REVIEW - ‘A Christmas Carol’ (1984)

My quest to watch and review a different version of “A Christmas Carol” each and every December brought me to the 1984 British-American made-for-television version staring the great George C. Scott.

We all know the story, penned nearly 200 years ago by Charles Dickens. It’s one of the best and most influential pieces of fiction ever written. Most film adaptations follow the novella tightly, and this is no exception.

George C. Scott is an award winning actor.

I first watched him in the 1997 version of “12 Angry Men” and last saw him during 31 Days of Halloween in “Exorcist 3.” I loved the former and loathed the latter. But in both instances, George C. Scott is an amazing talent to behold, and is one of the best choices for Ebenezer Scrooge. He’s cantankerous without putting forth any effort. We can easily believe this guy is a curmudgeon who cares more about business than his own family.

Marley ain’t playin yo

I didn’t recognize any other actor, save for David Warner playing Bob Cratchit. The cast is fine. Frank Finlay, Angela Pleasence, Edward Woodward, Michael Carter play Marley and the ghosts respectively. Susannah York plays Mrs. Cratchit and Anthony Walters is Tiny Tim. Mark Strickson plays Young Ebenezer Scrooge. Again – there’s nothing new and that’s to be expected.

While Scott’s performance is top notch, the rest of the movie is a bit sluggish. Since I already know the story, there wasn’t much keeping me invested. It actually got boring. Maybe that’s because it isn’t knew. But it wasn’t as captivating as other versions of the film – including the Muppets which is so far the best.

The 1984 version of “A Christmas Carol” is a nice retelling of the story. Its traditional, and well put together. It doesn’t stand out like some of the other options, but it is free to watch on Amazon.