A Christmas Carol

Rating:
Summary: Scrooge is a bad influence on kids!!!
Review: This movie is the worst because my kids fell asleep in the middle of the movie before Scrooge turns good and now all thy do is boss ME around like scrooge. They are extremely ungrateful for all the things I have done for the and their Christmas spirit is all but gone. Do not rent this movie because it even had a bad effect on me. It has made me into a lover of material items and it took a Catholic Priest to teach me the true Christmas Spirit again!!!!

Rating:
Summary: A true literary adaptation
Review: Yes, there are a few liberties taken with Dickens' original text, but this version of Christmas Carol is quite true to the message which Dickens conveyed. Powerful images, and George C Scott's very natural (as opposed to "cartoonish") portrayal of Scrooge, rescue the work from the "children's story" genre into which other adaptations often fall.

If someone is interested in a film that is "entertainment for the whole family," s/he may not find this version to be a favourite, because it is not pure entertainment. The poor are shown in their genuine state, not as the exceedingly happy crowd in a fictional London! For example, one extremely powerful sequence is when Scrooge, during his travels with the Ghost of Christmas Present, sees families huddled over makeshift fires, seeking shelter under a bridge. Scrooge learns, from what he hears, that families indeed would rather die than go to the workhouse - the poor laws would separate them one from the other.

Though there are various fine adaptations of Christmas Carol, this one is probably singular in that there is no exagerration in the depiction of any character. Fred is a reserved, rather shy young man - Bob Cratchitt's family enjoy each other's company but are not excessively joyous. Scott's Scrooge is the ultimate laissez faire capitalist, proud of his financial success for all that, as he comes to learn during the ghosts' visits, pursuing this has made him isolated from human warmth and totally indifferent towards anyone else. Scrooge is not a caricature, nor a monster - but one who placed all of his trust in business gain. The scene where he spies his former beloved, Belle, with her spouse and children, and realises that this life could have been his, is very moving. (Though Belle appears to have no less material wealth than Ebenezer.)

This is an outstanding production, capturing the essence of Dickens' brilliant work.

Rating:
Summary: George C. Scott at his best
Review: I had always been a fan of Charles Dickens but none of the movie versions had ever been very true to the original story. When this movie came out in 1984 I taped it and it was watched so many times each year that the quality of the tape was terrible.
George C. Scott is one of the finest actors of our time, and he showed Scrooge as Dickens created him. Roger Rhees as Nephew Fred is the perfect foil to Scrooge's bitterness ans comtempt. The scenes after Scrooge's redemption, both in his home and (although it is not in the book) where he visits Fred and his wife on Christmas morning definately warms the heart. I have often given this movie as a gift to friends and would without hesitation recomend it to anyone. It is a film that entertains and teaches. My hat's off to the whole cast and crew for a film which will definitley stand the test of time.

Rating:
Summary: A Holiday Must See
Review: George C. Scott makes an outstanding Scrooge in this 1984 TV production of the Christmas classic. The story is once again told of a miser, miserable and alone. He shuns Christmas and helping others, only doing things that will increase his personal wealth. But then one fateful Christmas Eve, he's visited by four spirits who try to show him another way. Will it be enough to redeem him?

I love this story, usually enjoying it in a couple forms over the course of December. This particular film version is my favorite. Probably helps that I've watched it almost every year since it came out. The acting is superb, especially from Scott. The costumes, scenery, and effects are wonderful as well, and they stick very close to the original story. Just watching a few minutes, I get... in and want to watch the whole thing all over again.

This DVD is the perfect way to watch the film. The picture and sound are remarkably clear for an almost 20 year old made for TV film. Definitely better then my old recorded from TV tape. The film is presented in its original ratio - full frame. While it would have been nice to have an extra or two, the quality of the movie makes up for this absence in my opinion.

If you're looking for a film version of this classic story for the holidays, look no further. This movie is sure to become a tradition in your family.

