving the poor as a social worker. In the book, she is seen living a happy life with her husband and children, which serves to remind Scrooge of the treasures he has thrown away. Although the unique elements of this adaptation generally work well, some of my favorite parts are little touches where it follows the original in ways other movies don't. For example, this is the one version I watched that has a young Peter Cratchit "rejoiced to find himself so gallantly attired" in a "monstrous shirt collar." All in all, this movie is a wonderful rendition of the tale, in which the only sour note is a foppish Nephew Fred. Who should watch this version: People who want a veddy British helping of Dickens; fans of black and white movies. Scrooge (1970) What is quite possibly my favorite version of "A Christmas Carol" is the biggest, classiest of the bunch (better costumes, more lavish production) with a heightened sense of corruption and resurrection — and it's a full-blown musical. Albert Finney is fantastic as both young and old Ebenezer (a feat none of the other actors can claim), backed up by Edith Evans as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Kenneth More as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Alec Guinness as Marley, and David Collings as Bob Cratchit. Two things really make this movie a winner: first, the more detailed, polar depictions of Scrooge before and after his redemption, and second, the excellent song and dance numbers, most notably the Fezziwig-led "December the 25th" and "Thank You Very Much" (which is clearly influenced by "Oliver!", a hit just two years earlier). In this version Scrooge is more than just a curmudgeon; he's a thoroughly repulsive and horrible person being eaten from inside by his own hideous nature. Finney's performance seems to get at Scrooge's psychology, with his palsied mouth and the way he constantly handles money (not to mention his first solo entitled "I Hate People"). Because he is shown to be so despicable initially, his transformation at the end is particularly satisfying. When a giddy Scrooge buys out the toy store and dons a Santa Claus outfit to distribute gifts throughout the town, you feel that he has not only changed his outlook but been healed internally. (Now that's worth singing about!) My one big quibble with this film is the addition of Scrooge's descent into Hell during the last ghost's visit. The intensification of the torment that awaits him, should he not become a better man, makes sense as the counterpoint to his heightened horribleness at the beginning, but the scene is almost embarrassingly silly. I also really miss my favorite line about gravy in the Jacob Marley part — Guinness really hams it up here, so why not maintain a little meat-based humor? Who should watch this version: Everybody except little children; fans of good musicals. A Christmas Carol (1984) I happened to notice that the 1951 movie with Alastair Sim was edited by Clive Donner; this caught my eye because he also directed this rendition some thirty years later. Indeed, there are some similarities in the way these two versions deviate from Dickens, most notably in the notion that Scrooge is younger than his sister Fan (in the book she's "much younger") and that their father hates him because their mother died giving him life. But there's a world of difference between Sim and George C. Scott, the star of this show; while Sim's Scrooge was a crotchety, dull old coot, Scott's is a smart and vigorous man with a biting sarcasm (when a solicitor inquires, "Mr. Scrooge, I presume?" he responds with a horrible smile, "Indeed you do, Sir."). Also, whereas the Sim version followed the book in having him gradually come round during all of his visits with the spirits, this version implies that Scrooge remains stubbornly unyielding until the very end, when he is shown his own grave. Though enjoyable, this "Christmas Carol" is a mixed bag. It brings some welcomed new elements to the story (a harsh meeting between Scrooge and his father that helps to explain how his development went wrong; a favorite pocket watch by which Scrooge identifies himself during his trip to the future) and includes some moments from the original not found in other films (young Ebenezer's attachment to characters in books). It also has some definite highs (Edward Woodward as the Ghost of Christmas Present) and definite lows (an intrusive sound track and, most of all, an absolutely heinous Tiny Tim). Scott is fantastic, as usual, but viewers looking for a good, straightforward telling of the tale might be better off with Sim. Who should watch this version: Anyone who liked "The Equalizer" on TV because they thought Edward Woodward was hot; fans of ultra cutesy child actors. Scrooged (1988) Proving that Dickens is timeless, this modernized version features Bill Murray as an Ebenezer Scrooge-like television executive who is mounting a big "Scrooge" special, but it doesn't work as well as the others. I think the story could easily be transferred from one era to another, but in attempting to make it into a TV spoof/ romance/feel good comedy, the writers rob it of some of its oomph. Not just oomph, but plausibility: we are asked to believe that Murray's Frank Cross is both a rich S.O.B. and, well, Bill Murray — a funny and likable guy — which makes him seem a bit schizophrenic. In