macmill-56539
Ugh, this version of Dickens' much loved fable is very stale fare indeed. Scott's Scrooge, with the occasional exception, is so very one note, he looks like he's on auto pilot for much of the film. Warner's Cratchit is far too poised and self assured for a character that is supposed to be downtrodden, stressed out, browbeaten but again his mildly perturbed and shrugging "oh well, what you can you do" performance is very much in keeping with Scott's slightly grumpy and disinterested Scrooge.The problems though, aren't limited to those two actors, the guy playing Fred the nephew isn't nearly as charming and likeable enough for the part he plays and at times even comes across as quite reserved. The ghost of Christmas past looks like an 80's new romantic pop star. Marley's ghost looks like a hammy Shakespearean luvvie in heavy grey makeup - ala Alec Guinness in the musical version - and isn't at all believable as a condemned spirit. The classical beauty Susannah York as Mrs Cratchit is also an ill fit, far too aristocratic and perfectly turned out. The only part not horribly miscast is Edward Woodward as the ghost of Christmas present and even he does nothing special with the role and struggles to instil any emotion into the film.I'm completely baffled as to how anyone could cite this movie as being one of the best versions and as being better than the wholly superior Patrick Stewart version. I guess it's true, there really is no accounting for taste.
Prismark10
The striking thing of the 1984 television movie starring George C Scott as Scrooge is the faithfulness to the text, not only in the lines spoken by the cast but in director Clive Donner bringing it in the visuals such as the door knocker changing to the face of Marley and bringing to life the sparse Victoria setting of Scrooge's lifestyle.Of course there is no issue that an excellent actor such as Scott will have no issue playing the miser Scrooge and there are excellent turns from Frank Finlay as Marley and Edward Woodward as the gigantic Ghost of Christmas present with a touch of malevolence.Maybe the casting of David Warner did not feel right as Bob Cratchit, an actor who spent most of the 1980s playing villains and maybe was a little too old for the role.The film is filled with British character actors, sadly many of whom along with Scott are no longer with us. However if you want to see a traditional adaptation of Dicken's festive tale then you cannot go wrong with this one.
Jackson Booth-Millard
I had seen various actors playing the miserly Scrooge, including Alistair Sim, Albert Finney, Sir Michael Caine, Sir Patrick Stewart, Simon Callow, Kelsey Grammar and Jim Carrey, but I had missed this version of the classic Charles Dickens story a few times, but I did watch it eventually. Basically it is Christmas Eve in Victorian London, Ebenezer Scrooge (Primetime Emmy nominated George C. Scott) is a hard-nosed, single-minded businessman who dislikes Christmas, and he treats everyone with extreme contempt, including his clerk Bob Cratchit (David Warner) and his only living relative, his disowned nephew Fred Holywell (Roger Rees, also narrating). At home in the middle of the night Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his deceased business partner Jacob Marley (Frank Finlay), he warns Scrooge that unless he changes his ways he will suffer a terrible fate like him, and he tells that he will be visited by three spirits who will teach him lessons. The first spirit is the Ghost of Christmas Past (Angela Pleasence, Donald's daughter) who takes Scrooge back in time to see the shadows of his own past, growing up as a child, entering the world of business, working as the apprentice of Mr. Fezziwig (Timothy Bateson), meeting and falling in love with Belle (Lucy Gutteridge), until she ends their engagement believing Young Scrooge (Mark Strickson) no longer loves him like he used to, it is seeing what Belle is doing with a new family that Scrooge stops the memories, putting the spirit out with her cap. The second spirit is the Ghost of Christmas Present (Edward Woodward) who takes Scrooge to visit those he knows to see how they celebrate Christmas, he sees his nephew Fred with his wife Janet (Caroline Langrishe) and friends toasting his uncle, despite disagreement, and he sees Bob Cratchit celebrating a meagre dinner with his wife Mrs. Cratchit (Susannah York) and children, including crippled son Tiny Tim (introducing Anthony Walters) who is ill, the spirit finally leaves Scrooge alone to await the appearance of the third spirit. The third spirit is the silent Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Michael Carter), it shows Scrooge the future Christmas where someone has died and many people are glad, including some businessmen and Mrs. Dilber (Liz Smith) who has stolen their possessions, Tiny Tim lost his fight with the unknown illness, Bob and his family mourn his death, finally Scrooge is horrified to see his name on a gravestone, he begs the spirit that this cannot be and he promises to change his ways and honour the spirit of Christmas. Scrooge then finds himself in his bedroom, it is the morning of Christmas Day, happy to be alive he lives up to his promise, he finds a boy to buy a turkey for the Cratchit family, he meets with charity workers Mr. Poole (Michael Gough) and Mr. Hacking (John Quarmby) and donates an unheard large sum, he accepts the invitation of Christmas dinner from nephew Fred, and the following day he increases the salary for Bob Cratchit, and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, Scrooge becomes a second father, and he keeps up his promise. Also starring Nigel Davenport as Silas Scrooge. I knew Scott best for his Oscar winning role as General Patton, he is certainly a good choice to play the grouchy man turned good, the recognisable supporting cast members do their parts well also, this feels like most of the other versions of the story I have seen before, but for a TV made film it is well done and likable enough, a pleasant seasonal period drama. Worth watching!
