Let's get one thing straight: I am a huge fan of Charles Dickens. He's my favorite author, and among his many works, one of my most favorite isA Christmas Carol . It is a tradition for me to read the book each year at Christmas time, and to watch the various interpretations of it produced for the big screen and television. Thus you can imagine my excited anticipation when it was announced last year that a new interpretation of this holiday and literary classic would be shown on TNT. At first, I was a bit apprehensive about the selection of Patrick Stewart for the lead role, but then I realized he had played Scrooge on stage for years, so of course he should be ok, right?
Wrong. I've met Ebenezer Scrooge. Ebenezer Scrooge is a good friend of mine. Mr. Stewart, you're no Ebenezer Scrooge. Admittedly, Patrick Stewart faced several hurdles that were formidable to say the least, the first being the wonderful performances given by Alistair Sim in 1951 and George C, Scott in 1981 in the role of Scrooge. Stewart also carries the burden of being forever stereotyped as Jean Luc Picard, Captain of the Starship Enterprise. Indeed, I half expected him to say, "Make it so!" throughout A Christmas Carol.
And yet, Stewart just doesn't come across here as a believable Scrooge. Having read the novel a number of times, the character Stewart brings to the screen just doesn't resemble the same Ebenezer Scrooge Dickens put to paper. Compounding the problem are the lackluster performances by other members of the cast, as well. Bernard Lloyd as Jacob Marley is mostly boring and monotone, though he has a few moments. Desmond Barritt as The Ghost of Christmas Present is a stiff in more than one sense of the word, and pales beside Edward Woodward's portrayal of the character in the early eighties production of the same name. One half suspect's real ghosts were used in the making of this film with all the deadpan deliveries we see.
Worst yet is The Ghost of Christmas Future, whose costume is so ridiculous as to defy description. What were they thinking? A huge, phony looking shroud for a head with phony looking light bulbs inside is not my idea of this character. Joel Grey is the only Spirit with spirit as the Ghost of Christmas Past, though even his performance is at times less than inspiring.
With that said, not all the acting was awful here. Dominic West is infectious as Scrooge's nephew Fred. Richard E. Grant is credible as Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim and Old Fezziwig are well portrayed, too. Perhaps showing them all up, however, is Saskia Reeves as Mrs. Cratchit, whose affecting manners, facial expressions, and tone of voice really have us believing she's the genuine article.
A Christmas Carol is very much a character-driven tale, and therefore the mostly less than stellar performances in this version are quite damaging. And yet, there are still portions of the film that are truly inspiring, that make it worth watching all the same, and manage to redeem as surely as Scrooge is saved on Christmas Morning. Take, for example, the scene in which Scrooge looks out of his window after Marley's departure to see a sky full of lost souls wafting through the night. Seemingly torn straight from the pages of the novel, I was mesmerized by this often overlooked segment.
Perhaps the very best, though, is the depiction of the Ghost of Christmas Present transporting Scrooge to a lighthouse, a ship at sea, and a coal mine to show him the meaning of Christmas. Set to the strains of a rendition of Silent Night sung by the visited, first in English, then the original German, then French, and then back to an impressive finale in English again. It's truly incredible, and sparkles with holiday hope and cheer.
Overall, I think this version of Dickens' classic novel is worth watching once to form your own opinion. I wouldn't recommend it as a buy until you've first seen it first. There are better versions, but this is one that can still be enjoyed despite its many flaws.
Note: Purists will argue on which Scrooge is best. Perhaps, though, the best version of all isA Christmas Carolwith George C. Scott in the lead role.
An adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic novel finds Stewart STAR TREK: The Next Generation MOBY DICK as the infamous miser Ebenezer Scrooge a man h...More at Family Video
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