A Christmas Carol
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Movie Reviews of A Christmas Carol
Movie Review: Patrick Stewart as the thinking man's version of Scrooge
Summary: 5 Stars
Nobody ever prepared for playing Ebenezer Scrooge as much as Patrick Stewart, who for years did a one-man recitation of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens during the Holiday season. Eventually his mesmerizing performance was made available as an audiotape, which was certainly better than nothing, but it was difficult not to be disappointed that Stewart's performance was not captured on video. In 1999 this situation was somewhat rectified when Hallmark put together this made for television version of the classic Dickens tale. The story begins with the funeral of Jacob Marley, who died on a Christmas Eve, and Ebenezer Scrooge musing on why doornails are particularly to be regarded as "dead." If there is one thing that distinguishes Stewart's performance it is emphasis on how Scrooge was responsible for his own sorry state. This time around there is less of an idea that the fates were not kind to Scrooge than there is that he made choices that he refuses to regret. His disdain for Christmas and its attendant joys and practices comes not so much from anger as it does from a sense of superiority, taking a rather perverse pride in putting the two gentlemen who make the mistake of coming to Scoorge & Marley for funds in their place.
The most insightful scene into the character of this Scrooge is when Marley's Ghost (Bernard Lloyd) appears. Scrooge returns to eating while doing the "more gravy than grave" speech and his inquiries about the meaning of spirits coming to visit him comes across as utterly reasonable, the product of intellectual curiosity more so than fear and trembling, and Marley replies in kind. Scrooge cannot understand why Marley is suffering given how good of a businessman he was in life. Of course, in due time, Marley and the other spirits will educated Scrooge accordingly.
I find the cover shot for the DVD/VHS of this film to be quite appropriate because I believe it represents the moment when Scrooge goes too far and provokes the visit from Marley's ghost and the rest of the spirits. A young boy, obviously symbolic of Tiny Tim, has the nerve to stand in front of Scoorge & Marley singing a Christmas carol ("Good King Wencelas"). Scrooge can endure only a single verse before he opens the door and threatens the child with a raised cane. The boy quickly flees, but the moment stays with us, a new affront in the litany of Scrooge's crimes against Christmas that we know so well. I have to admit, I was sure the young actor (Leagh Conwell) playing the caroller would return at the end as the boy Scrooge sends to fetch the big turkey in the window, but that is not what takes palce.
The spirit of rethinking roles extends to the ghosts as well, with Joel Grey as a somewhat menacing Ghost of Christmas Past and Desmond Barrit as a rather melancholy Ghost of Christmas Present. This production is also unusual in that the supporting cast does not show a lot of recognizable names. The exception would be Joel Grey, but the rule would be veteran character actors like Elizabeth Spriggs ("Sense and Sensibility") as Mrs. Riggs. The special effects are a hit and miss proposition, and while you want to take into account that this is "just" a television movie and not a theatrical film, it is more to the point to remember that this particular production was undertaken to get Patrick Stewart in front of the camera playing Ebenezer Scrooge. Alastair Sim in the 1951 version of "A Christmas Carol" remains the definitive Scrooge, but Stewart is a most reasonable second choice.
Movie Review: A Worthy Effort
Summary: 5 Stars
Sometimes, in reading reviews on the various film adaptations of "A Christmas Carol," it feels like I am watching some sort of feud. "The Alisdair Sim" version is better! The "George C. Scott" version is better! The "Scrooge McDuck" version is better!Which brings me to this version. The role of the repentant humbug is taken up by Patrick Stewart. Stewart brings a profound understanding of Scrooge and it shows in his performance.
This version of "A Christmas Carol" tracks the original Dickens classic rather closely. The characters are played rather nicely and have a fullness and believability to them. Those characters build up sentimentality to the point where once Scrooge has been redeemed, we are crying tears of joy and beaming with big smiles.
But the version is not perfect. It would have been had it not been for certain unfortunate editing miscues.
First, why the need to change the name of Scrooge's sister from "Fan" to "FRAN?"
