Special Feature: A Christmas Carol

[GlimGlum]

One of my all-time favorite stories. The first version I remember seeing was the Alistair Sim version (on TV), which was my favorite by far until the George C. Scott version. They are both about equal now as far as my personal preferences go.

The reviews I have read so for this current adaptation have been very upbeat. It is especially good to hear stargazer and johobbit give it a thumbs up. Now I plan to see it in a theater on the big screen.

I also have a fond memory of my dad reading the story to my sister and me when we were kids.

[stargazer]

The animation looks great but why is Scrooge flying around on a rocket or whatever?...I've heard it sacrifices many of the character moments for random action scenes.

That's one of those weird "frozen waterfall moments" for me. It's Scrooge riding across the moon - which reminded me of ET - on a rocket that comes from the Ghost of Christmas Past's hat. That sounds weird when I write it, and this movie's portrayal of that Ghost struck me as a little odd, but the text does describe his head as a sort of light, and he carries around an "extinguisher" that might be cone-like. But Scrooge riding it around like a rocket is just extra stuff added for the 3D effect, I suspect.

An earlier spoiler mentioned the absence of Bob Cratchit's family enjoying the Christmas feast Scrooge has anonymously supplied. I agree that this is a touching scene that merits inclusion - but I checked the text later, and to my surprise it doesn't mention this at all! The closest it comes is Bob's admission, when he's late for work the next morning, that "I was making rather merry yesterday." So in that sense this version was true to the text - but this is one exception to accuracy that I'd gladly make.

After our viewing, we discussed this movie's treatment of some of our favorite quotes. Two of my favorites come to mind:

First, when Scrooge asks the Ghost of Christmas Present if Tiny Tim will live, the Ghost quotes Scrooge's own line back at him: "If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." I like the way this film treats this quote: Not only does the Ghost's voice change to match Scrooge's but so does his countenance. Very effective.

However, the next part of the quote - which has always deeply touched me as a reminder of the grace we've been shown, and that we are no more deserving of what we have than others who may have less - isn't in this movie at all. In the book the Ghost goes on to say, "...forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be, in the sight of Heaven, that you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child."

Another of my favorite quotes comes at the end of the story, in an exhortation to properly observe the day: "...and it was always said of [Scrooge] that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!" This is followed immediately by the well-known Tiny Tim line, "God bless us everyone!" Most of this line made it into this version, but I would have liked the "May that be truly said of us" part to be included.

To be sure, the comments about these two quotes are very minor nitpicks, due largely to my fondness for the original book.

[johobbit]

Please note that this Special Feature will be closing Saturday evening, December 5, after which time you may post in the applicable Book or Movies threads.

[Glenstorm the Great]

Charles Dicken's great great grandson will be preforming "A Christmas Carol" by where I live today, but I'm not going...

[narnian_at_heart]

I really don't like a Christmas Carol. I forced myself to listen through the entire Focus on the Family audio drama of it and hated it.

[PrincessRosario]

So why don't you like it, narnian_at_heart?

[wisewoman]

We saw the new film in the theater last weekend in 3D. It was okay, better than I was expecting, actually. They kept more of the original dialogue than I was expecting.

Did anyone else think the chase scene with the coach and horses was utterly pointless, drawn out, and boring? It did nothing for the story whatsoever, and it wasn't even funny when Scrooge shrank and his voice sounded like a mouse's. I was like, okay — ?

Oh, and I didn't like the attempt at humor with Marley's face. It was just dumb.

I thought Jim Carrey would be really obnoxious in this role, but he wasn't.

It was our first 3D movie and eh, I'm not really sold on 3D. It was blurry at times and really I think I prefer the old-fashioned way... the movie is there on the screen and I am there in my seat. We are not merged

[johobbit]

How cool is that, Glenstorm!

Ditto PR's question, narnian_at_heart.

Totally with you regarding the chase scene, ww. Also when Scrooge fell through the sky for what seemed like 'forever', hanging on to the Ghost of Christmas Past's candle snuffer ...

I don't care for 3-D either (I find it makes me almost dizzy at times), and wish the theatre had offered it in regular viewing mode.

Not being a fan of Jim Carrey, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I thought he did an A-1 job of portraying Scrooge.

I did miss seeing the Cratchit family having their generous Scrooge-donated turkey near the end, but at least we knew it took place from that wonderful interaction with the 'remarkable lad'. And I missed hearing Scrooge raise Mrs. Dilbert's wages. (Btw, I don't think the audience had been introduced to Mrs. Dilbert before the bed curtain scene, which I found rather odd. 'Though I can't recall in Sim's version where she was first at least mentioned.)

Overall, I thought the adaptation very well done, and I think, for most of the scenes, it kept the spirit of what Dickens wrote. To hear a number of quotes directly from the book brought joy to my heart, although there could have been even more to increase that joy.

The music was enjoyable and very festive, and I really thought it cool when the camera flew through the streets of London and captured the flavour of that city in those days.

For anyone who hasn't yet seen it, it's worth at least one viewing in theatres. Having said that, over the Christmas holidays it's Alistair Sim's version all the way!

[stargazer]

I also agree with you, wisewoman, about those additional "frozen waterfall scenes" (as my friends and I have come to call things that seem to be added just to increase drama or action).

Still, I thought the opening flyover "tour" of London, showing people going about their everyday lives, was a good start. And the time-lapse aging of the sign was a nice touch to show the passage of time.

I definitely agree with the bit about Marley's face; it seemed out of place - even if, as a friend pointed out, it was a good illustration of why the faces of the dead were so wrapped. It just was a bit too much here

But it inspired my annual reading of the original - just a bit earlier than usual - and that's always good. And as jo said, it is worth a theatrical viewing for fans of the original Carol.

edit: Tonight's episode of ABC's FlashForward featured characters watching 2 clips from the Alistair Sim version of Carol - part of Scrooge's meeting with Marley's ghost, and his graveyard pleas to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. I thought it was amusing, since I'd just posted here.

[lostin1800]

I only like the beggining and end of the Christmas Carol, the rest is.....so depressing. And not in a way like Bleak House, I don't really know how to explain it. But the odd thing is that I've watched it tones of times all different versions and I do enjoy the meaning/moral of the story.