Directed By: Clive Donner
Starring: George C. Scott, Frank Finlay, Angela Pleasence
Tag line: "A new powerful presentation of the most loved ghost story of all time!"
Trivia: Scrooge's grave can still be visited at St Chad's Church graveyard, Shrewsbury, where the churchyard sequence was shot - the production team left the gravestone in place once filming was completed
There have been several film versions of Charles Dickens’ classic 19th century holiday tale, A Christmas Carol, from the Thomas Edison-produced adaptation in 1908 all the way up to Disney’s 2009 animated offering.
One of the most beloved cinematic takes on the story came in 1951, with Alistair Sim playing the part of Scrooge, but for me, this U.S. made-for-TV rendition of A Christmas Carol, starring George G. Scott, will always be my favorite. I watched it the night it debuted on CBS in 1984, and since that time, It’s become a staple in my Holiday rotation.
Ebenezer Scrooge (Scott) is the nastiest, stingiest man in all of London. As the city happily prepares for the upcoming Christmas season, old Scrooge is tending to business inside his tiny office with his assistant, Bob Cratchit (David Warner), who works long hours for very little pay.
On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is haunted by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley (Frank Finlay), who warns his old colleague that he must accept Christmas into his heart. To help him see the error of his ways, Marley tells Scrooge he’ll be visited that evening by three spirits: the ghosts of Christmas Past (Angela Pleasance), Christmas Present (Edward Woodward) and Christmas Yet to Come. With these spirits to guide him, Scrooge will hopefully discover the true meaning of Christmas, and live by its standards not only in December, but all year long.
Having made a career out of playing gruff characters, George C. Scott seemed the natural choice to portray the mean-spirited Scrooge, and true to form, he’s a real son-of-a-bitch at the film’s outset, angrily pushing street carolers out of his way and refusing to contribute money to assist the poor. He even tries to drive off Tiny Tim Cratchit (Anthony Walters), who is standing on the corner, waiting for his father to finish work.
Ebenezer Scrooge (Scott) is the nastiest, stingiest man in all of London. As the city happily prepares for the upcoming Christmas season, old Scrooge is tending to business inside his tiny office with his assistant, Bob Cratchit (David Warner), who works long hours for very little pay.
As far as family is concerned, the only person Scrooge has is his nephew, Fred (Roger Rees), who, every year, invites his uncle over for Christmas Dinner, an invitation that Scrooge regularly declines.
On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is haunted by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley (Frank Finlay), who warns his old colleague that he must accept Christmas into his heart. To help him see the error of his ways, Marley tells Scrooge he’ll be visited that evening by three spirits: the ghosts of Christmas Past (Angela Pleasance), Christmas Present (Edward Woodward) and Christmas Yet to Come. With these spirits to guide him, Scrooge will hopefully discover the true meaning of Christmas, and live by its standards not only in December, but all year long.
Having made a career out of playing gruff characters, George C. Scott seemed the natural choice to portray the mean-spirited Scrooge, and true to form, he’s a real son-of-a-bitch at the film’s outset, angrily pushing street carolers out of his way and refusing to contribute money to assist the poor. He even tries to drive off Tiny Tim Cratchit (Anthony Walters), who is standing on the corner, waiting for his father to finish work.
Yet what’s truly remarkable about Scott's turn in A Christmas Carol is how he pulls off the later scenes, when Scrooge, after glimpsing his sad future, becomes a changed man. Having so convincingly portrayed a bastard for most of the movie, Scott’s transformation into a kind, caring individual is just as believable. The scene where the actor is giddily jumping up and down on his bed, overjoyed that he hasn’t missed Christmas, is itself reason enough to see it.
Directed by Clive Donner, A Christmas Carol is awash in period costumes and settings, all of which look wonderful, and there are plenty of memorable moments as well, from Jacob Marley’s creepy visit to the boisterous sequences featuring Edward Woodward’s Ghost of Christmas Present. A mostly faithful adaptation of the classic Dickens tale, 1984’s A Christmas Carol is also a beautiful motion picture, with George C. Scott delivering one hell of a performance.
Directed by Clive Donner, A Christmas Carol is awash in period costumes and settings, all of which look wonderful, and there are plenty of memorable moments as well, from Jacob Marley’s creepy visit to the boisterous sequences featuring Edward Woodward’s Ghost of Christmas Present. A mostly faithful adaptation of the classic Dickens tale, 1984’s A Christmas Carol is also a beautiful motion picture, with George C. Scott delivering one hell of a performance.
5 comments:
One of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. In fact, it's one of my all-time favorites. Scott is just amazing.
RetroHound.com
This is very good thanks to Scott but I really the 1951 version and my holiday tradition is the 1970 version called Scrooge with Albert Finney.
This is both my favorite adaptation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL and my all-time favorite Christmas movie. There is nothing in it that I dislike, and the casting was absolutely flawless, joined with an amazing script and perfect direction.
George C. Scott deserved an award for his performance. Absolutely the best Scrooge ever! Also, Edward Woodward, one of my favorite actors, was perfect as the Ghost of Christmas Present. I am surprised it got only 2 stars.
The George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol is my absolute favorite. I saw it first in 1984 when IBM sponsored it. Now have it in Blu Ray and watch it every year. Scott is terrific as both the warped and bitter and miserly Scrooge and then as the transformed kind and genial Uncle Ebeneezer who is deeply sorry for his previous life. The supporting performers are excellent. Edward Woodward is my favorite of those. The production values are excellent.
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