Second, there is a seriously disjointed sequence at the end of Joel Grey's Ghost of Christmas Past visit. In the book, the Ghost shows Scrooge breaking up with Belle and then shows Belle happily married years later with her husband talking about the sad lonely figure that was Scrooge and then Scrooge forces the cap over the Ghost. In the movie, The Ghost shows Scrooge breaking up with Belle with Scrooge imploring his young shadow to "say something" and to chase after her. When the young shadow does nothing, Scrooge is dejected. Then we immediately cut to the scene where Scrooge is on the stair - calm at first but then becoming immediately agitated and without Grey's Ghost saying a word, forces the cap over the Ghost's head. Now, I would surmise that either some dialogue that built up some emotion was cut here or that they shot the scene of older Belle discussing poor old sad and lonely Scrooge and deleted it. In my opinion this sequence suffered as a result.
Third, the performance of the ghost of Christmas past was a bit uneven. He started off very shaky to begin with but improved later. Generally speaking, when he was chiding Scrooge, this Ghost was outstanding and when he wasn't, he was shaky and uneven. The tornado thing that takes the Ghost and Scrooge around to "Christmas all over" was just plain goofy and should have been done away with in favor of something less obtrusive.
Finally, the choice not to include Scrooge not making amends with the gentlemen who were collecting for charity (the recipients of the "Are there no prisons, are there no workhouses?" speech was unfortunate. It would not have cost much scene time and it seemed necessary for Scrooge to make amends given the fact his words to these gentlemen were an indictment on his bad character and were often repeated by the ghost of christmas present.
This movie was a worthy adaptation of the Dickens classic. Perhaps, "A Christmas Carol" should be adapted every twenty years or so - to remind us to be good to one another on Christmas. Also for those involved in the polemical debate of "Alisdair Sim version" versus "George C. Scott version," in many ways, THIS version represents the synthesis of those two - the sentimentality of the Sim version with the darkness and realism of the George C. Scott version.
Movie Review: Damn Your Merry Christmas! Patrick Stewart's Stellar Scrooge!
Summary: 5 Stars
Patrick Stewart stars in a delightfully accurate rendition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I would even say it surpasses Alistair Cooks' and George C. Scott's rendition.
Best known for his commanding performance as Star Trek: The Next Generation's Captain Picard, Stewart digs deep into his Shakespearian roots to practically channel the black-hearted miser, Ebenezer Scrooge.
Stewart won Best Actor by the Screen Actor's Guild in his performance. He also had played a one man A Christmas Carol with on-stage performances before coming to the TNT Network for this rendition.
Stewart chose the writer and director and insisted on some CG to make the ghosts "ghostly" and the special effects perfect without overwhelming the story and I think they did that in spades.
The Victorian feel and the gothic presence of the whole Dickens's feel was fun to see. The detail and cinematography were somewhat historically accurate, though the purple coats and striped socks perhaps not so much. A few minor quibbles, such as the ghost of Christmas Present, the jovial, laughing ghost, was more subdued in this one.
Unlike other renditions, Christmas Present travels the world with Scrooge, in the prisons, on boats, in the coal mines, seeing how the poor and destitute celebrate. He throws Scrooge's words back at him with a bit too much relish and sarcasm for my taste.
The Christmas Future is a bit fake with the hood and glowing eyes, kinda like watching a ten foot tall Star Wars Jawa!
The discovery of Scrooge's grave, cracking open and pulling him in, WOW, great effects. The after-story carries the viewer through to the end, with Tim's exclamation of God blessing us, every one, but it's done with taste, no sap.
Another accurate rendition of the book is the Ghost of Christmas Present's two creatures hiding under his cloak -- you don't see that one too often -- the boy Ignorance and the girl Want; if one denies Ignorance, he will engulf you all.
Great quotes include: "Men's actions determine certain ends; if they persist in them but if their actions change, the ends change too." And said only the way Stewart could say them.
Fun little bits such as Scrooge checking the books of his younger self at Fezziwig's and nods approval, or walking into the stock exchange exclaiming how this is his territory.
I've also noted that Amazon carries some fairly crass renditions of A Christmas Carol:
"A Diva Christmas Carol" with Vanessa Williams and "A Carol Christmas" with a female role for Scrooge. I'll save those for Halloween!
The DVD contains a few trailers but that's about it.
