Three big reasons to rediscover Dickens' Carol

November 11, 9:07 PMChildren's Movie ExaminerTom LaMarr

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The definitive Christmas Carol, originally titled Scrooge

Start with a big director, the estimable Robert Zemeckis. Add a bigger actor, the incredibly versatile Jim Carrey. Then, throw in a budget of $200 million, and you have three big reasons to see a timeless movie based on Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, A Christmas Carol.

That movie is Scrooge, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Alistair Sim, from 1951.

Yes, the Zemeckis version is good, quite good in fact. It may even be worth shelling out $40 ($80 if your family wants popcorn and soda) to enjoy on the big screen. The special effects young kids have always known still dazzle moms and dads. More important, the impressive cast delivers. A great story remains a great story, and Carol’s message of redemption proves timeless, leaving all but the most Scrooge-like viewers emotionally satisfied.

Even so, the new version also demonstrates why bigger rarely equals better. It does this by begging comparison to previous screen adaptations, in particular the one with special effects that have long since ceased to impress. Lean of budget and contrivance, Scrooge remains the definitive version.

Much of the credit goes to Alistair Sim, who didn’t so much play Ebenezer Scrooge as become him. Other actors of renown, including George C. Scott, haven’t come close. And while kids watching the movie in 2009 may wonder why the TV isn’t working, prompting an explanation that black and white hardly represented an artistic decision sixty years ago, viewers will be reminded that adaptations of classic Dickens play well in a medium that faithfully evokes the bleak, harsh England of the Industrial Revolution as Dickens saw and portrayed it.

Like all great adaptations of the author’s work, Scrooge makes no apologies for sentimentality, something Dickens saw as one more piece of the human puzzle. Exploring the true nature of compassion, the movie asks if charity and empathy are nothing more than humbug, a mere facade meant to convey moral superiority. Or is kindness fundamentally human, a trait simply suppressed by Ebenezer Scrooge and heirs like Ayn Rand and Dick Cheney? Needless to say, the film makes a strong case for the former, and who can argue with a movie supported by a soundtrack that culminates in a simple, poignant folk song like “Barbara Allen”?

A classic by any standard, Scrooge is the adaptation that will still be viewed sixty years from today. As for the present, parents can find copies of the DVD for around ten bucks—a sum much closer to the 1951 film’s budget than that of its 2009 counterpart. Some DVDs pair the original with a colorized version, useful only for sparing tired parents from having to explain the evolution of film. “See, the TV’s working fine.” Creating some confusion, most of these DVDs are marketed as A Christmas Carol, making it essential to look for Mr. Sim on the box.

When trying to look past the humbug this holiday season, feel free to ring in the new by seeing the Zemeckis film. But don’t make the mistake of ringing out the old. Set aside a family night to savor the one, essential take on A Christmas Carol: Scrooge with Alistair Sim.

(You’re also encouraged to read the original story. That guy had a way with words.)

*****Looking for movies to watch with your kids, but unsure where to turn, still shaken from seeing Barney’s Adventure Bus in widescreen HD? Brutally honest and occasionally irreverent, Kids’ Flicks (Dad’s Picks) is your guide to finding fun, intelligent movies adults can enjoy along with their children.*****

To learn more about Tom LaMarr’s novels, visit his website, Amazon.com, or Google Books.