Rating:
Summary: None Better!
Review: I reviewed this movie a couple of years ago, but the few (too few!) sentences I wrote does not do justice to this, my all-time favorite.

'A Christmas Carol.' Is there any other story that epitomizes what the modern day Christmas celebration is all about? And who would have thought this very English fable written over 150 years ago would be every bit as alive today here in the 21st century United States as it was in 1843 England when first published? Gerald Charles Dickens, great great grandson of THE Charles Dickens, was quoted recently as saying, "The 'Carol' is 10 times more popular in America than it is in England. In England, the 'Carol' is just a story. In America the 'Carol' IS Christmas."
And, to me, THIS is THE version to watch.
The opening scene of this great version literally grabs you and pulls you into the gray, wintry Dickens London on Christmas Eve day 1843. The viewer will feel as if they were walking down the cobblestone streets of Merry Olde England, passing the street vendors hawking their wares, and hearing the carolers and street musicians singing and playing that wonderful Victorian Holiday music. Top hats and bonnets abound as the crowd of people - rich and poor alike - rush to celebrate this most Holy of Christian nights. That is, all but one. And the first image of old Ebenezer Scrooge, played here to perfection by the late great George C. Scott, will send chills down the back of even the most ardent skeptic.
Just think...if the opening scene is this good, you can just imagine how great the rest of this movie is!
I'm sure there is no need for me to explain the story line of 'A Christmas Carol,' only that, of all the versions that have been filmed, this one is by far the best and most realistic I have yet to witness.
Now what puts this version of Charles Dickens' classic tale above the others available? First and foremost, as I explained in my first review, is the feel. There is a certain ambiance here - a sort of realism - that is not present in the others. As stated previously, you, as the viewer, are drawn into the movie as a willing participant to the events happening about you. Given that this movie was filmed not on a stage set in Hollywood, but in and around actual buildings that were standing during the period in which this story takes place alone gives this version an edge the others can't touch. And the authentic costumes are as accurate as I have seen.
Another major plus here is that Dickens' original story is followed much closer than in any of the other versions. The scriptwriters had a very easy task since they pulled a majority (but not all) of their lines directly from the book! And the casting was pert near perfect as well. In fact, the only character I felt that was miss-cast was the actor (who's name escapes me) that played the role of Scrooge's nephew, Fred. Not toward the beginning of the film when he's inviting his uncle to dine with him, but toward the end when Uncle Ebenezer IS dining with him. A bit of over-acting here. A small blip ever so minor that, because of just how phenomenal the rest of the movie is, one would hardly notice. Not enough to lower any part of the score!
The Ghost of Jacob Marley tears at your heart, for the believability factor here is high that this specter is truly wrenching in pain and sorrow for his life's deeds. And the Ghost of Christmas Present, with his sarcastic wit, easily puts Scrooge in his place simply by using Scrooge's own lack of common sense and lack of courtesy against him.
Virtually everything about this version of 'A Christmas Carol' surpasses its predecessors. All the 'Carols,' before and since, have been good to very good. But this George C. Scott ranks far above them all. I don't think even Masterpiece Theater - the greatest at filming Dickens' stories - could do better.
(By the way, if you're ever in Michigan in December, come check out the Holly Dickens Festival in Holly, Michigan, where the 'Carol' with its characters are brought to life by street actors in this quaint 19th century village! It's FREE!)

Rating:
Summary: Dark and Brooding Masterpiece
Review: I must agree with many of the other reviewers. This version of A Christmas Carol is by far the best. It recaptures the darkness of Dickens' work fabulously. George C. Scott, as the sole American actor in the film, gives a wonderful performance, and does a fine job of modifying his own American accent without overdoing an English accent (as many modern movies attempt to do - see Johnny Depp's performance in 'From Hell' as an example of an English accent - although technically flawless - being overdone).