addition, even before his supernatural visitations he has affecting relationships with his secretary (Alfre Woodard in the Bob Cratchitesque role) and his old girlfriend (Karen Allen), giving the impression that while he may need some readjustments in his life, he really isn't so bad. Consequently, the notion of his redemption is pretty watered down. (And the romance makes little sense; could these two people really just pick up where they left off after 15 years?) Weak characterizations aside, though, the film is still a nice, light bit of fantasy with some funny moments, a genuinely merry spirit, and a good cast, which includes John Murray as Frank's brother, John Glover, Bobcat Goldthwait, Robert Mitchum, Carol Kane, and David Johansen (aka Buster Poindexter). Although the settings, the ghosts, and some of the other characters are changed from the original, the movie never strays too far from its inspiration, channeling Dickens both obliquely (the taxi driven by the Ghost of Christmas Past bears the name "Belle Cab Co.") and directly (the walking corpse of Frank's old boss, the first ghost he sees, says the familiar line "Mankind was my business."). Finally, this version features a more touching Tiny Tim than most — a cute kid who has not spoken since he witnessed his father being killed and finds inspiration from both the Alastair Sim movie and Frank's very public change of heart. This film was directed by Richard Donner, apparently no relation to Clive (see above). But I think there's clearly something in that name (reindeerish, perhaps?) that draws its bearer to Christmas stories. Who should watch this version: Fans of Bill Murray and the Solid Gold Dancers. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) This musical version features Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge and Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit (in a role he was born to play). The story's many secondary characters and scenes of London life provide good cameo opportunities for a huge array of Muppets, including standard favorites such as Bunsen Honeydew and Fozzie (as "Fozziwig," of course), as well as some cute fresh faces (my favorite being a rabbit street urchin). Deviations from the source material (and other movie versions) include Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat as narrators, a bunch of assistant bookkeepers working for Scrooge (more rats), and not one dead Marley but two — the standard Jacob and, hilariously, his brother Robert (get it?) — who are played by those crusty old guys from the balcony. The songs aren't all that memorable, but an early number in which the tradesmen, carolers, horses, and fresh produce of London sing about the horribleness of Scrooge is a lot of fun. Other notable highlights of this film are the seriousness of Caine's performance, considering the nature of his co-stars, and the charming, funny appeal of the Muppets (as when, alluding to another Dickens' classic, a little mouse says, "Please, sir, I want some cheese."). Who should watch this version: Kids; adults wanting a little humor with their redemption; fans of talking animals. The Best of "A Christmas Carol" Here are my picks for the best elements of the movies here reviewed. Best Pre-Ghost Scrooge -- Albert Finney, 1970. He's old, stinky, cranky, rude, mean, greedy, and just plain bad. Best Post-Ghost Scrooge -- Alastair Sim, 1951. The addition to the story of Scrooge's encounter with his terrified housekeeper is priceless (she screams and runs out of the room when he yells, "I must stand on my head!"). Best Marley's Ghost -- Frank Finlay, 1984. This guy really looks dead. Best Ghost of Christmas Past -- Dickens describes the ghost as "like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium, which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view º ." Since this would be very difficult for an actor to portray, we find variations ranging from a woman with really bad hair (1984) to a cross between Ben Franklin and Julius Caesar (1951). It seems like special effects are needed here, which is why I vote for the Muppet ghost (although it doesn't have a cap and seems to be female). Best Ghost of Christmas Present -- Edward Woodward, 1984. I am partial to big-chested, red-headed, mead-drinking types, and Woodward adds a super-sexy bite to the otherwise rollicking spirit. Best Nephew Fred -- Roger Rees, 1984. He may not have the "ruddy and handsome" face of which Dickens wrote, but he is both naturally genial and impressively earnest. Best Bob Cratchit -- Mervyn Johns, 1951. My initial reaction was "He's too plump to look poor," but his nerdy British charm worked its way into my heart. Best Tiny Tim -- Glyn Dearman, 1951. The oldest actor in the lot, his is the only Tiny Tim (excepting the modern version from 1988) who seems like a real person instead of an absurdly angelic moppet. The Next "A Christmas Carol" You know it's only a matter of time before the next adaptation comes out. Here are my picks for the all-star cast. Ebenezer Scrooge -- Geoffrey Rush Bob Cratchit -- Ian Hart Nephew Fred -- Ewan McGregor Tiny Tim -- Talking golden retriever puppy (as yet undiscovered) Marley's Ghost -- Alan Rickman Ghost of Christmas Past -- Alan Cumming Ghost of Christmas Present -- Russell Crowe Copyright © 2002 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.