A Christmas Carol
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright Penn, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Leslie Manville
Charles Dicken’s classic story is brought to life once again in Disney’s animated retelling of “A Christmas Carol”. When Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) is visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve, he embarks on a journey that liberates him from the painful shadows of his long-forgotten past and teaches him the true meaning of Christmas.
There are four stages in Scrooge’s journey with the Spirits: his rejection of the Spirit’s wisdom when he journeys to the past, his compassion for Tiny Tim when he witnesses the events of his present, his transformation when he realizes his own mortality and that of Tiny Tim in the future and his sincere promise when he is given a second chance.
Initially Scrooge is portrayed as a deeply selfish and angry old man who cares for nothing and no one but himself. While he gives an impression of cold indifference, I do not believe this frigid demeanor is Scrooge’s true nature, but rather a mask that he has created to hide his true feelings; feelings that are quite literally brought to light when he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past. The reason that Scrooge tries so desperately to extinguish the flame of his past is that he could not bear to witness the suffering that he had felt then.
The irony of Scrooge’s journey is that his frozen heart is softened not just by the Spirits of Christmas, but by his compassion for a child. When he witnesses Tiny Tim’s suffering, it is in this moment that Scrooge truly begins his transformation. Up until this point, he has been distracted in his journey and unwilling to watch the memories of his past play out. His is compassion is revealed when he is finally willing to acknowledge Tiny Tim’s suffering before his own.
When Scrooge encounters the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, this moment is his most traumatic and his most important. His greatest fears are realized when he witnesses the tragic death of Tiny Tim and then his own demise, but unlike with the first two spirits, Scrooge is forced to endure this final journey alone. The Spirit is with him, but he offers no comfort or hope; only the heartbreaking truth of what his future holds should Scrooge remain on the path he is on. It is in this final moment, when Scrooge realizes that he has been gifted a second chance, that Scrooge makes a sincere promise. Scrooge vows that he will honor Christmas all year and that he will care for the Cratchit family.
“A Christmas Carol” has always been one of my favorite Christmas stories, but as I watched Scrooge’s journey play out once again onscreen, there were definitely elements woven into this particular version that made it unique. The animation for this film is absolutely stunning, particularly for Scrooge and for the three Spirits. The casting is also very good, particularly for Jim Carrey whose voice brought to life not only every version of Scrooge, from a young child to an old man, but the Spirits as well. He gave each character a distinct identity. The emotions are what truly shine in this version though, especially for Scrooge. If you enjoy “A Christmas Carol”, then this is one version I would highly recommend.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright Penn, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Leslie Manville
Charles Dicken’s classic story is brought to life once again in Disney’s animated retelling of “A Christmas Carol”. When Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) is visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve, he embarks on a journey that liberates him from the painful shadows of his long-forgotten past and teaches him the true meaning of Christmas.
There are four stages in Scrooge’s journey with the Spirits: his rejection of the Spirit’s wisdom when he journeys to the past, his compassion for Tiny Tim when he witnesses the events of his present, his transformation when he realizes his own mortality and that of Tiny Tim in the future and his sincere promise when he is given a second chance.
Initially Scrooge is portrayed as a deeply selfish and angry old man who cares for nothing and no one but himself. While he gives an impression of cold indifference, I do not believe this frigid demeanor is Scrooge’s true nature, but rather a mask that he has created to hide his true feelings; feelings that are quite literally brought to light when he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past. The reason that Scrooge tries so desperately to extinguish the flame of his past is that he could not bear to witness the suffering that he had felt then.
The irony of Scrooge’s journey is that his frozen heart is softened not just by the Spirits of Christmas, but by his compassion for a child. When he witnesses Tiny Tim’s suffering, it is in this moment that Scrooge truly begins his transformation. Up until this point, he has been distracted in his journey and unwilling to watch the memories of his past play out. His is compassion is revealed when he is finally willing to acknowledge Tiny Tim’s suffering before his own.
When Scrooge encounters the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, this moment is his most traumatic and his most important. His greatest fears are realized when he witnesses the tragic death of Tiny Tim and then his own demise, but unlike with the first two spirits, Scrooge is forced to endure this final journey alone. The Spirit is with him, but he offers no comfort or hope; only the heartbreaking truth of what his future holds should Scrooge remain on the path he is on. It is in this final moment, when Scrooge realizes that he has been gifted a second chance, that Scrooge makes a sincere promise. Scrooge vows that he will honor Christmas all year and that he will care for the Cratchit family.
“A Christmas Carol” has always been one of my favorite Christmas stories, but as I watched Scrooge’s journey play out once again onscreen, there were definitely elements woven into this particular version that made it unique. The animation for this film is absolutely stunning, particularly for Scrooge and for the three Spirits. The casting is also very good, particularly for Jim Carrey whose voice brought to life not only every version of Scrooge, from a young child to an old man, but the Spirits as well. He gave each character a distinct identity. The emotions are what truly shine in this version though, especially for Scrooge. If you enjoy “A Christmas Carol”, then this is one version I would highly recommend.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.