Christmas elicits nothing more than “Bah, humbug!” from Ebenezer Scrooge (Scott), a miser whose sole pursuit of financial success has left him a bitter and lonely old man. But a Christmas Eve visit from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future ultimately teaches him to open his heart to the spirit of Christmas and to the joys of friends and family. The costume drama is a striking adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1843 classic story.
One of the most striking images in the book, and in this television adaptation, occurs when the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to see the homeless masses living on the streets and suddenly reveals two scrawny waifs huddled in a fear that is both pathetic and menacing. Their names are Ignorance and Want. This crucial aspect of the always heartwarming ”Christmas Carol” has been preserved eloquently for television. Filmed in the English town of Shrewsbury, on the Welsh border, the production beautifully evokes a sense of period and place, washed in misty pastel colorings. Care has obviously been taken. The story is clearly in good hands. – New York Times
Starring George C. Scott, David Warner, Susannah York, Anthony Walters, Frank Finlay.
Note: TNT’s made for television [A Christmas Carol (1999)](http://amzn.to/1NOyAZB) starring Patrick Stewart, Joel Grey, Richard Grant received lukewarm reviews, as did Hallmark’s holiday TV-movie (based on the Broadway version) [A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004)](http://amzn.to/1NOyHEz) starring Kelsey Grammar, but might be worth a watch for anyone wanting to take in multiple adaptations of the story. For another early adaptation, see [A Christmas Carol (1954) ](http://amzn.to/1jGG2If) which features Fredric March (The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit) as Ebenezer Scrooge and Basil Rathbone (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes) as Jacob Marley. Reportedly, this version is great family entertainment and is sure to help capture the spirit of Christmas. For fun, there is also [The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)](http://amzn.to/1TQEgkF) set in a Victorian Muppetland of sorts.