The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

The Muppet characters tell their version of the classic tale of an old and bitter miser's redemption on Christmas Eve.

Director:

Brian Henson

Writers:

Charles Dickens (novel), Jerry Juhl (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, The Great Gonzo

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Caine	...	Scrooge
Dave Goelz	...	The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens / Robert Marley / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Betina Cratchit / Rat / Zoot (voice)
The Great Gonzo	...	Charles Dickens
Steve Whitmire	...	Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit / Rizzo the Rat / Beaker / Bean Bunny / Belinda Cratchit / Beetle / Lips / Pig Gentleman (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Tiny Tim Cratchit / Jacob Marley / Ghost of Christmas Present / Lew Zealand / Ma Bear / Mouse / Mr. Applegate / Penguin / Pig Gentleman / Pops / Rat (voice)
Rizzo The Rat	...	Himself
Frank Oz	...	Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit / Fozzie Bear as Fozziewig / Sam the Eagle as Headmaster of Junior High Graduates / Animal / George the Janitor / Horse and Carriage Driver / Vegetable Salesman (voice)
David Rudman	...	Rat / Peter Cratchit / Old Joe / Swedish Chef (voice)
Don Austen	...	Ghost of Christmas Present (performer) / Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (performer)
Jessica Fox	...	Ghost of Christmas Past (voice)
Robert Tygner	...	Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (performer) / Ghost of Christmas Past (performer) / Turkey / Additional Muppets (uncredited) (voice)
Steven Mackintosh	...	Fred, Scrooge's Nephew
Meredith Braun	...	Belle
Robin Weaver	...	Clara
Raymond Coulthard	...	Young Scrooge

Storyline

A retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, miser extraordinaire. He is held accountable for his dastardly ways during night-time visitations by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and future.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas eve | muppet | ghost | christmas movie | miser | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 December 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,010,109, 13 December 1992

Gross USA:

$27,281,507

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$32,319,318

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Jim Henson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min 89 min (video)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are two more songs that are on the soundtrack, but aren't in the movie at all. One is "Room in Your Heart", sung by Dr. Honeydew and his assistant Beaker as the charity workers. The other is "Chairman of the Board", sung by Sam the Eagle as Scrooge's headmaster. Both were recorded, but dropped from the script before filming started, to help the flow of the story.

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Goofs

Although Scrooge's nephew Fred is seen enjoying Christmas dinner with Scrooge and the Cratchet family at the very end of the film, his wife Clara is noticeably absent. She could possibly be seated across from Fred and therefore out of view of the camera, but it is never made clear.

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Quotes

Sam the Eagle: Work hard, lad, and one day, your life will be as solid as this very building!
[the shelf collapses behind him]
Sam the Eagle: Huh. I've been meaning to fix that shelf!

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Crazy Credits

The closing credits include a credit for "Rizzo's personal caterer".

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Alternate Versions

When originally showed in theaters, Belle's song "When Love Is Gone" was cut. Director Brian Henson protested this decision, but then head of Disney Jeffrey Katzenberg felt the song was too sad for a children's movie. The removal leaves the scene quite short and abrupt and damages the pacing. It was reinstated on all full screen home video copies of the film, including the laserdisc (wide-screen too), VHS home, and first DVD release, at the insistence of Brian Henson. For the Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition DVD, the full screen version includes "When Love Is Gone" and the wide-screen version cuts the song. The UK re-release from Park Circus in 2012 includes the song.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best Fourth Installments in Movie Franchises (2015)

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Soundtracks

One More Sleep 'Til Christmas
Music and Lyrics by Paul Williams
Performed by Steve Whitmire

User Reviews

Not just for kids!

I recently rented this movie for my young son. I never imagined that I'd end up liking it more than he does. If you can get past the fact that most of the cast are muppets, this is actually a terrific version of A Christmas Carol. Michael Caine makes a fine Scrooge, one of the best I've ever seen in fact. I usually hate musicals, but all of the songs in this film are great (and the girl who plays Belle - this girl can SING!) The comedy is mostly provided by Gonzo, narrating as Charles Dickens, and his sidekick Rizzo the Rat. The humor is truly funny and appropriately placed (notice how a very good reason is created for Gonzo and Rizzo to exit during the serious Christmas Yet to Come portion .) This is truly one of those movies "for young and old alike", though it will probably go over the heads of very young children. But anyone who generally likes A Christmas Carol should like this version of it.