A Carol Christmas

The story was a relatively faithful adaptation to the modern era with no surprises or anything to set it apart.

The acting was fair at best. Most of the main parts didn't come off as natural. This story didn't need any overacting yet it was there for some of the parts. I wasn't impressed with Tori Spelling, but it was about the norm for her.

A Christmas Carol has always been one of my favorite stories. I consider it to be the only "perfect" story ever written. I consider it wonderful that a story written in 1843 by Charles Dickens could still be as important and topical today as a newspaper headline. I feel that in this age of rampant commercialism and trivilization of Christmas that Dicken's story is as important as ever. Hollywood has always tried to take advantage of our love of this wonderful book. There have been literally dozens and hundreds of adaptations. On the radio, Scrooge was played by John and Lionel Barrymore, on the stage he was played by Olivier. In the movies, he has been played by Sir Seymour Hicks, Reginald Owen, Alastair Sim, Albert Finney, Bill Murray and Michael Caine and on television he has been played by Sterling Hayden, James Whitmore, Jack Klugman, Walter Matthau, George C. Scott, Henry Winkler, Jack Elam and Patrick Stewart. Its ironic that the best adaptation of Scrooge was done by a woman Susan Lucci in the classic 1995 Lifetime special Ebbie. THAT IS THE BEST VERSION OF THIS STORY TRUST ME FOLKS! However Tori Spelling does a fine job in this modern day version as well. Tori is the daughter of tv tycoon Aaron Spelling and got her start on her dad's tv show "Beverly Hills 90210" (boy do you suppose he helped get her the part?) I know its easy to be cynical and say that, but BUT Tori is a fine actress in her own right and to me she "earned her spurs" in this film playing a very challenging role. In playing Scrooge, you are in a sense playing three parts. Scrooge is a miserable miser in the beginning, and slowly evolving and showing remorse as the spirits visit him and then he is kind and loving in the end. To me Spelling accomplishes this very well. She plays Carol Cartman a "Ricki Lake" like tv trash host who cares only about herself and the Nielsen ratings. One night the ghost of her Aunt Marla(Marley)Dinah Manoff visits her and warns she will be visited by three....oh well you know the rest. Spelling gives a fine performance and really does well in the traditional "repentance" speech that Scrooge gives after Christmas future shows him his horrible fate if he doesn't change...(Why show me this if I am past all hope...I will change...I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year...I will live in the Past, Present and future...This is a very well made film from Hallmark and I give it high marks.

I especially loved seeing Jason Brooks in this film. I think he is a wonderful actor (miss him from Days and Baywatch Hawaii). He and Tori also did a movie called "Alibi" together in 1997.

Not really a big fan of Tori but she did a good job and the movie puts you in a good holiday frame of mind. I thought the blonde hair was a BIG improvement over the old RED.

The whole plot..a updated version of Christmas Carol in which the Scrooge character is someone in the media intent upon exploitating the Holiday for business purposes,and gets their comeuppances...was already done,and done much better in Scrooged with Bill Murray. Tori Spelling is not very good as the Carol of the title. Spelling has actually done some good work in a few Indie films,she is not without talent....but every time she gets some cred from her work in small indie films she throws it away on garbage like this. The whole Bill Shanter/Star Trek bit was about as funny as a funeral. Attempts to modernize the Dickens classic are a dime a dozen,and this is one of the weaker efforts. All in all,a waste of time.

I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES.

BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM FARE. THE REASON WHY I REVIEW THEM IS TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN!

Every year there seems to be 2-3 new versions of "A Christmas Carol". Since the original property is in public domain (Meaning anybody exploit material at no cost) I am afraid that we will forever see new spins on the story however I hope that are not as bad as this version.

Tori Spelling is front and center in this edition. She plays a cheap self centered talk show host who abuses her staff and has very little to do with her own family,

The screenplay here is just awful. There is not a consistent tone to any of it. The tweaks from the original book are just not good.

Because the story of " A Christmas Carol" is well known to everyone its a problem that this film can not solve. Because we all know the story we know what is going to happen. There is no surprise element. Because there is huge lack of discovery. The film seems to run longer than the 85 minutes that it is.

I will say Tori does an okay job. I have seen this story now told too many times now.

If anybody wants to watch a good adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" then watch the 1938 Version. Its b/w and it is the versions that all further adaptions used as a template.