Rating: 
Summary: My favorite version
Review: I think I own every version of this classic, and this is by far my favorite of the bunch (although I love the music in "Scrooge" with Albert Finney - and he is a much more handsome young Scrooge that the one in this version!). This is the most faithful to the original story, while also being a sumptuous production. The sets and cinematography are wonderful, and the acting is, without exception, outstanding. Definitely a must see in our house every Christmas.
Rating:
Summary: Best Adaptation Ever of the Charles Dickens Classic
Review: Scott's 1984 "A Christmas Carol" puts all other portrayals to shame.I have read "A Christmas Carol" several times, and feel qualified to say that George C. Scott's interpretation of "Scrooge" is the best that was ever done. Not only is Scott's portrayal true to the original novel (with some necessary condensation to fit it all into an hour and forty minutes), but Scott is the first believable Scrooge I have seen. All the rest, including the 1951 portrayal by Alistair Sim (which also took great liberties with the story), are comparatively lifeless, as if the actors are merely reading their lines from a cue card. Scott's rendition is lively and believable, especially in the speech where Scrooge states that "every idiot who goes about with Merry Christmas on his lips should be boiled in his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart." Scott delivers the lines with laughter, so that he sounds realistically mean-spirited but not really intent on murder. In all other films that retell "A Christmas Carol," Tiny Tim is presented as whimpering and pathetic. Young Anthony Walters, in his first role, is lovable and believable as the ailing Tiny Tim,without unnecessary maudlin manipulation. David Warner is outstanding as the affable and humble Bob Cratchit, and so many other roles are so well done that I could almost swear the characters had escaped the printed page. In particular, Angela Pleasence is a wonderful Ghost of Christmas Past, gently steering the errant Ebenezer along the path to reclamation and pointing out the joys he had missed in his journey through life. Edward Woodward captures the essence of the Ghost of Christmas Present, and seems genuinely annoyed with Scrooge's selfishness and blindness to human charity. Finally, Roger Rees as Nephew Fred is so genuinely likable that I wished he was my nephew instead; and Timothy Bateson as the colorful and benificient Mr. Fezziwig has defined that role for all time. Throughout this film, I found myself reciting the lines along with the actors, so close was the film to the book (the scene with Jacob Marley's ghost is one good example). I was also genuinely moved by the portrayals, who surely brought Dickens' 1846 novel to life and conveyed Dickens' intended message clearly and completely, as voiced by Nephew Fred: that "Christmas is the time of year when all humans seem of one accord to open their shut-up hearts freely to their fellow creatures, and see them not as other races off on other journies, but as fellow passengers to the grave." The film was shot in an English town in winter, and the street scenes, authentic costumes and English accents add much to credibility and enjoyment. My family watches this film together every Christmas. Your family should enjoy it, too.
Rating:
Summary: Another good version of A Christmas Carol
Review: George C. Scott is a great actor and his Christmas Carol movie is good and deserves 5 stars but I still think of the Alastair Sim movie as the definitive, probably because that's the version I grew up watching but George C. Scott's movie is tops on my list as one of the best versions of A Christmas Carol after Alastair Sim's and I recommend both movies.
Rating:
Summary: Apologies to all Trekkers...
Review: ...but even as a life - long Star Trek fan and a huge admirer of Patrick Stewart, I believe there has never been a better filmed adaptation of "A Christmas Carol." Despite being the only non - British member of the cast, only George C. Scott has ever pulled off the transformation of Scrooge in such a convincing and believable manner. In addition, the casting, the acting, the directing and the musical score all add up to an unbeatable holiday experience. Even "the poetic license" of the expanded scene at Fred's home on Christmas morning (which goes beyond what Dickens actually wrote) adds tremendously to the lump in the viewer's throat by the end of the story.
A Christmas Eve viewing of this movie has become an annual event in our home.
Rating:
Summary: Best scrooge version ever!
Review: Best screen adaptation of A Christmas Carol ever done! George C. Scott is the only Scrooge. Great English sound track too! Have to watch this one a few times every year!
