The 1999 TV adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" sticks pretty close to the book, but like any adaptation, it adds a little and subtracts a little. How did they do?
The movie opens with Jacob Marley's funeral procession in 1836. There's no narrator, so Scrooge and some of the other characters have some expository dialogue about Marley being dead as a doornail and such. I think it's a bit awkward. Interestingly, however, Scrooge promises Marley that he'll keep doing what they've been doing. And how!
Scrooge goes back to his office, outside of which is a pretty spiffy "Scrooge and Marley" sign. But it ages a lot! We go inside and Bob Cratchit mentions it's been seven years since Marley died, so shouldn't they change the sign? That went over about as well as expected!
These opening scenes apparently strongly influenced the Jim Carrey computer animated version of ten years later. They're quite similar.
Scrooge and Cratchit argue about coal and such, then Scrooge's nephew Fed sneaks up on Scrooge. After the usual banter, we see Fred out in the street where he runs into the charity solicitors, who ask him where Scrooge and Marley's is, saying they're new to the district. Fred gives them a "you'll be sorry" look.
The gentlemen get the welcome that Fred predicted and Scrooge knows that they must be new. They're given names here, Williams and Foster. Interestingly one of them says there are hundreds of thousands in need. That's not usually specified like that.
After they leave, we see a bunch of carolers and one says he's going to try Scrooge's. The others don't think he should, and they're proven correct when Scrooge goes totally "get off my lawn" on them all!
After begrudgingly giving Bob Cratchit the next day off, Scrooge goes straight home and sees Marley's face in the knocker. Marley screams at him, which is little wacky.
While eating his gruel, he sees little Marley faces in the fireplace tiles. The tiles are biblical scenes and are probably the closest to the description in the book than in any other version.
Marley's Ghost comes in and Scrooge is not overly impressed. He says, "Speak up, man," so the ghost takes off his wrapper and we get a pretty good effect of its jaw dropping. What's weird, though, is that Scrooge goes over and snaps its jaw back into place!
Also curious is that when Marley's Ghost says its own change is "ponderous," which it isn't because we see it. It's Scrooge's chain that's ponderous!
Marley's Ghost does show Scrooge the other phantoms before leaving.
The Ghost of Christmas Past shows up and, as mentioned before, has an odd appearance, sort of young, sort of old.
They go back to Scrooge's school and Scrooge yells out the names of some of the kids. This version's big on assigning random names. I wonder if the names are actual old classmates of Patrick Stewart's or something fun like that.
They see young Ebenezer by himself and Scrooge says that his father turned against him when his mother died. They don't say why, but it doesn't seem to be that the mother died in childbirth.
Then Scrooge's apparently younger sister comes in. Fine, but she's named "Fran!" What? That's horrible! Why, Patrick Stewart, why? You should know better!
Next, they go to Fezziwig's. In an amusing bit, old Scrooge peeks at young Scrooge's ledger and gives an approving nod.
I must say that I don't care for the depiction of Fezziwig and his family here. They're very crass and vulgar and remind me of the Thenardiers from "Les Miserables," which is not a good thing. And they give them a son here, and he has the same hairdo as Fezziwig, but that's supposed to be Welsh wig, so does the son have a junior wig? I don't like this whole sequence one bit!
Scrooge says things look better than they were. Hmmm...
As by now seems the norm, Belle is at Fezziwig's party, so we know who she is before the inevitable breakup. For some reason, however, we don't see Belle married with her family.
When the Ghost of Christmas Present shows up, Scrooge is still not too impressed. He says he wants to get it over and done with. He's a tough nut to crack, but not quite as tough as George C. Scott.
They see people celebrating the holiday as they make their way to Bob Cratchit's house. Martha (who looks young) comes in and talks about working at the shop and Scrooge approvingly says that she sounds like a hard-working girl. Too bad her father doesn't do as good of a job!
They have their rather grim dinner, then Tiny Tim sings "Silent Night."
What's fun is that the song is picked up by the guys in the lighthouse then the sailors, who sing it in German, and so on, to show other celebrations. It's a good way to show what a lot of versions don't.
We then go to Fred's party, which also has a different vibe. The guests spend most of the time raking Scrooge over the coals and not in a jovial manner. They make Fred defend him, which actually makes Fred look better. Topper gets a last name, Haines, here. I think he's more creepy than fun. Fred's wife's sister also gets a name (Betsy) and a couple named the Bennetts are added in.
Before this spirit goes, we do see Ignorance and Want.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come appears next and I don't like it at all. It has these weird eyes for some reason. They look like cheap LEDs or something. I don't know what they were going for. Is it supposed to look like a Jawa?
This spirit shows Scrooge a lot of stuff. We get the other businessmen at the Exchange, and the scene at Old Joe's. In addition to Mrs. Dilber, the others get names: Mr. Crump for the undertaker and Mrs. Riggs for the charwoman. Or is she the laundress? Never mind!
After the body on the bed, we get the scene with Caroline and he husband happy that Scrooge died. This is always good to see.
For tenderness connected with a death, we go to the Cratchit's house and Bob goes to the room and we actually do see the recently deceased Tiny Tim! Is that the first time since 1935?
Scrooge then is brought to the graveyard, where he sees his grave. But hen he sees himself in his coffin as he falls in! Yikes! Luckily, he falls into his own bed.
Now, Scrooge is fully reformed and apparently wants to celebrate with a laugh. Well, he chokes one out so violently that the first time you see this show you think he might be having a heart attack. That would not be happy ending!
But, he's OK, and calls to the boy out the window. He has to force himself to offer the boy a shilling, which is a neat touch. The kid is oddly suspicious and demands that shilling!
After dealing with the turkey business, he finds time to shave, as he doesn't have his stubble anymore. He then goes to church, which is another rarely seen detail from the book. Amusingly, he doesn't know that he should remove his hat. It's been a while!
He goes to Fred's and does the polka just like Alastair Sim!
Oddly, he doesn't run into either of the charity solicitors during his Christmas morning rounds.
The next day he surprises Bob at the office the next morning in manner that's very faithful to the book in that Bob really thinks Scrooge might need a strait-waistcoat.
During the epilogue, Fred comes on to narrate as we see Scrooge awaiting the whole Cratchit family, whom he welcomes into his home.
A nice ending, if cribbed somewhat from the George C. Scott version!
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