A Christmas Carol (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Arthur Allan Seidelman

Writers (WGA):

Charles Dickens (novel)
Mike Ockrent (musical) ...

Release Date:

28 November 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Musical

Plot:

An old bitter miser is given a chance for redemption when he is haunted by ghosts on Christmas Eve. |

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Kelsey Grammer	...	Ebenezer Scrooge
Jesse L. Martin	...	Ghost of Christmas Present / Ticket Seller
Jane Krakowski	...	Ghost of Christmas Past / Streetlamp Lighter
Jason Alexander	...	Jacob Marley / Marley's Ghost
Jennifer Love Hewitt	...	Emily
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Ghost of Christmas Future / Blind Beggarwoman
Patrick David	...	Chest-In-Safe Ghost
Steven Miller	...	Young Ebenezer Scrooge
Emily Deamer	...	Grace Smythe
Julian Ovenden	...	Fred Anderson
Joseph Tremain	...	Jonathon (urchin)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Julie Alannagh-Brighten	...	Sally Anderson
Brian Bedford	...	Mr. Fezziwig
Will Collyer	...	Caroller
Gus Corrado	...	Mr. Hawkins
Beth Curry	...	Panto girl #2
Edward Gower	...	Bob Cratchit
Linzi Hateley	...	Mrs. Cratchit
Máté Haumann
Ruthie Henshall	...	Young Scrooge's Mother
Mike Kelly	...	Scrooge's Father
Ian McLarnon	...	Mr. Smythe
Claire Moore	...	Mrs. Fezziwig
Jacob Moriarty	...	Tiny Tim
John Rado	...	The Judge
Sheila Reid	...	Mrs. Mops
Alan Ruscoe	...	The Poulterer
Karen Sieber	...	Panto girl #1
Leah-Verity White	...	Fan
Dave Willetts	...	Charity Trio
Josh Wilmott	...	Scrooge (10 years old)

Also Known As:

A Christmas Carol: The Musical (USA)

Runtime:

USA:97 min

Country:

Hungary | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Hallmark Entertainment

Trivia:

During the opening credits a top hatted urchin picks a gentleman's pocket, stealing his pocket watch. He then passes the watch off to a long coated man standing nearby. This is an obvious nod to the Artful Dodger and Fagan from Oliver Twist -- also by Dickens.

Goofs:

Continuity: Through the course of the movie, Scrooge's teeth continuously change from rotten to white.

Quotes:

Jacob Marley: When the clock strikes one... the Ghost of Christmas Past
Ebenezer Scrooge: I prefer not to think about the past
Jacob Marley: When the clock strikes two... the Ghost of Christmas Present
Ebenezer Scrooge: At the present I'd like to go to bed
Jacob Marley: When the clock strikes three... the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be! Three ghosts who yet may stop you ending up like me...

Movie Connections:

Version of The Stingiest Man in Town (1978) (TV)

Very well done.

I must admit that I expected NBC to blow it. I usually don't like made-for-TV movies or musicals turned into movies. I listen to the A Christmas Carol soundtrack every year and enjoy it. So to say I was scared would be an understatement. Plus the commercials during Shrek (which preceded it on NBC that night) were not that convincing. But wow was I wrong.

I must say I was impressed Kelsey Grammar more than anything. I didn't realize he could sing. Also I never realized that it was possible to actually make Scrooge eviler than in past productions. After the first 15 minutes I knew I was in for a treat.

Jason Alexander lived up to the hype I gave him with a fantastic rendition of Link By Link, one of my personal favorite songs in the show to begin with. I don't know if it was smart to leave out a bunch of the puns and jokes but it worked nonetheless.

I didn't expect to have a female ghost of Christmas past, I'll be honest. I've never seen it played by a woman. Now I'll admit that Jane Krakowski was great, but in my opinion she made the role too sexual during Lights from Long Ago. But the rest of her showing was great.

Now I must say as a Rent fan, I was so happy to Jesse L. Martin as the ghost of Christmas present. That was so well done. He was really funny, bouncy and when he mocked Scrooge I was so into it that I was in shock. It was great to hear that he still has that great voice especially since Rent comes out next year in theaters. Very well done.

The biggest surprise for me was the love duet between Jennifer Love Hewitt and Steven Miller. I'm not a big fan of Love's singing talent but the way the song was done was perfect and Grammar's backups were brilliant showing his true range in this movie.

Unlike past Christmas Carols I completely felt emotionally involved in this one and that could be thanx to brilliant renditions of songs and even the song added for Crachit and Tiny Tim just added a lil extra something to show their relationship so you felt even sadder when Tiny Tim dies in "the future". Even the extra lines and changes in the songs were well placed and well written.

A very nice surprise to start up my Christmas season. What I needed.

4 stars (out of 5)