A Christmas Carol (1999) Reviews

• Impressive version but darker, with a meaner Scrooge

  roghache2006-04-06

  We are great buffs of A Christmas Carol in our household, and watch almost every version faithfully each Christmas, including the old 1938 Reginald Owen and the 1984 George C. Scott. Our overall favourite is the 1951 black and white tale starring Alastair Sim, because for me, Sim IS Ebeneezer Scrooge, his conversion the most believable. However, this modern version has its own unique merits and is a more than satisfying & watchable adaptation. (See my comments on the other films also, if interested) Patrick Stewart, once you get past his not being Captain Jean Luc Picard (difficult for us as Star Trek fans), makes a pretty convincing Ebeneezer Scrooge and definitely the meanest one of the cinematic world. This miser is just an incredibly nasty old businessman; personally, I'd be quite afraid to carol outside HIS office window! The tale begins uniquely, not with the classic rendering of 'Old Marley was dead to begin with', but with Marley's actual funeral as attended by his surviving business partner, the only movie version to detail this event. However, the rest of the film is quite conventionally done. Wonderful modern special effects of course, with Marley's ghost (a quiet but grim & tortured creature here) and so forth. The spirits are well captured, and the Spirit of Christmas Present is even (unlike other versions) shown to age, in keeping with the novel, as his twelve days of Christmas progress toward Twelfth Night. This adaptation has my absolute favorite depiction of Scrooge's nephew, Fred. His hearty entry into his miserly uncle's counting house is absolutely priceless, with his benevolent, booming, 'A Merry Christmas, Uncle. God save you!' I adore Fred in this tale. I also love the little added touch at Fred's Christmas dinner party where the punch is heated with a hot poker. Magnificent! On the other hand, while Mr. Fezziwig is indeed intended to be plump and jolly, I found the positively fat & rather crude Fezziwigs (both Mr. & Mrs.) a tad overdone. Scrooge's sister, Fan, is younger than him here, as in the novel. Most other versions have her older, and fabricate Scrooge's mother death in childbirth when he was born. However, Fan is barefoot in this movie when she comes to her brother's boarding school to retrieve him. How probable would that be in wintertime? This movie has by a mile the best depiction of the Cratchit's poverty. Frankly, in some versions, the Cratchits appear so downright prosperous that one half expects a servant or two to appear and begin assisting Mrs. Cratchit with the goose & pudding. These Cratchits are literally poor as church mice, just as Dickens intended them to be. Bob appears bone weary, haggard, and long-suffering, Mrs. Cratchit homespun but cheerful as she goes about her endless chores, and Tiny Tim of course a very endearing little waif. I did, however, have strong objections to the young Cratchits banging on the dinner table with their cutlery. Yes, they were eager for goose, but would never have dreamed of being so rude. (In the novel, they stuff spoons in their mouths so they won't shriek for goose!) If anything, this version is generally the most faithful to Dickens' novel. For example, it's the adaptation which best depicts Christmas Present's tale, where the miners, mariners at sea, and prison inmates are all celebrating Christmas as best they can. Especially dramatic is the scene in which a prisoner begins playing The First Noel on his recorder and the other inmates chime in one by one with their voices. You sense the spirit of Christmas in their midst. Also, this is the only version I've seen in which the repentant Scrooge attends church on Christmas morning before his appearance at the nephew's house for dinner. And at his office next morning, in his little speech to the befuddled Bob, Scrooge addresses the hot Christmas drink in question by its proper name, bishop, as per the novel. Overall, this modern movie is excellent, but doesn't come across quite as a heartwarming tale. Maybe more realistic, but somehow it seems a wee bit darker than the others.

• Instant classic!

  Costu-21999-12-06

  This is the timeless Dickens story...splendidly told! The cast is uniformly excellent, even down to the smaller roles that may only offer an actor a scene or two. But it is Patrick Stewart's show ALL THE WAY! Not only does he dominate every scene he is in by his sheer presence, but his interpretation of the character of Ebenezer Scrooge lends depth and believability to the old miser and his complete transformation, where others have veered toward caricature. The music, the costumes, the sets -- all are of first quality. Highly recommended!

• Best version by far, bar none. A+

  adamwankenobi2013-12-11

  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+

• Wonderfully done

  cymbols2001-12-16

  Patrick Stewart brings Ebenezer Scrooge to life in this wonderful production. As he moves from the embittered character which we are first presented with, through the intense emotions of a man reformed by the Christmas spirit, we are both astounded and captivated by the depth of Scrooge's character. A pleasure to watch.

• Faithful to Dickens, Stewart perfect

  Pfisiar6752004-11-05

  The sad thing about this adaptation is simply that audiences have expected less reserved acting and brighter and cheerier moods. However, I've read the book many times, and although I like all versions, I think this is probably the 2nd best I've seen. (I love the musical Scrooge with Albert Finney. It's delightful, if not entirely British in tone.) Scrooge was a Victorian man, which means the definition of his character would be one of reservation and stiffness. Patrick Stewart is quite believable as a Victorian British gentleman miser. I enjoyed immensely the understated end, where Scrooge changes much for the better, yet at the same time maintains the appearance of a Victorian gentleman. The scene in which Scrooge haltingly enters his nephews house is very powerful and poignant imo. Admittedly, the supporting cast is forgettable, but that's to be expected. This is Scrooge's story and belongs to no one else. What I think turns people off for this version is the stiffness portrayed by Scrooge and the general "oppressive" atmosphere of the movie. But it is quite good, and Stewart's portrayal of the Victorian Scrooge is perfect. Although, I think that from our own perspective, Alastair Sim's portrayal will remain the one that stays forever. This movie suffers most from a low TV budget which often limits the camera work along with special effects. But overall, this is one of the best versions out there.