A Christmas Carol

Rating:
Summary: Scott is darn good
Review: George C. Scott plays a Scrooge you will often think about during the holidays. He is on the money with Scrooge's old ways and his transformation is believable. This version is better than the Patrick Stewart one, although that too is decent. Sim's 1951 classic remains the definitive "A Christmas Carol," but Scott is excellent. His simple motions such as when he reacts to hot soup or turns his head at the business exchange are very realistic. This is a great movie to watch during the holidays and the scenery and characters are really good and make you feel part of the events.

Rating:
Summary: The very very best
Review: This is one of the best performances all around that you will ever see, of this or any story. Sets, script, acting, music, everything went right in this one, which never grows old but remains fresh year after year after year....

Rating:
Summary: DVD is one of My Favorite Christmas Presents of 2002!
Review: I have seen several different movie adaptations of A Christmas Carol and have liked them all but I think the three best versions are this George C. Scott adaptation, the Alastair Sim adaptation and the adaptation starring Patrick Stewart and I also like the adaptations starring Albert Finney, Reginald Owen and Sir Seymour Hicks. This adaptation is very good and I'm very impressed with George C. Scott's acting, he gave an excellent performance as Ebenezer Scrooge and I also liked David Warner as Bob Cratchit and there are many other fine performances too, Edward Woodward, Suzannah York, etc. I very highly recommend this adaptation which seems pretty faithful to the Charles Dickens classic and I like that they included aspects of the book that are not in the other Christmas Carol movies! I had seen some of this version a few years ago but didn't see the whole movie but I got this DVD today for Christmas and I just finished watching it and I loved it, definitely one of my favorite Christmas presents of 2002.

Rating:
Summary: Scott Rules
Review: A different interpretation from the growly Scrooges, and George C. Scott pulls it off wonderfully. This is the textbook version of how to put a new spin on Scrooge and underplay it. He is brilliant --- I love the way he smiles and he doesn't mean it --- and the kid they get to play Tiny Tim is the scruffiest and easily the most believable. Superb!

Rating:
Summary: Truly the Best Christmas Carol!
Review: My wife could never bear to watch the entire Christmas Carol movie with Alistair Sim, and never really cared much for the story anyway, until she saw this version and was mesmerized by it! It's not hard to see why. There are the fantastic production values, the music, the costumes, and the setting that bring Victorian London to life in all its splendour and squalor. The editing is tight, so the movie flows well and would not be tedious even for younger children. There are terrific performances by the supporting cast, particularly Roger Rees, Edward Woodward, and David Warner. But most of all, there is George C. Scott. I have never found Sim's conversion from mean to manic convincing. Fun to watch, maybe, but certainly not realistic. But Scott's performance is masterful: powerful, moving, and authentic. His Scrooge is not an inexplicably nasty ogre who needs the bejeezus scared out of him to force a hysterical conversion. Rather, Scott portrays him as a sympathetic and tragic figure of intelligence and feeling, who had much potential for good but was damaged by ambition, disappointment, and loneliness. Wonderfully touching, and so real it may remind you of someone you know!

Rating:
Summary: Damn, he's good...
Review: ...to paraphrase Mr. Scott. This is,without a doubt, my favorite Christmas movie. I now find it impossible to think of Ebenezer Scrooge as anyone other than George C. Scott. His facial expressions and delivery are perfect in every way. The other actors in the film are also superb, as is the costuming, the backgound, the music, everything. I even find myself popping this in at other times of the year. I still get goosebumps at the end. If you never get to see any other adaptation of this classic, see this one. And now I will stop gushing and go watch the movie again!

Rating:
Summary: The Best
Review: I've watched most if not all of the versions of A Christmas Carol. This one is by far the VERY best. George C. Scott plays the best Scrooge,the story is close to the book , the costuming is great. A must have!!!

