Opinions

12 Days of Essential Christmas Movies: The Muppet Christmas Carol

Posted by Michelle Graham (michelle@filmschoolrejects.com) on December 15, 2007

One of the best things about Christmas is the movies that go with the holiday season. From Bad Santa to Santa Claus: The Movie, there’s a huge range of them out there, and they all mean something special to someone. However there are some true Christmas classics, ones which the holiday isn’t complete without, and for me, one of those is definitely The Muppet Christmas Carol.

The Dickens novel “A Christmas Carol” has been the subject of many an adaptation, but none can compare to this one. A true family film, you can have adults and children crowded around the television and be totally entertained for the entire time. For those who haven’t read the book or caught some adaptation, the basic story follows Ebenezer Scrooge as he gets a lesson in humility through visits from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. With each visitation he learns a little more about himself, growing a little more until at the end he realises the error of his ways and vows to begin his life again with a new outlook. This kind of story always has audiences cheering by the end (when done well, of course) but when you add in the muppets, Michael Caine as the crotchety Scrooge AND musical numbers, you have a formula that can’t be beaten! Oh, didn’t I mention it was a musical?

From toe tapping numbers like “It Feels Like Christmas” to the slow and moving “The Love is Gone”, this movie knows how to use music to make us feel for the characters and not only that, but also to make us feel with them. Of course, the fact that the music is mostly upbeat, catchy and definitely something that you’ll find yourself humming for days after also helps!

The characters within the movie are primarily muppets, and of course there’re all the usual supects. Our narrator through the tale is Gonzo, playing Charles Dickens, with a hilarious sidekick in the form of Rizzo the Rat. This pair guides us through the tale, causing giggles aplenty as they lighten the mood with their comic moments while watching from the sidelines. As for Scrooge himself, Michael Caine is excellent, a grumpy bastard to begin, but by the end a reformed character who loves the world and wants to give it all it has. Though his singing voice is not exactly at popstar level, his obvious emotion throughout makes his numbers highly effective, particularly in the case of “The Love Has Gone”. However, though I single only these characters out for mention, the entire cast lights up the screen and in every scene the magic of Christmas is seen and felt, a crucial part of any festive film.

So, why do I think this is an essential Christmas movie? For many reasons! The joy and pure emotion that permeates the entire story, the infectious musical numbers and the way that even at the age of 23 I still end up with tears in my eyes as Scrooge walks down the street singing of his newfound approach to life and Christmas. His heartfelt thanks for the smallest of gifts still causes a sniffle 15 years after my first viewing, his inability to keep singing with his lost love still causes a quick wipe of the eyes while no one is looking, and the music elicits a certain swaying in the chair, not to mention joining in on the chorus! In short, this film gets under your skin and into your heart, and once it’s there you can’t wait to watch it again, over and over.