A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
PG | 05 December 1999 (USA)
A Christmas Carol Trailers

Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.

Reviews
UnowPriceless

hyped garbage

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Onlinewsma

Absolutely Brilliant!

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Zlatica

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

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Guillelmina

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

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Adam Rock

Having read the book a couple times, and have watched every notable Hollywood production of the tale, this version is far and away the best and most faithful to the original book. Not ever detail is precisely from the book (but so what); the over-arching story is most accurate and captures the real essence of the story. (For those who don't know, Dickens continued to edit and re-write his one man stage performance for many years after publication of the book, so don't be so petty as to demand perfect adherence to the original novel if Dickens himself didn't.) Stewart nails Scrooge; head and shoulders above all other actors playing this role. My biggest complaint is that it was clearly edited for TV time constraints and I just wish they would release a "directors cut" with a few scenes being more fulled expressed. This version is a must-watch every Christmas. A+

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cdjole

Well, for the start, I'd just like to say that I loved this adaptation of the Christmas Carol. The first one I ever saw was the adaptation in Blackadder back in the 90s. The second one was this one. And after seeing a few more, I have to see that this one is still the best. For one, Stewart's Scrooge isn't cartoonish in his hatred of Christmas, even though it was sort of a norm in many adaptations. He is more subtle and such leaves us with a more realistic Scrooge IMHO. Patrick Stewart presents well the emotional cripple that is Ebenezer Scrooge and his fears of abandonment and betrayal. Instantly you see that Scrooge is a deeply tortured person. Also, the spiritual transformation is very organic, and you can see the key points in which Scrooge starts doubting himself, before he finally sees the error of his ways. The supporting cast is pretty damn good overall. Richard Grant conveyed the misery and helplessness, but certain and occasional hopefulness (brought on by the holidays) of Bob Cratchit quite marvelously. Now TV star Dominic West is truly masterful in his role as Fred. Interactions between him and Stewart have brought us some of the best scenes in any of the adaptations. The effects aren't top notch as far as technology for that time goes, but are presented to us in such a manner that they don't really seem out of place. The story is quite faithful to the Charles Dickens story. And one more thing that was very important to me: The movie conveys the fact that it is Christmas masterfully. Some movies fail utterly to deliver this feeling. But here, the sets are just right, the lighting, the extras, the music, the props... Everything makes you believe that its Christmas. In the end - I love this movie.Whenever December comes by I always enjoy watching it. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

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Scarecrow-88

Patrick Stewart of Star Trek: The Next Generation takes up the role for TNT cable television as penny-pinching anti-Christmas grouch, Ebenezer Scrooge, visited by four spirits, including his former money-lender business partner, and stock exchange pro, Jacob Marley (whose funeral opens the movie), of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. If Scrooge is to be rescued from a possible fate most unkind, he must see the error of his ways and embrace the holiday spirit that is absent from his life.I think Stewart is well cast as Ebenezer Scrooge, his authoritative voice, the kind of depth and breadth and command that comes from his posture, his presence, lends credibility to the miser role. I wasn't that wild and crazy about the whole tornado effects sequence where The Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge on a ride to a lighthouse, German ship at sea, and to nephew's party the miser was offered to attend, but there are instances like this in practically every Christmas Carol movie, I guess, that kind of annoy me. I think, inevitably, each and every Christmas Carol version is tested against the Alistair Sim Scrooge movie, his is the epitome of what the Dickens character is visualized as correct and authentic. This version has a moment that tickles my funnybone a bit: Scrooge visits his death bed, his body wrapped in a death shroud, and he asks the reaper-looking "Ghost of Christmas That is Yet to Come" if no one would find comfort in his demise and the spirit shows him of a poor couple owing a debt to him benefiting from the fact that they will have time, now that their moneylender kicked the bucket, to pay back the loan! Anyway, this version has the obligatory scenes we are accustomed to: the visit to his old school, to Fessiwigs when he was an apprentice, to the Christmas dinner of Bob Cratchet, to see his Nephew Fred's gathering of good friends, to the trader who lives in a paupers' area in an impoverished street corner somewhere deep in the bowels of an unflattering London, and ultimately to his grave. I think this fails in Scrooge's resurrection, his rebirth, Stewart seems more at home as the miser slowly becoming aware of his failures as a human being, while the reemergence after facing a possible death in full delight seems forced and strained for optimum effect, feeling less authentic which is what endears us to Sim and George C Scott in the revered '51 and '84 versions of The Christmas Carol. And, a gauge on how impactful this version is thrives on how the Tiny Tim storyline packs its punch. In this version, it never quite plays a melody with my heartstrings. I am not sure if it's the casting or what, but I never quite get that emotional wallop with Richard Harris' Cratchet, his wife, or the Tiny Tim of this Christmas Carol compared to others. David Warner's Cratchet, to me, is the definitive Bob Cratchet, his lot in life, the difficulties plaguing his character are present in his demeanor and voice, his weary face explicitly shows the years toiling with Scrooge and his little boy's illness. I sympathize with him wholeheartedly while Harris never, for some reason, quite captures my heart. Not sure why, it could just be me. I guess that really is how I feel about most of the casting, nothing extraordinary, workman-like is my best way to describe them. Mostly, I think Stewart does a commendable job, conveying the conflicting emotions, the good ones he once felt returning, with us seeing that Ebenezer is starting to sense where he went wrong as the bubbling-to-the-surface feelings before he molded into the miser bring an awareness that has him recognizing what he lost.

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TheLittleSongbird

I will begin to say that I adore Dickens's book, and I do think it is my absolute favourite Christmas story. Out of the versions of the book I've seen, Scrooge(1951), Mickey's Christmas Carol, The Muppets and the George C Scott film are my favourites. This film though is above average and is a perfectly decent film overall. Of course it isn't perfect, it is a tad too short, the special effects weren't always that great and there are shortcomings in the script. That said, out of all the adaptations, this 1999 version is definitely one of the truest to the book. The scenery, costumes and photography for a TV movie are not bad at all. Maybe not as lavish or inventive visually, but considering how some TV movies have special effects etc. that are close to appalling, I am not one to judge harshly. I also agree with anybody who says this adaptation has the best depiction of the Cratchits, who are seen as warm and loving, so the part when Scrooge looks into the future does evoke a tear or two. While the music was outstanding, the performances are what make the film, Joel Grey, Desmond Barritt and Tim Potter make for imposing spirits, and even with the casting of Saskia Reeves and Richard E Grant as the Cratchits the film successfully avoids falling into modernisation. It is Patrick Stewart who holds this film together however, with a worthy and surprisingly subtle performance. I like Stewart very very much, he is a fine actor, and while he is maybe not the most definitive Scrooge he is still absolutely great. And I liked Fred in this one, he was funny(and handsome too). All in all, impressive and I liked it a lot. 7.5/10 Bethany Cox

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