12 Days of Christmas 2015: A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol (1984)
Starring: George C. Scott, David Warner, Roger Rees
Directed by: Clive Donner


With my last review of the year 2015, I'm going to leave you with my thoughts another version of A Christmas Carol that I'm brand new to watching. This time, let's just strip away the gimmicks. No Mickey Mouse. No Kermit the Frog. No Bill Murray. Let's have a genuine version of A Christmas Carol made by British filmmakers and starring British actors. Return it to its Charles Dickens roots and let's see something truly memorable that could lead to the definitive film version of A Christmas Carol. Ok...so this is a television movie, but I own it on DVD, it's distributed by Fox, and I've already reviewed a version that was technically just a 25 minute short, so I'm going to go ahead and count the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol as my final review of 2015 and the final review in my 12 Days of Christmas series this year. Wait...in my Scrooged review, I went on a tangent about television, and in that movie they are making a television film for A Christmas Carol. There we go. That's the segue I'm going with. Anyways, here's my thoughts on the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol. Enjoy.

Ebenezer Scrooge is played by George C. Scott in this version. What more needs to be said? The guy commands the screen as Scrooge. He knows how to play him as such a miserable, greedy schmuck. As time goes on, you can see him display a wide array of motions during his journey, particularly when he travels to the past. You see bitterness, lament, and even joy. That's a lot of complex emotions for an actor to get right in a performance and Scott is more than up to the task in this film. I definitely think he's the best Scrooge I've seen thus far, as his transformation really comes off as something sincere. Just look at that picture. THAT'S what I imagine Ebenezer Scrooge looks like. Bravo Mr. Scott.

The supporting cast is pretty solid here. A few of the standouts include David Warner as Bob Cratchit and Roger Rees as Scrooge's nephew Fred. There's even a small role from Michael Gough (whom I know as Alfred from the '80s and '90s Batman movies) that I had fun seeing. But the Ghosts really win over the supporting cast. The costumes they gave these guys and the performances that shine through really help elevate the narrative. The Ghost of Jacob Marley is actually pretty creepy to look at, the Ghost of Christmas Past looks like something out of a David Bowie video, and the Ghost of Christmas Present is jolly, but knows when to be stern. You may have noticed that I haven't really referred to the Ghost of Christmas Future/Yet to Come in any of my reviews. That's because he's usually an empty performance in a black cloak or a special effect. Anyways, the cast is able to keep up with Scott in delivering good performances throughout the film and definitely make it one of the best acted versions of A Christmas Carol that I've seen.

I'm sure there are many who would look at this version of A Christmas Carol as the definitive version to see. And in many cases, it is. Based on the ones I've watched this holiday season, this one seems the closest to telling an authentic story representing Charles Dickens. I mean, just sit through this movie and gaze upon the atmosphere. The snow, the shadows, the lighting. This film is just bathing in rich scenery to set a proper tone. However, the one thing that may hold up the modern, casual moviegoer is the dialogue. It's really tough to get into if you don't have an appreciation for the British culture. If you don't understand the older English dialect that you would see on stuff most commonly found via the BBC, then this may be a tough movie to sit through. Even so, the atmosphere is so spectacular and the performances are so well done that it's still a great movie to watch during the holidays, whether you understand what they're saying or not.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

With good performances and authentic feel to it, the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol feels like a definitive version for all Christmas fans to see at least once. It might be a tad slow or "British" for the general viewer, but if you're a fan of the Dickens classic, give this one a shot. You might find a good number of things in it that will leave you delighted to have watched it.

A Christmas Carol and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox