An American Christmas Carol (1979) (TV)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Eric Till

Writers:

Charles Dickens (story)
Jerome Coopersmith (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

Charles Dicken's Victorian London becomes America's great Depression in this exciting new film

Plot:

In Depression-era New England, a miserly businessman named Benedict Slade receives a long-overdue attitude...

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Ghost | New England | Compassion | Remake

Cast

Henry Winkler	...	Benedict Slade
Dorian Harewood	...	Matt Reeves
Susan Hogan	...	Helen Brewster
Cec Linder	...	Auctioneer
R.H. Thomson	...	Thatcher
David Wayne	...	Merrivale
Michael Wincott	...	Choir Leader
William Bermender	...	Orphan
Brett Matthew Davidson	...	Orphan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tammy Bourne	...	Sarah Thatcher
Chris Cragg	...	Jonathan Thatcher
James B. Douglas	...	Sam Perkins
Arlene Duncan	...	Jennie Reeves
Linda Goranson	...	Mrs. Doris Thatcher
Gerard Parkes	...	Jessup
Mary Pirie	...	Mrs. Brewster
Ken Pogue	...	Jack Latham
Chris Wiggins	...	Mr. Brewster

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Elora, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Smith-Hemion Productions

Movie Connections:

Version of Scrooge and Marley (2001) (TV)

Original spin on classic tale

Many years have passed since I saw this film and I remember it fondly. I was not a Fonzie fan, so any bias I might have would be that Henry Winkler might not possess the necessary acting chops. What a error that would be! Winkler gives a fine, understated performance. Those reviewers who say he's not quite as miserly as the original Scrooge miss the point: Winkler brings the miser into the 20th Century and makes him more believable, less larger than life. I'm partial toward the Alistair Sim version but that's very much a Victorian presentation of the story and has to be judged on those standards. As a modern retelling of a beloved classic this works very well and the supporting players all do an equally fine job. It's a modest film that's mindful of the old axiom "brevity is the soul of wit" and this is a cinematic demonstration of that very notion. Worth watching at least once and if it's on again this Christmas, I'll certainly tune in again.