A Christmas Carol

Theater fans who longed to see Stewart's one-man-show version of "A Christmas Carol" will really appreciate this ! Patrick Stewart on Broadway plays, Scrooge, Fezziwig, Tiny Tim, the Three Ghosts and every other yuletide Dickensian character . I bet that was a sight to see "Live" ! On stage ! In the TNT TV version Stewart plays only Scrooge the film is one of the better adaptations alongside George C Scott's 1984 version, Alastair Sim 1951 ; Sim is a phenomenal Scrooge "gold standard" ! I will tell you however Stewart is outstanding and a joy to watch as you can tell he has completely dedicated himself to the character.

An old bitter miser who makes excuses for his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve. Fabulous darker tale acted wonderfully by Patrick Stewart as Scrooge.

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.

Anyone who's never seen an adaptation of this perennial favorite would undoubtedly find it outstanding. However, since I almost literally cut my teeth on the ultimate version - the 1951 classic starring Alistair Sim - I couldn't avoid comparisons. Patrick Stewart turned in an inspired performance, but he lacked the sly humor that made Sim's' performance so endearing. I found the casting of Joel Grey as the Ghost of Christmas past an inspired stroke. The rest of the cast was admirable, and Tiny Tim had killer dimples! All in all - pop the popcorn, gather the family - and enjoy. You won't be sorry.

Bravo to TNT pictures for putting together two things that were made for each other; the role of Ebenezer Scrooge and the acting of Patrick Stewart. I could think of no other current actor who could approach Stewarts ability to grasp this complex role and after viewing the film I am convinced; Stewart is a genius.

Charming and worthwhile adaptation about timeless and quintessential Christmas story . ¨A Christmas Carol¨ is an enjoyable British production, a wonderful and straight forward approach to the Dickens's source material being perfectly adapted . It is given the full sense of wonder , a deluxe treatment in this superior TV film . The production values & acting are both excellent, with just enough attractive to appeal to the tenderhearted , and with some doses of horror , case of the potentially frightening elements the Ghosts of Past (Joel Grey), Present (Barrit) and Future , adding sentiment ; all of them are blended into the mix , until , like a nice Christmas punch , the result appeals to all . Scrooge (Patrick Stewart) is a miserly old businessman in 1840's London . He displays no charity to mankind generally, and in particular, to his employee Bob Cratchett (Richard E. Grant married to Saskia Reeves) and his unfortunate son, Tiny Tim . One Christmas Eve he is visited by the ghost of Marley (Lloyd), his dead business partner. He is warned that he must change his miserly ways or face damnation. Marley foretells that Scrooge will be visited by three spirits, each of whom will attempt to show Scrooge the error of his ways . In Just One Night , He Has Seen His Past, His Present, And His Future. And They've All Come Back To Haunt Him Will Scrooge reform his ways in time to celebrate Christmas? . To his delight, the spirits complete their visits in one night giving him the opportunity to mend his ways. The first spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Past, shows Scrooge visions of his own past in which had spent much of his childhood neglected by his father over the holidays at boarding school until he was finally brought home by his loving sister , who died prematurely after giving birth to his nephew Fred (Dominic West). A past in which appears a young Scrooge (Doughty) and including a broken engagement to his girlfriend (Laura Fraser) . Will Scrooge change his life in time to celebrate Christmas? .

A wonderful recounting of a Christmas vintage classic and Patrick Stewart demonstrates once again his versatility on screen in this retelling of Charles Dickens' immortal story . Atmospherically, the movie is as comfortable and heartwarming as an old Christmas card . The whole concept of looking at your life in the past, present and future is creative in and of itself . After watching the movie, you may look at your life from the same perspectives . Special effects add a nice little touch , but it is Patrick Stewart's interaction with the 'ghosts' and various characters that really steal the show . Though most of us , if not all of us, have seen other adaptations in the past or read the story , and know already what to expect, Stewart manages to capture pure magic with his stunningly awesome portrayal of main character Ebenezer Scrooge and it is definitely worth a look . It's fun and different approach to the Christmas classic with acceptable effects by means of computer generator . Furthermore , an emotive musical score by Stephen Warbeck and an appropriate cinematography by Ian Wilson add assets in this splendid TV film . A highly recommended picture that nobody should miss it especially during Christmas time . ¨David Hugh Jones's Christmas Carol¨ still ranks as one of the best TV adaptations of the Dickens classic ever . This retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption will appeal to Patrick Stewart fans .

Other versions about this stunning story courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions are the following : The rather obscure 1935 version,with Sir Seymour Hicks ; adaptation released by MGM , directed in 1938 by Edward L Marin with Reginald Owen ; the 1951 British production with Alastair Sim and the 1970 musical by Clive Donner with Albert Finney. Under the title of 'A Christmas Carol' a cartoon rendition (1997) by Stan Phillips and voiced by Tim Curry and another (1991) by Jimmy T Murakami with Simon Callow ; in addition adaptations made by classic animated characters as ¨Mickey Mouse's Christmas Carol and ¨Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol¨ . Finally the made-for-TV productions: 1984 with George C. Scott , 1999 with Patrick Stewart, and the 2004 musical with Kelsey Grammar and the recent made by means of Motion Capture starred by Jim Carrey and directed by Robert Zemeckis .