A Christmas Carol (1984 film)



A Christmas Carol is a 1984 British-American made-for-television film adaptation of Charles Dickens' famous 1843 novella of the same name. The film is directed by Clive Donner, who had been an editor of the 1951 film Scrooge, and stars George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. It was filmed in the historic medieval county town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

Plot
On Christmas Eve in 1843 London, Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly money-lender at a local counting house, does not share the merriment of Christmas. Scrooge declines his nephew Fred Hollywell's invitation for Christmas dinner and reluctantly accepts his loyal employee Bob Cratchit's request to have Christmas off since there will be no business for Scrooge during the day. As he leaves for the Royal Stock Exchange, Scrooge encounters Bob's ill son Tiny Tim waiting across from Scrooge's office. After initially mistaking Tim for a beggar, Scrooge assures him that he will have a long wait for his father in the cold before leaving.

In the stock exchange, Scrooge is greeted by three other businessmen who wish to purchase some corn; they had delayed in concluding the deal, apparently in hopes that Scrooge would lower his price. To their dismay, however, Scrooge informs them that the price has gone up 5% because of the delay, and unless they come to an agreement, the price would go up another 5% the next day. Before leaving, Scrooge informs them that he will not ship without the cash in hand. After being approached by two gentlemen collecting money for charity, Mr. Poole and Mr. Hacking, Scrooge turns down their request. In his house, Scrooge encounters the ghost of his deceased business partner Jacob Marley, who warns him to repent his wicked ways or he will be condemned to the same afterlife as his, carrying heavy chains forged from his own greedy ways. He informs Scrooge that three spirits will visit him for that night.

At one o'clock, the childlike Ghost of Christmas Past visits Scrooge and takes him back in time to his childhood and early adult life. They visit Scrooge's time as a boarding school student. He sees his father Silas, who gets him a job with Fezziwig, and his sister Fan, who has since died. Eventually becoming successful in money lending and business, Scrooge becomes engaged to a woman named Belle. However, the Ghost shows Scrooge how Belle left him when he chose his wealth over her. Finally the spirit shows Scrooge that Belle later married and had many children. Seeing what he had lost at the price of gaining his fortune, a distraught Scrooge puts out the spirit with its cap as he returns to the present.

At two o'clock, Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Present, who shows him the joys and wonder of Christmas Day. Scrooge and the Ghost visit Bob's house, learning his family is surprisingly content with their small dinner. Scrooge takes pity on Tim after the spirit comments that he will not survive until next Christmas. The spirit then takes Scrooge to Fred's house for the Christmas party that Scrooge had earlier declined to attend. Scrooge and the spirit then go to a desolate street where he shows Scrooge two hideous children named Ignorance and Want and warns Scrooge to beware of them before he disappears.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come approaches Scrooge, appearing as a silent, cloaked shadow, and takes him into the future. Scrooge witnesses the businessmen discussing the death of an unnamed colleague where they would only attend the funeral if lunch is provided. Scrooge recognizes several of his stolen possessions being traded to a fence named Old Joe. The spirit transports Scrooge to Bob's residence where he learns Tim had died. Scrooge is then escorted to a cemetery, where the spirit points out his own grave, revealing Scrooge was the man who died. Realizing this, Scrooge vows to change his ways and begs to be spared.

Awakening in his bedroom on Christmas Day, Scrooge finds the ghosts had visited him all in one night. Gleeful at having survived the spirits, Scrooge anonymously sends the Cratchits a large, prize-winning turkey for dinner. He then ventures out into the city to spread happiness among the citizens of London. Scrooge finds the charity workers he encountered before and much to their elation, Scrooge agrees to make a large donation. Scrooge also accepts Fred's Christmas invitation after reconciling with him. The following day, he gives Cratchit a raise and becomes like "a second father" to Tim, who escapes death. A changed man, Scrooge now treats everyone with kindness, generosity, and compassion; he now embodies the spirit of Christmas.

Cast

 * George C. Scott – Ebenezer Scrooge
 * Mark Strickson – Young Ebenezer Scrooge
 * Frank Finlay – Marley's Ghost
 * Angela Pleasence – Ghost of Christmas Past
 * Edward Woodward – Ghost of Christmas Present
 * Michael Carter – Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
 * David Warner – Bob Cratchit
 * Susannah York – Mrs. Cratchit
 * Anthony Walters – Tiny Tim Cratchit
 * Roger Rees – Fred Hollywell/Narrator
 * Caroline Langrishe – Janet Hollywell
 * Lucy Gutteridge – Belle (Scrooge's unappreciated fiancée)
 * Nigel Davenport – Silas Scrooge (Ebenezer and Fan's austere father)
 * Joanne Whalley – Fan Scrooge (Ebenezer's beloved sister and Fred's mother)
 * Timothy Bateson – Mr. Fezziwig
 * Michael Gough – Mr. Poole
 * John Quarmby – Mr. Hacking
 * Peter Woodthorpe – Old Joe
 * Liz Smith – Mrs. Dilber
 * John Sharp – Tipton
 * Derek Francis – Pemberton
 * Danny Davies – Forbush
 * Brian Pettifer – Ben
 * Catherine Hall – Meg
 * Cathryn Harrison – Kate
 * Note: Local resident, Martin Wood was both Woodward's stand-in and Carter's body double.

Production
This movie was filmed on location in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, in the English Midlands. It originally aired on the American television network CBS on 17 December 1984, and was released theatrically in Great Britain. The U.S. debut was sponsored by IBM, which purchased all of the commercial spots for the two-hour premiere. The film brought in a 20.7/30 rating/share, winning its time slot and ranking No. 10 for the week. The film was marketed with the tagline "A new powerful presentation of the most loved ghost story of all time!" Scott was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special for his portrayal of Scrooge.

The movie has run in syndication on local American channels since it debuted in 1984, earning a loyal fanbase, but was not released on VHS until 1989 (in the UK) and to DVD in 1999. This was because Scott himself (and later his estate through Baxter Healthcare, to whom the Scott family donated their copyright) owned the rights to this film. On 25 November 2007, it returned to national television on AMC for the first time since its debut, and the network continues to broadcast it each December under license from the Scott estate and 20th Century Fox (the latter's distribution rights the result of their owning the video rights). In 2009, the Hallmark Channel also ran the movie soon after Thanksgiving. It remains among most beloved of the several adaptations of A Christmas Carol. In 2009, the film was re-released on DVD by Fox, with updated box art but the same menu and features as the previous DVD release. Fox released it on Blu-ray in December 2010.

Critical response
Novelist and essayist Louis Bayard, writing for Salon.com, described this adaptation as "the definitive version of a beloved literary classic", praising its fidelity to Dickens' original story, the strength of the supporting cast, and especially Scott's performance as Scrooge.