A Christmas Carol (1999)

An old bitter miser who makes excuses for his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve.

Director:

David Hugh Jones (as David Jones)

Writers:

Peter Barnes (written for television by), Charles Dickens (novel)

Stars:

Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Joel Grey

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick Stewart	...	Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge
Richard E. Grant	...	Bob Cratchit
Joel Grey	...	The Ghost of Christmas Past
Ian McNeice	...	Mr. Albert Fezziwig
Saskia Reeves	...	Mrs. Cratchit
Desmond Barrit	...	The Ghost of Christmas Present
Bernard Lloyd	...	Marley's Ghost
Dominic West	...	Fred (Scrooge's nephew)
Trevor Peacock	...	Old Joe
Liz Smith	...	Mrs. Dilber
Elizabeth Spriggs	...	Mrs. Riggs
Kenny Doughty	...	Young Scrooge
Laura Fraser	...	Belle
Celia Imrie	...	Mrs. Bennett
John Franklyn-Robbins	...	Crump

Storyline

In 1840s London, Ebenezer Scrooge is a mean-spirited businessman who receives his terrifying comeuppance. One Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley, his dead business partner. Marley foretells that Scrooge will be visited by three spirits, each of whom will attempt to show Scrooge the error of his ways. Will Scrooge reform his ways in time to celebrate Christmas?

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Plot Keywords:

scrooge | christmas | ghost | time travel | regret | 

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Taglines:

In just one night, he has seen his past, his present, and his future... and they've all come back to haunt him.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is one of the very few movies to include a certain short scene when Scrooge is with the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come: Bob Cratchit visiting Tiny Tim's body lying in repose in an upper bedroom. In the book, this takes up only one paragraph.

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Goofs

The name of Scrooge's little sister was "Fan," a popular girl's name in the U.K. and other parts of Europe, more frequently lengthened to "Fannie," not "Fran," as it is pronounced in this movie. One would think Stewart would've known better, owing to his familiarity of the book.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Clergyman: A man that is born of woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery. He cometh up and is cut down like a flower.

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Alternate Versions

A letterboxed version formatted for HDTV is currently (2007) being shown on Turner Network Television. This version is cropped (the top and bottom are cut off). The picture was not made in widescreen and was not shown that way originally. The DVD is also made in fullscreen, not letterboxed or anamorphically enhanced.

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Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Star Trek: Generations (2012)

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Soundtracks

Good King Wenceslas
(uncredited)
(Traditional)
English lyrics by John M. Neale

User Reviews

Bah! this isn't humbug! (but a very nice story).

Here is another great adaption of Dickens' great Christmas story! My mood always get a little better when I watch or read this story...especially when it is Christmas! Patrick Stewart is certainly one of my favorite actors (Star Trek was one of my favorite TV-shows when I was younger), and Richard E. Grant (who also appeared in the film "Warlock") plays a very sympathetic role in this story as the book-keeper Cratchit. I think that they fit very nicely into their roles, and the supporting cast also does a fine job. Little Tim is very sweet, and you just hope that he is going to survive! They did a good job at showing Scrooge's past and telling the story of how he became such a bitter old man, and how the ghosts try to persuade him into enjoying the remaining years of his life instead of being cruel and grumpy all the time.

I hope you enjoy this movie as much as I did, and a very merry Christmas to all!

Details

Official Sites:

TNT

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 December 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Christmas Carol

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

TNT, Hallmark Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1