There are two television movies in my top ten, here’s the first of them. Best known as George C. Scott’s A Christmas Carol, this is, thus far, the most emotionally satisfying adaptation of the Dickens’ classic yet, thanks to an exceptionally well-written script and, of course, The Mighty George C. Scott, who offers up my favorite portrayal of Scrooge.
Scott’s characterization of Ole’ Ebeneezer is more grounded and less theatrical than the others, especially after the three ghostly visits where the Oscar-winning actor chooses not to transform his character into a completely different person, at least not on the outside. Instead, Scott’s post-visitation Scrooge retains the gruff booming voice and regal presence, with the only visible proof that something’s changed and softened and different found in the old man’s eyes; a bittersweet mix of joy and love, and most touchingly, regret.
As with every other adaptation, we’re left with no doubt that Ebeneezer will forever hold Christmas in his heart and live out the rest of his life a generous man and employer. But in the film’s closing moments the quiet power of Scott’s performance tells us something inexpressibly moving about Scrooge’s future as he gazes upon his nephew’s young wife and briefly speaks of the girl he loved and lost forever so many years ago to his own greed and ambition. With just a few words and that otherworldly “thing” only great actors possess, Scott reminds us that there’s a lonely last mile on the road to redemption, and that Scrooge’s journey towards forgiving himself has only just begun.
“God forgive me for the time I’ve wasted.”
Even for an actor as accomplished as Scott, this is an impressive and unforgettable performance.
With Scott commanding every moment, it’s easy to miss just how good David Warner’s Bob Crachit is — a wonderful and understated portrait of devotion and melencholy, and as his loving wife, Susannah York’s strong but quiet dignity provides a nice contrast. Most impressive is a wonderful actor we lost just a few weeks ago. Going toe to toe with Scott in the charisma department as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Edward Woodward more than holds his own with a larger-than-life performance mixed perfectly with equal parts bare-chested gusto, and contempt and compassion for the prideful old man in his charge.
Veteran English director Clive Donner’s attention to atmosphere and detail (Marley’s jaw dropping open, anyone?) transports us back centuries, and it’s hard to imagine how differently things might have turned out had the production not been shot on-location in Shrewsbury, England. Everything from the interiors to the wardrobe to the sound design and musical score have held up remarkably well over the last quarter century (there’s a depressing thought). With the exception of a hairstyle or two, thankfully, nothing about one of the finest television films ever broadcast screams 80s…
So with the authority given to me by no one, I hereby declare George C. Scott’s 1984 version of “A Christmas Carol” a timeless Christmas classic.
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