Scrooge (1970) Review
It's a musical!?
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This is a musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol but predates the Broadway musical so if you’re expecting songs from that (I was!) this is a heads-up.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, my dad bought the DVD after hearing a recommendation from the radio (that sentence seems a bit aged lol) and we watched it together a few days before Christmas. It was the first Christmas Carol I’ve seen in years and was delighted by the story again.
Scrooge
Origin: American and UK Film
Release year: 1970
Genre: Musical, book adaptation, drama, comedy
Stars: Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, Edith Evans, Kenneth More
Director: Ronald Neame
Based on: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Summary: Ebenezer Scrooge is a rich, mean, exploitative meiser. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by four ghosts who seek to change his heart… and fate.
Filmed on location in Buckinghamshire and on sets, the atmosphere of this film is beautiful. There are hand-painted backgrounds that instantly take you into Victorian London. When Scrooge first walks down the streets singing “I hate people” you can’t help but take the opposite stance and be enamored by the buildings and people on screen. Finney, our Scrooge, was younger when this was filmed and wore makeup that didn’t quite make him look old enough for the role, I thought, but he was acting his heart out. He brought this exuberance to his role as both Scrooge, the scrooge, and Scrooge, the joyously changed man. All in all, all the acting was good.
As a theater kid and learning the song “Thank You Very Much” was nominated for an Academy Award, I had high expectations for the songs. I also saw the broadway musical growing up and this might have made me more critical. For me, these weren’t met and although some of the lyrics gave me a chuckle, I was disappointed. The last song, the aforementioned “Thank You” was a large scale number and was a fun end to the movie!
It was a bit zany and at first glance not the first take you’d expect for A Christmas Carol adaptation (the tagline is: "What the dickens have they done to Scrooge?”), but it’s not the strangest version: Muppets, anyone? And I think it works. It’s fun for the kids, keeps the messages and drama, and musical numbers that are fun.
My Dad’s one sentence review is this: “A spirited retelling of Dickens' tale which preserves the drama and humor of the text and successfully combines it with music and lyrics that reinforce the story.”
My Mom’s one sentence review is this: “A re-celebration of life”
Watch the trailer!
If you watched this movie and loved it, tell me why.