Rating:
Summary: Another Fine Carol
Review: George C. Scott gives the best dramatic portrayal of Scrooge. He doesn't seem to attempt to show the pure joy that Alistair Sims showed after his amazing transition from bitter miser to kind giver but goes after a more down to earth portrayal of Scrooge. The sets and supporting cast are first rate. It is well worth seeing this version if you are a fan of Scott or not. Even if you think the 1951 or some other version is the best I will be very surprised if you aren't impressed with this version of A Christmas Carol.

Rating:
Summary: This one is the best adaptation of Dickens
Review: It is not an easy thing at all to take a literary masterpiece and fully adapt it to the screen or stage. In the case of this timeless classic of Dickens, it is especially true. Having just seen an operatic rendition of A Christmas Carol and being somewhat disappointed in the adaptation, I have now seen five different efforts to adapt Dickens' written work to either stage or screen. This particular effort, while not perfect, is still the best effort yet attempted.

It is clear that casting George C Scott in the role of Scrooge may single-handedly elevate this adaptation above all others. Scott is perfect for the role, and he devours it almost as if Dickens had written the character with him in mind. More than any other attempt at portraying Scrooge, Scott is extremely believable in his interpetation and therefore makes the Scrooge character riveting.

The supporting cast is also very good, as are the sets and costumes that compellingly take the audience on a convincing journey back in time. Edward Woodward in particular, is outstanding in his role.

As with many Christmas stories that have a decidedly religious element to them, there is always the very clear issue of how far modern adaptations will go in trying to secularize the story and downplay the religious aspects of the original work. This version of the Christmas Carol story is no exception. To its credit, this version maintains a notable amount of the overtly and covertly Christian themes that drive the story, although observant viewers will note that some of these themes, while rather overt in Dickens, become somewhat shadowy here. Scrooge's redemption at the end of the movie, while inspiring, is not overtly linked to religious salvation - which is a notable omission that the later Patrick Stewart version properly reintroduces to some degree.

But nonetheless, the moral bankruptcy of materialism, and the notable Christian themes of love, charity, compassion, a social conscience towards the poor and larger society, and contentment even in the midst of poverty are strongly portrayed in this version. The Cratchit family is correctly portrayed as a God fearing family who reads the Bible, goes to church, and displays consistent Christian values in their home. The audience is properly led to see a tragic contrast between the poor and mistreated but content Cratchit family, and the rich but tortured Scrooge.

Fantastic performances all around. It is a joyful thing to see a literary classic brought to life by inspired performances that are worthy of it. It is a joy to watch this version of A Christmas Carol every year. It is an affirmation of timeless values that the eternal God of Christianity created.

Rating:
Summary: One of Two Great Adaptations
Review: George C. Scott gave many unforgettable performances, but perhaps his most memorable is that of Ebenezer Scrooge in this 1984 TV movie. At the time of its release, Scott openly admitted that, when he began work on the film, he knew he was operating in the shadow of Alastair Sim, who had made the role of Scrooge his own in the 1951 British film classic. Sim was the first film actor to seriously approach the character and to play him as a real, multi-dimensional human being whom we find detestable in the beginning, but likable and somewhat tragic in the end. Because Sim's version had been considered definitive for more than 30 years, Scott was facing not only a challenging acting assignment, but also Sim's well-deserved reputation and recognition as Scrooge. Thus, Scott's magnificent performance is all the more remarkable. He too breathes life into the character and arouses the audience's interest in him. Few actors could have seduced audiences into temporarily forgetting Sim and viewing Scrooge as a new character, but Scott did it. In his hands Scrooge's life becomes real and meaningful - sad, tragic and, in the end, joyful. The film itself is easily the most beautiful production of the story ever preserved on film and it boasts the best supporting cast, led by David Warner, Edward Woodward, Frank Finlay, Roger Rees, and Susannah York. Sim and Scott left two indelible portraits of Dickens' wonderful character in two stellar film adaptations. We are fortunate to be able to enjoy both of them.