And hey, it's a Hallmark special! Rent!
Recommended.
Movie Review: A Brilliant Performance from Patrick Stewart
Summary: 5 Stars
160 years ago (1843), Charles Dickens (1812-1870) wrote one of his most beloved short stories, "A Christmas Carol". After the advent of film early in the twentieth century, several different directors have attempted to capture Charles Dickens' story, and various actors have portrayed the story's protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge.Such was the case in 1999 when director David Hugh Jones directed an updated version of the classic story for television, which stared the venerable Shakespearean-trained actor Patrick Stewart. (Patrick Stewart was also one of the film's executive producers.) Patrick Stewart, who is well known for his portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the 7-year TV-series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and 4 "Star Trek" feature films (as well as many other roles), has always used his Shakespearean training to create a very realistic performance in most anything that he does, and his portrayal of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge was no different.
Though some viewers have commented that the 1999 version of "A Christmas Carol" is joyless and that they haven't enjoyed it, the reality is that that more closely resembles the environment of Charles Dickens' original story. Hence, Patrick Stewart created a very realistic embodiment of what Charles Dickens envisioned for Ebenezer Scrooge: a joyless miser who has completely forgotten what it means to live and to love. Also, these same viewers neglect the amount of detail present in this rendition of the film that has often been absent in previous big-screen film versions, such as young Ebenezer's (Kenny Doughty) work for his first employer Mr. Albert Fezziwig (Ian McNeice) and the old women (played by Liz Smith and Elizabeth Spriggs) fighting over a deceased man's belongings.
Other memorable performances in the film include Jacob Marley (Bernard Lloyd), Bob Cratchit (Richard E. Grant), Mrs. Cratchit (Saskia Reeves), Tiny Tim Cratchit (Ben Tibber), Ebenezer's nephew Fred (Dominic West), Ebenezer's sister Fran (Rosie Wiggins), Mrs. Fezziwig (Annette Badland), the Ghost of Christmas Past (Joel Grey), the Ghost of Christmas Present (Desmond Barrit), The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Tim Potter) and Belle (Laura Fraser). Of the many actors who have portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge over the past century (George C. Scott in 1984, Albert Finney in 1970, Alastair Sim in 1951, and Reginald Owen in 1938 to name a few), I am glad to see Patrick Stewart numbered among them.
Overall, I rate the 1999 version of "A Christmas Carol" with 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it. Sadly, since the film was produced for television, it was not filmed in widescreen format (which is my only complaint about the film), but that does not take away from this film's splendid portrayal of Charles Dickens' classic short story.
Movie Review: my new Scrooge of choice
Summary: 5 Stars
This version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is, without a doubt, my favorite. Patrick Stewart spent a good deal of his early post-Picard life performing a one-man rendition of Dickens' holiday classic. All that work pays off big-time in this wonderful movie version (with a full cast) made by the folks at TNT.Stewart is the star here. His scrooge is a far cry from the usual curmudgeon we've been given by the likes of George C. Scott, Lionel Berrymore, and Albert Finney. Stewart's Scrooge is much more human--and as a result much less wooden.
The four ghosts are excellent as well. Part of this may well be advances in special effects. Yet bearing even that in mind, the first three ghosts (especially Joel Grey as the ghost of Christmas Past) turn in spectacular performances; while not saying much (as usual) the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come broods nicely.
Interwoven throughout the movie is the outstanding job done by the various actors who play the Cratchit family. Richard Grant is the best Bob Cratchit I have ever seen. The rest of the family is just as remarkable.
More than anything else however, this TNT version gets more to the meaning of Christmas than most earlier versions. We have so much more here than empty, fuzzy-warm sentiment. When the redeemed Scrooge takes action, he also runs to sing songs of joy and worship to the God that has made it all possible.
Everything about this movie version is spot-on. The pacing is superb, each phase of Scrooge's journey is given enough time to truly blossom--nothing gets shortchanged. This makes for the best ending sequence to the piece ever filmed.
I cannot express my enthusiasm for this film enough. This is the best movie of A Christmas Carol yet made (my previous Scrooge of choice was Bill Murray's Scrooged, which I still greatly appreciate). I give this movie my highest recommendation.