Definitive Version of a Christmas Classic

They say there are two certainties in life, death and taxes. For me, there are a few more. Every Christmas season I will read Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, and every Christmas Day I will watch this film, what I consider to be the definitive version of this classic Christmas story. Packed with top-notch performances by an all star cast and filmed on location in Shrewsbury, England, A Christmas Carol is a Christmas classic even a Grinch could love. I saw this film the very first time it was broadcast back in 1984, and I instantly fell in love with it. That wasn’t hard for me to do, since Charles Dickens is my favorite author and I had already begun the tradition of reading the novel in December.

All our favorite characters are here: Jacob Marley, Good old Scrooge himself, his nephew Fred, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and the spirits. The performances are spot-on to the novel, right on down to the bit parts. Jacob Marley’s ghost is done fabulously, as are the boy Scrooge dispatches to purchase the Christmas turkey and the poulterer himself. David Warner, generally better known for his roles as a villain, is a believable and sympathetic Bob Cratchit. Susannah York plays Mrs. Cratchit, and Edward Woodward is delightful as the Ghost of Christmas Present.

The central character in this story, however, is Mister Ebenezer Scrooge. George C. Scott does not portray Scrooge, he is Scrooge in this film. I have never seen a character more vividly brought to life than Ebenezer Scrooge is by Scott. Indeed, last year a new version A Christmas Carol  was released featuring Patrick Stewart as Scrooge, and although I had high hopes for that film, Stewart’s performance just could not compare to Scott’s. This is all the more amazing in light of the fact that Stewart has portrayed good old Ebenezer for years in a stage version of A Christmas Carol, a luxury Scott did not have.

Witness Scott’s powerful performance at the moment the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come forces him to view his own name on a tombstone. It isn’t the notion of his own death that dismays Scrooge so much at this point, it’s the fact that no one grieves him, and he realizes that his lifelong obsession with wealth has been pointless. Stewart’s rendition of this moment in Dickens’ story seems lackluster and boring in comparison.

The character of Scrooge is really two characters: first the miserable miser and then the cheerful convert. Scott portrays both sides of Scrooge flawlessly, especially during the final scene when he arrives to work before Bob Cratchit His instant transformation between the two sides of Scrooge may just be my favorite part of the film, and Warner’s reaction is priceless too. Scott’s exchanges with Woodward as the Ghost of Christmas Present in Bob Cratchit’s home are a close contender.

This telling of A Christmas Carol is probably the most authentic of any version, though the new Stewart version does give it a run on that count. Dialogue, scenery, and the film itself are right on the money with only minor adjustments from the book. Like any good version, there are embellishments added in, such as the opening scene where Scrooge is negotiating the price of corn at the exchange. Notably missing are the scene where Jacob Marley exits through Scrooge’s window to a sky full of spirits, and Scrooge’s visit to a group of coal miners and a lighthouse. Both of these are included in the Stewart version.

George C. Scott is no longer with us now, having passed on a few years ago, but I believe he will be immortalized by his performance here. This is a film that will warm your heart and fill you with Christmas cheer. If you’ve never seen it before, you have a special Christmas present waiting for you this year. Perhaps you too will make it an annual tradition, as I have.