Everyone has their favorite A CHRISTMAS CAROL. This George C. Scott version is among the most beloved. Praised for its darker take on the story, many rank it the best of the hundred or so adaptations of this classic story.
When I first saw this version years ago, I enjoyed it, but rewatching it again, I found myself disappointed. For one, the arc of Scott's Scrooge feels off. People often joke that Scrooge only changes because he sees his own pitiful end should he remain a misanthropic miser, but the best versions of the story show Scrooge changing from the moment he speaks with Marley. Moments like Scott's Scrooge complaining to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come about no one pitying him after his death just rings petulant and untrue to the character-- by that point, he's supposed to be beyond self-pity. As fine an actor as he usually is, Scott is on the whole rather one-note and gruff here, showing little of Scrooge's vulnerability beneath his misanthropy (a quality portrayed far better by Alastair Sim and Albert Finney in their respective versions), making his ultimate transformation seem less a natural outgrowth of the character and more like a given because, hey, it's A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
I also found the treatment of the story excessively grim-- it's like the distaff counterpart of versions which are too sticky sweet and sentimental. It is true that Dickens' novella is quite gothic and has its eerie moments. However, there is still a sense of festive joy to certain scenes, and this is a quality totally lacking here. Even Scrooge's redemptive glee, a scene which tends to make me grin from ear to ear in most versions, felt muted here. (However, I will add that I have to give this version props for actually presenting a Tiny Tim who looks mortally ill.)
Despite my criticisms, this isn't a terrible version. It is watchable and well-produced for a TV movie. Scott does have some inspired moments, such as his delivery of the "stake of holly in his heart line" or his interactions with the Ghost of Christmas Past. However, I just don't agree with the accolades-- for my money, the Sim version strikes that balance between gothic terror, psychological nuance, and holiday sentiment far better than this one does.
When I first saw this version years ago, I enjoyed it, but rewatching it again, I found myself disappointed. For one, the arc of Scott's Scrooge feels off. People often joke that Scrooge only changes because he sees his own pitiful end should he remain a misanthropic miser, but the best versions of the story show Scrooge changing from the moment he speaks with Marley. Moments like Scott's Scrooge complaining to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come about no one pitying him after his death just rings petulant and untrue to the character-- by that point, he's supposed to be beyond self-pity. As fine an actor as he usually is, Scott is on the whole rather one-note and gruff here, showing little of Scrooge's vulnerability beneath his misanthropy (a quality portrayed far better by Alastair Sim and Albert Finney in their respective versions), making his ultimate transformation seem less a natural outgrowth of the character and more like a given because, hey, it's A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
I also found the treatment of the story excessively grim-- it's like the distaff counterpart of versions which are too sticky sweet and sentimental. It is true that Dickens' novella is quite gothic and has its eerie moments. However, there is still a sense of festive joy to certain scenes, and this is a quality totally lacking here. Even Scrooge's redemptive glee, a scene which tends to make me grin from ear to ear in most versions, felt muted here. (However, I will add that I have to give this version props for actually presenting a Tiny Tim who looks mortally ill.)
Despite my criticisms, this isn't a terrible version. It is watchable and well-produced for a TV movie. Scott does have some inspired moments, such as his delivery of the "stake of holly in his heart line" or his interactions with the Ghost of Christmas Past. However, I just don't agree with the accolades-- for my money, the Sim version strikes that balance between gothic terror, psychological nuance, and holiday sentiment far better than this one does.