Staff Christmas Favorites: Mr. Scrooge

 

Christina:  My favorite TV Scrooge is George C. Scott. He was born in my hometown, even if he doesn’t claim us.

 

 

Christy:  My favorite Scrooge is Jim Carrey's version in Disney's A Christmas Carol. The movie is surprisingly dark which I think works well for the ultimate Christmas ghost story.  Carrey is fantastic in all his roles as well. I feel like it's an underrated gem and a little unfairly maligned.

 

My dad bought the movie when it came out on DVD (all the way back in 2010) despite not having seen it at the time. When I asked why he would buy a movie he's never seen his simple response was, "It's A Christmas Carol. We know it's good."

 

Ashley: Every Christmas Eve, we settle in and watch A Muppet Christmas Carol. A story that's always been a favorite of mine, I have to admit that the Muppets have perhaps ruined me for other versions; no one seems to tell the story quite as well as Gonzo does! Statler and Waldorf as the Marley brothers are our favorites, so much so that it's made me pause in recent years when I remember that the original only has one Marley. Michael Caine is easily my favorite Scrooge, and the seriousness in his performance alongside the Muppets is easily one of my favorite things about the movie. It just doesn't feel like Christmas Eve until we get to sing along with Kermit as he lets us know that there's 'One More Sleep Til Christmas'. 

 

Justin:  The TNT special A Christmas Carol starring Patrick Stewart. Because he can really convey the bitterness, sadness, and regret in Scrooge's character. The entire direction of the movie is marvelous, and really evokes emotion from the viewer. This one left its mark on me growing up. (Bristol Main has it.) 

 

Jeanne:  I have several favorites!  George C. Scott is the one I always think of first, with the wonderful David Warner as Bob Cratchit.   I also love Michael Caine’s performance; not only is he a great Scrooge, but the way he interacts with the Muppets is so natural and realistic that I sort of forget they are Muppets. I also like to make time to watch Mr. Magoo’s version, a childhood favorite.  One more I’ll throw in, but it’s not from A Christmas Carol: it’s Christopher Plummer’s rendition in The Man Who Invented Christmas, about how Dickens came to write his beloved tale.  Having Dan Stevens as Dickens didn’t hurt either.

Selena: My favorite is Reginald Owen.  Don't ask me why!  He just is.

Christmas Movie Memories

Thoughts by Jeanne

As a child, I looked forward to the Christmas specials:  Rudolph, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol, The Little Drummer Boy, It’s a Wonderful Life, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated TV version, of course), and Frosty the Snow Man were favorites, eagerly awaited because they were only broadcast once a year and there were no home video versions available. 

Of course, these days one can just pop in a DVD and watch Frosty in July if the notion strikes, which is convenient but not “special.” I keep up the tradition in my own way by saving the movies to watch while I wrap packages or write Christmas cards.  Here are some of the films that usually find their way into my player these days:

•         A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott as Scrooge.  I’ve seen a number of versions, but I’m most convinced by Scott’s transformation from curmudgeon to philanthropist.  Also I like David Warner as Bob Crachit.

•           Muppet Christmas Carol is another winner as far as I’m concerned. No matter how . . . um, how to put this delicately… unconvincing (*cough* "Jaws:  The Revenge" *cough) the movie’s premise, Caine gives it his all as if he believes every word.  His interactions with the Muppets are, as was Mrs. Crachit’s pudding, a triumph.

•          We’re No Angels, a 1955 comedy caper starring Humphrey Bogart as one of three convicts who are on the lam after escaping Devil’s Island right before Christmas.  The plan is to lay low, steal some clothes and get the heck out of Dodge—er, French Guiana.  They end up befriending a family whose sweetness and gullibility are about to cost them their store and of course our guys decide to stop that from happening the only way they know how.  I’ll leave it at that.

•          The Man who Invented Christmas is a new entry on my list as the movie just came out in 2017.  Dan Stevens stars as Charles Dickens at a time when the writer desperately needed a hit book to provide some much needed cash to keep the family afloat.  It’s based on the book of the same title by Les Standiford; of course, I read the book first and was pleased at how well the movie followed.  Artistic license is taken by having Dickens imagine conversations with some of his soon to be famous creations, most notably Scrooge (delightfully played by Christopher Plummer). 

•          I might as well confess now:  I am the person who loved Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever. Yep, I’m the one.  I don’t have a lot of patience with the sappy, cookie cutter Christmas movies that seem to flood the airwaves this time of year.  Most of them feature shiny actors with shiny teeth and shiny hair who rediscover the Spirit of Christmas in under two hours and live Happily Ever After.  Sure, Grumpy’s movie rather follows the formula but it has the ever adorable Grumpy and a dose of snark supplied by Aubrey Plaza aka Voice of Grumpy.  I think it’s fun.  Sue me.

Of course, everybody has his or her own “must-see” films.  I know two people who both love The Shop Around the Corner and another whose holiday isn’t complete without a viewing of White Christmas.  What are your favorite holiday films?

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (read by Jim Dale)

Reviewed by Christy

            In 2007, the tv show Pushing Daisies premiered on ABC. It was a whimsical take on the popular crime procedural genre. Ned, a pie maker, has a very special gift. With his touch he can wake the dead but touch them again, and they’ll remain dead forever. When a private investigator stumbles onto Ned’s gift, they team up to solve crimes together. Though it was only on for a short period of time, its pop of colors, eye-catching costumes, and fairy tale-like quality made a lasting impression. It even had a narrator. The narration of Jim Dale brought all the elements together, and this is where he first caught my attention.

            Though he has a long storied career as a singer and actor in the UK, in America he is known as the voice of “Harry Potter” because he narrates all seven audiobooks and the video games. (He also holds a Guinness World Record for creating 146 voices for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). He has narrated several other audiobooks as well including The Night Circus and A Christmas Carol.

            Though we probably all know the story of Ebenezer Scrooge by heart, I had never read the actual book. When I saw that Jim Dale narrated the audiobook, I put it on hold on READS and was excited when it finally popped up in my loans.  He does an absolutely wonderful job. His character voices are distinct, and his voice has a relaxed but dignified grandpa quality that is very cozy to listen to. There’s not much to say about the text itself since it’s so iconic but I enjoyed the story including the darker elements (I still think Disney’s A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey is one of the best adaptations. It can be quite dark for an animated movie – truly a Christmas ghost story). If you’re someone having trouble getting into the holiday spirit, I think listening to this book, a comfy blanket, and some steaming hot cocoa could work wonders.

If you like Dickens but aren’t interested in A Christmas Carol, he wrote several other short Christmas stories. We have a collection available at Main and another collection available on audiobook through READS.

NOTE: for those of you who prefer CDs to downloads, we also have the Jim Dale A Christmas Carol on CD.