I was amazed to find out that this movie was actually made for TV. You would never know it by the production values, which are excellent. This version far surpasses even Alistair Sim's Scrooge, which, although in other aspects quite brilliant, was marred by the casting of a strapping well-fed and overly healthy boy as Tiny Tim.

Rating:
Summary: The Best 'A Christmas Carol' Movie
Review: After viewing different versions of 'A Christmas Carol' portraited by George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart and Alastair Sim, I still find that George C. Scott's version is still the best! He did a great job in portraying the miser Scrooge. Though no bonus features found in the DVD, this movie itself is a must watch during the Christmas festive season.

The only version that I missed out is 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' by Michael Caine. Hope to be able to watch it when the DVD is released in October 2002.

Rating:
Summary: A tradition in our family since the year it aired.
Review: We taped this movie of the air when it first aired on CBS in 1984. We have watched it as a family on Christmas Eve every year since. When our home-taped version wore out, we bought the video. I have since bought the DVD version for myself and whatever family I have in the future.

This version is simply the best I've seen. The late George C. Scott gets beyond the characiture of Scrooge that is engrained in our cultural memory and he brilliantly inhabits the humanity of the character. The other actors (Susannah York as Mrs. Cratchit, David Warner as Bob Cratchit, Roger Rees as Fred Hollywell, Angela Pleasance as Christmas Past and Edward Woodward as Christmas Present) are all the equal of Mr. Scott.

Dickensian London is brought to life vividly in the town of Shrewsbury. The costuming and cimematography are first class, especially for a television film.

The video version of this movie is slightly different from the televised version shown in 1984, but the difference are extremely minor, amounting to small changes in the scene where Marley's Ghost rides past Scrooge in the hearse.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Adaptation of Dickens Classic
Review: This one of the two best adaptations of the Dickens classic ever produced (The other being the 1951 Alistar Sim version). While taking some small liberties with the sequencing of some scenes from the book, these departures do nothing to detract from the authentic feel and characterization of the movie. If you wish to own (or watch) only one version of this story, this is the one. George C. Scott brings Mr. Scrooge to life vividly, he truly becomes the character.

Rating:
Summary: Living Proof -- TV CAN be great
Review: Acting doesn't get any closer to art than in George C. Scott's portrayal of the immortal miser, Ebenezer Scrooge. His performance is so good that it made me forget his turn as "Patton" -- and I didn't think anything could do that. I saw this on TV when it came out in 1985 and got it for Xmas (go figure) in 2001, and it holds up perfectly, always the mark of a true classic. There have been several versions of this Dickens tale, most notably by Alistair Sim and Patrick Stewart, and even a "modernized" version with Bill Murray ("Scrooged") but this is the best. The Sim version had elements which were written specifically for the movie, while Stewart went the opposite route and tried to reproduce the story as it was originally written. Here, however, the producers were clearly going for the essence of the story, with some of the more tedious, dated, and melodramatic elements eliminated. Scott's interpretation of Scrooge is that of a bitter, isolated man who has forgotten that he is a member of the human race. Long ago, he had all the elements that would have made a great and happy man, but he chose the path of financial success instead. Over the course of the three visitations from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come, he is battered back into contact with his own humanity. What makes this familiar tale so much better this time around is the acting -- Scott, faced with the revelations about his nature, is like a general trying to hold his (moral) ground at all costs. Watching him crumble by degrees leaves you awestruck by the depth of his acting ability. By the time the last ghost shows him his desolate, abandoned grave, we feel we have seen the character in sum -- good, bad, and ugly qualities all brutally exposed. And when he wakes up the next morning, his transformation seems real and appropriate, not forced. Of course, Scott is backed up by a first-class cast, with especially good performances by David Warner and Edward Woodward, but in fact there are no weak links in the acting. Furthermore, the production is excellent, more suited to a big-screen release than a TV movie. In fact, it's hard to believe this wasn't a feature film. If TV produced more like this, it might actually be worth watching.