Rating:
Summary: A Christmas Carol With George C. Scott
Review: This version of a Christmas Carol takes the things that are truly important from all the other Christmas Carol movies and puts them together in such a way that you cannot help but feel that you are really there, witnessing this miser's destiny. The fact that it was actually filmed in the historical town of Shrewsbury lets one know that the director was driven to potray what actually took place, if, it was a true story. George C. Scott by far potrays the best Scrooge with his intense emotional acting. The music in the movie is wonderful along with the costumes and sets. If you have not seen this version of a Christmas Carol you have missed the best!
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful Family Holiday Entertainment
Review: A wonderful, classic story - not too scary. Beautifully produced, this is a great depiction of 19th century England. It provides thoughtful family holiday entertainment for Christmastime. This engaging, timeless tale tells a good story and brings a positive message: loving, sharing and giving enriches us. Kids enjoyed watching it together with the adults during the holiday season. Best for the whole family, especially ages 12-18.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Above All Others!
Review: This 1984 telivision version of the classic Charles Dickens Christmas story is probably the most popular version, second only to the very wonderful classic Alistair Sim version. This is probably more faithful to the Dickens tale than the Alistair Sim version in feel. (The Alistair Simm version, however, is always worthy of being in your collection! It's not very expensive, either!) This version was filmed in an English town named Shrewsbury, which looks quite a bit like the Victorian London. The cast is wonderful, and the script and set design is done very well! The story is probably one of the most beloved of all novles. It is the tale of a greedy miser named Ebenezer Scrooge, who discards Christmas as another day for "paying bills without any money", and would likely see "every idiot who goes about with 'merry Christmas' on his lips boiled in his own pudding and burried with a stake of holly through his heart!" One Christmas Eve, he is confronted by the ghost of his lifelong partner, the late Jacob Marley, who tells Scrooge that he is to be visited by three spirits: the ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Christmas Yet-to-Come. Each ghost shows Scrooge, in their own way, that Christmas is more than a mere day for work, and that it is a special day to be more charitable, and kind. This version probably is the best at capturing the spirit of the Dickens tale. You will not be disappointed at all! The music and the camrawork are all stunning! At the very begining, we open on a blue-hazed, and very snowy Victorian neighborhood in the Victorian London, England, with singing of carols, selling of gooses and Christmas toys, the laughter of children, and the spirit of Christmas flowing about! Isn't this exactly how you pictured a film of the book to begin like? It offers much stunning photography of stunning sets and costumes, which resemble the era and feeling of the tale quite well! You will feel that "warm and fuzzy" feeling many times throughout, and also that hearty feeling of the hearth of the yuletide! The script of this version is also very nice! As with many versions of the Dickens tale, the script stays true to the book. Almost no film director would want to shy away from using the wonderfuly written dialogue of the book. There is rarely an unneeded scene, and rarely one that you miss that is not present. It is a wonderful filmization - though not a "Hollywoodization" - of the Dickens tale! The casting is also wonderfuly dine! George C. Scott gives a remarkable performance of Ebenezer Scrooge, the heartless mizer. He is quite believable as Scrooge. Each line is uttered perfectly! His performance is not a threatening one as the mizer. It is a bit more deep than that. He deosn't seem at all threatening. He seems only to be a lost old man who once knew the meaning of Christmas, but forgot it throughout his wretched life. This is the Scrooge I would want to remember! (Some cynics may complain that Scott's English accent isn't polished enough. To the contrary, his accent is suitable and efficient and never fades as some performers' accents sometimes do.) The Ghosts that Scrooge encounters are also well cast. Frank finlay is a very nice Ghost of Marley. He deosn't seem as if he is just trying to scare Scrooge, but only to warn him of the fate that awaites if he deos not change his ways. Angela Pleasance is a very nice and thoughtful Ghost of Christmas Past. Edward Woodward, as the Ghost of Christmas Present, gives a different, yet moralic portayal, here. Micheal Carter, as the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come, is a deathly and grimm one, though he does not speak. (His costume design is also splendid, and adds much to the atmosphere!) David Warner's portayal as the lowly "fifteen shilling-a-week" clerk is a sincere one. He does not exploit the part at all. the script also allows the character of Tiny Tim, played by the wonderful Anthony Walters, to rever is tragic, but heart-wrenching innocence. You will find no faults here! Overall, this is a most brilliant realization of the classic short novel. I do not think Dickens would be unhappy with this version to watch! Your family will probably want this version forever on to give them that feeling of kindness over and over again. This is not just a Christmas story. This is a story about kindness and sympathy and about being charitable. Even if you yourself and your family do not celebrate Christmas in particular, you will enjoy this wonderful tale of the holiday season - no matter who you are! This is a version of the tale you will probably want to watch over and over again. There are others, such as that remarkable Alistair simm version that has captured the heart of millions! There is also the new 1999 version of the Dickens film with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge. Both of those versions are wonderful, as is this one! (For a more friendly version for the younger kids, that stays true to the Charles Dickens book, try the "Muppet Christmas Carol." It's filled with the Sesame-Streetish warmth of Jim Henson's indominable Muppets, and has some wonderful music to go along with!) However, you will not be disapointed at this beautiful, and lush wonderland of Christmas spirit! You will no doubt enjoy it's warm glow, and bask in the spirit of this film! I hope you will enjoy this version as much as I do! It is a grand addition to your collection! And so, as Tiny Tim observed,"God bless us, everyone!"
