On Friday I took the kids to see the new Disney’s Christmas Carol. We went to the 1:00 showing at PJ Cinemas because the Catholic schools had a half day of school. The theatre was packed with students from another local Catholic school. Apparently PJ Cinemas runs a special fundraiser; you can purchase a $9 ticket and receive a soda, popcorn, and matinee ticket (normally $5), and $2 goes to your school.

The 3D version was not playing there, but it was easy to see where things would pop out at you if that extra layer was added. The movie was amazing technically, and filled with real Christian messages. Musical selections by Andrea Bocelli included “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and “Joy to the World”. The message front and center was that you gain happiness by helping others.

Jim Carrey is not his cute and loveable self in this movie. There were so many layers of makeup that you could barely tell it was him. The film opens with him portrayed as the ugliest, meanest Scrooge you ever saw in any of the version of this classic tale by Charles Dickens. He also plays the three ghosts, and does it quite well.

A Christmas Carol is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, and miserly old man who traded love for money and is destined to die alone in this world. On Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his old partner, Jacob Marley, who warns that he will be visited by three ghosts that very night. The Ghost of Christmas Past, portrayed in this movie as a candle-headed spirit, shows him has past, where he could see the mistakes he had made leading up to his present existence. The Ghost of Christmas Present, shown as a jolly Santa-like fellow, shows him how people really think of him. The Ghost of Christmas Future, an ominous shadow accompanied by black horses, portends his death, with no-one mourning over him. There are also other people he is made aware of, whose existence depends on his goodwill, such as the happy but sickly Tiny Tim.

Many small children would be scared in certain parts of the movie, where the ghosts move suddenly out at Scrooge, and towards the end when the horses of death are chasing him through the streets of London. You really have to know your child and what he or she can handle. I took a chance and took my three-year-old along with us because she is used to watching PG movies with her older siblings, ages 8, 10, and 12. I warned her beforehand that there would be ghosts like in Scooby Doo. She was looking forward to it. I kept her close, whispering to her about what was going on, and hid her eyes when I thought she might be scared. She didn’t care for the “scary horsies”, but otherwise she did fine.

After the movie, my ten-year-old was filled with questions. Why were the horses of death chasing Scrooge? Why was the Ghost of Christmas Present keeping two children called Want and Ignorance under his skirts? Did people really have to go to jail because they were poor? I was so glad that I had been able to take them to a quality movie that offered the opportunity to discuss such deep questions.

Not only do true classics never go out of style; they offer great opportunities to share your knowledge and make it relevant to the world that your children are familiar with.

For more about Disney’s A Christmas Carol see the official website here.

For more about the privately owned PJ Cinemas or coupons see their website here.

Leticia Velasquez has an excellent review over at Mercatornet.