Rating:
Summary: An essential Christmas classic!
Review: George C. Scott's version of _A Christmas Carol_ is so exquisitely acted and produced that I can't praise it highly enough. It is an absolutely brilliant masterpiece that everyone should see at least once. My family watches it each year around Christmas, and we all love it. So deep and moving is the story that you may find yourself transformed along with Ebenezer Scrooge, sharing in his exuberance with a renewed spirit of compassion and generosity.
Rating:
Summary: This Is "The" Christmas Carol
Review: This 1984 version of the Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol," directed by Clive Donner, stars George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. By this time around, the challenge for the filmmaker was to take such familiar material and make it seem fresh and new again; and, happily to say, with this film Donner not only met the challenge but surpassed any expectations anyone might have had for it. He tells the story with precision and an eye to detail, and extracts performances from his actors that are nothing less than superlative, especially Scott. One could argue that the definitive portrayal of Scrooge-- one of the best known characters in literary fiction, ever-- was created by Alastair Sim in the 1951 film; but I think with his performance here, Scott has now achieved that distinction. There is such a purity and honesty in his Scrooge that it becomes difficult to even consider anyone else in the role once you've seen Scott do it; simply put, he IS Scrooge. And what a tribute it is to such a gifted actor; to be able to take such a well known figure and make it so uniquely his own is quite miraculous. It is truly a joy to see an actor ply his trade so well, to be able to make a character so real, from every word he utters down to the finest expression of his face, and to make it all ring so true. It's a study in perfection. The other members of the cast are splendid as well, but then again they have to be in order to maintain the integrity of Scott's performance; and they do. Frank Finlay is the Ghost of Jacob Marley; a notable turn, though not as memorable, perhaps, as the one by Alec Guinness (as Marley) in the film, "Scrooge." Angela Pleasence is a welcome visage as the Spirit of Christmas Past; Edward Woodward, grand and boisterous, and altogether convincing as the Spirit of Christmas Present; and Michael Carter, grim and menacing as the Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come. David Warner hits just the right mark with his Bob Cratchit, bringing a sincerity to the role that measures up well to the standard of quality set by Scott's Scrooge, and Susannah York fares just as well as Mrs. Cratchit. The real gem to be found here, though, is the performance of young Anthony Walters as Tiny Tim; it's heartfelt without ever becoming maudlin, and simply one of the best interpretations-- and the most real-- ever presented on film. The excellent supporting cast includes Roger Rees (Fred Holywell, and also the narrator of the film), Caroline Langrishe (Janet Holywell), Lucy Gutteridge (Belle), Michael Gough (Mr. Poole) and Joanne Whalley (Fan). A flawless presentation, this version of "A Christmas Carol" sets the standard against which all others must be gauged; no matter how many versions you may have seen, watching this one is like seeing it for the first time ever. And forever after, whenever you think of Scrooge, the image your mind will conjure up will be that of George C. Scott. A thoroughly entertaining and satisfying experience, this film demands a place in the annual schedule of the holiday festivities of every home.
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