| A Christmas Carol | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Robert Zemeckis |
| Written by | Robert Zemeckis |
| Based on | A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Robert Presley |
| Edited by | Jeremiah O’Driscoll |
| Music by | Alan Silvestri |
|
Production |
|
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
|
Release dates |
|
|
Running time |
96 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $175–200 million[2][3] |
| Box office | $325.3 million[3] |
A Christmas Carol is a 2009 American computer-animated Christmas fantasy film written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, produced by ImageMovers Digital and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on Charles Dickens’s 1843 novel of the same name, the film was animated through the process of motion capture, a technique used in Zemeckis’s previous films The Polar Express (2004) and Beowulf (2007), and stars the voices of Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn and Cary Elwes. It is Disney’s third adaptation of the novel, following Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), and the first of two films produced by ImageMovers Digital.
A Christmas Carol was officially released in Disney Digital 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D on November 6, 2009.[4] Its world premiere in London coincided with the switching-on of the annual Oxford Street and Regent Street Christmas lights.[5][6] The film grossed $325 million on a $175–200 million budget and received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its visuals, Alan Silvestri’s musical score and the performances of Carrey and Oldman, but criticized its dark tone. Due to the film’s unsatisfactory box office performance, ImageMovers Digital was shut down by Disney after the release of its next film, Mars Needs Moms (2011), and re-absorbed into ImageMovers.[7]
Plot[edit]
On Christmas Eve 1843, in London, miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge refuses to partake in the merriment of Christmas, declining his nephew Fred’s invitation to an annual Christmas dinner party and refusing to make a donation to the poor. His employee, Bob Cratchit, asks Scrooge to give him a day off on Christmas Day to spend time with his family, to which Scrooge reluctantly agrees. Returning home that night, Scrooge encounters the ghost of Jacob Marley, his business partner who died seven years earlier, bound in heavy chains. Marley warns Scrooge to change his wicked ways or be condemned to a worse fate. Before leaving, Marley informs Scrooge that he will be haunted by three spirits over three nights.
Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, who takes him back in time and makes him relive his lonely childhood in a boarding school. The spirit then shows his beloved younger sister Fan, Fred’s future mother, and how he became an employee under Fezziwig, and became engaged to a woman named Belle, who left him after he developed his obsession with wealth. Overwhelmed, Scrooge extinguishes the spirit with his candle snuffer cap and is rocketed back to his house.
Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Present, who shows him the joys of Christmas. Scrooge and the Ghost visit Bob’s house, learning that his family is content with their small dinner, and Scrooge starts to take pity on Bob’s ill son Tiny Tim, whom the Ghost comments will likely not survive until next Christmas. The Ghost slowly begins to age as they next visit Fred’s Christmas party, where Fred insists that they raise a toast to Scrooge in spite of his cold demeanor. Arriving in Big Ben, the Ghost warns Scrooge the evils of «Ignorance» and «Want» before dying when Big Ben begins tolling midnight. «Ignorance» and «Want» manifest themselves before Scrooge as two wretched children who grow into violent, insane individuals, leaving the spirit laughing as he withers away.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come then arrives, appearing as a dark shadow, and takes Scrooge into the future. He witnesses a group of businessmen discussing an unnamed colleague’s death, saying they would only attend the funeral if lunch is provided. After being chased across London by the Ghost riding a hearse, Scrooge recognizes his charwoman Mrs. Dilber selling the stolen possessions of the deceased. Shortly after, Scrooge sees the aforementioned colleague’s body on a bed, but is too anxious to see his identity. Scrooge then asks to see emotion connected to the death, and is shown a family who is relieved that he is dead, as they now have more time to pay off their debt. When Scrooge asks to see tenderness connected to death, he is shown the Cratchit family, who are in mourning over the passing of Tiny Tim. Scrooge is then escorted to a cemetery, where the Ghost points out the man’s neglected grave, revealing Scrooge as the man who died. Devastated, Scrooge promises to change his ways as the Ghost causes him to fall into his empty coffin above Hell, but before he strikes the coffin, he finds himself back in his own room.
Learning it is Christmas Day, Scrooge gleefully sends Bob’s family a turkey dinner while anonymous, ventures out with the charity workers and the citizens of London to spread cheer in the city, and later attends Fred’s Christmas dinner, where he is warmly welcomed. The following day, he gives Bob a raise. As Scrooge celebrates, Bob addresses the audience how Scrooge became a father figure to Tiny Tim, who escapes death, and that Scrooge now treats everyone with kindness, generosity, and compassion, thus embodying the spirit of Christmas.
Cast[edit]
- Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge, a stingy, grouchy, and selfish old man whose sheer miserly nature leads him to despise Christmas and all things which engender happiness.
- Carrey also portrays other roles in the film including:
- Ghost of Christmas Past, the first spirit to visit Scrooge. He is depicted as an androgynous man with a flickering flame for a head and a body like a candle and speaks with an Irish accent.
- Ghost of Christmas Present, the second spirit to visit Scrooge. He is depicted as a towering man with red hair, a full beard, and a green ermine robe, and he is a jolly figure prone to hearty laughter and speaks with a Yorkshire accent.
- Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, the third spirit to visit Scrooge. He is depicted as an ominous shadow of a figure in a large black hooded cloak and he does not speak.
- Carrey also portrays other roles in the film including:
- Gary Oldman as:
- Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s cheerful assistant and underpaid clerk.
- Jacob Marley, the ghost of Scrooge’s former business partner who is bound in chains.
- Oldman also provides the motion capture for Tiny Tim, Cratchit’s youngest son.
- Colin Firth as Fred, Scrooge’s cheerful nephew and only living relative. He is the son of Scrooge’s younger sister Fan.
- Bob Hoskins as Mr. Nigel Fezziwig, the proprietor of a warehouse business for whom Scrooge worked as a young apprentice.
- Hoskins also portrays Old Joe, a fence who buys the belongings of the deceased Scrooge from Mrs. Jill Dilber.
- Robin Wright Penn as:
- Fan, Scrooge’s beloved younger sister who has since died.
- Belle, Scrooge’s neglected fiancée.
- Cary Elwes as Portly Gentleman #1/Dick Wilkins/Mad Fiddler/Guest #2/Business Man #1
- Elwes would also act as a stand-in for Scrooge or the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present in scenes where these characters appear together, as all were portrayed by Jim Carrey.
- Fionnula Flanagan as Mrs. Jill Dilber, Scrooge’s charwoman.
- Steve Valentine as Funerary Undertaker/Topper
- Daryl Sabara as Undertaker’s Apprentice/Tattered Caroler #1/Beggar Boy #1/Peter Cratchit/Well-Dressed Caroler #1
- Sage Ryan as Tattered Caroler #2
- Amber Gainey Meade as Tattered Caroler #3/ Well-Dressed Caroler #2
- Ryan Ochoa as Tattered Caroler #4/Beggar Boy #2/Young Cratchit Boy/Ignorance Boy/Young Boy with Sleigh
- Bobbi Page as Tattered Caroler #5/Well-Dressed Caroler #3
- Ron Bottitta as Tattered Caroler #6/Well-Dressed Caroler #4
- Sammi Hanratty as Beggar Boy #3/Young Cratchit Girl/Want Girl
- Julian Holloway as Fat Cook/Portly Gentleman #2/Business Man #3
- Jacquie Barnbrook as Mrs. Allie Fezziwig/Fred’s sister-in-law/Well-Dressed Caroler #5
- Lesley Manville as Mrs. Emily Cratchit
- Molly C. Quinn as Belinda Cratchit
- Fay Masterson as Martha Cratchit/Guest #1/Caroline
- Leslie Zemeckis as Janet Holywell, Fred’s wife.
- Paul Blackthorne as Guest #3/Business Man #2
- Michael Hyland as Guest #4
- Kerry Hoyt as Adult Ignorance
- Julene Renee-Preciado as Adult Want
Production[edit]
After making The Polar Express (2004), Robert Zemeckis stated that he «fell in love with digital theater» and tried finding an avenue in order to use the format again.[8] He eventually decided that an adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol would be an opportunity to achieve this.[8] Upon rereading the story, he realized that «the story has never been realized in a way that it was actually imagined by Charles Dickens as he wrote it,» as well as that «it’s as if he wrote this story to be a movie because it’s so visual and so cinematic.»[8] Zemeckis has stated previously that A Christmas Carol is one of his favorite stories dealing with time travel.[9] Carrey has described the film as «a classical version of A Christmas Carol […] There are a lot of vocal things, a lot of physical things, I have to do. Not to mention doing the accents properly, the English, Irish accents […] I want it to fly in the UK. I want it to be good and I want them to go, ‘Yeah, that’s for real.’ We were very true to the book. It’s beautiful. It’s an incredible film.»[10]
Disney partnered with Amtrak to promote the film with a special nationwide train tour, starting in May 2009 and visiting 40 cities, finishing in New York in November.[11][12]
Release[edit]
A Christmas Carol opened London on November 3, 2009, and was theatrically released on November 6, 2009, in the United States by Walt Disney Pictures.
Home media[edit]
Disney released the film on November 23, 2010[13] in a single-disc DVD, two-disc 2D Blu-ray/DVD combo and in a four-disc combo pack that includes a Blu-ray 3D, a Blu-ray 2D, a DVD and a digital copy. This marked the first time that a film was available in Blu-ray 3D the same day as a standard Blu-ray 2D,[citation needed] as well as Disney’s first in the Blu-ray 3D market along with Alice in Wonderland.[14] The DVD contains deleted scenes and two featurettes called «On Set with Sammi» and «Capturing A Christmas Carol«. The Blu-ray 2D also has a «Digital Advent Calendar» and the featurette «Behind the Carol: The Full Motion-Capture Experience». The Blu-ray 3D has an exclusive 3D game called «Mr. Scrooge’s Wild Ride».
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
A Christmas Carol grossed $137.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $187.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $325.3 million.[3] Due to its high production and marketing costs, the film lost the studio an estimated $50–100 million, and forced Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group and the head of worldwide marketing, to resign.[15]
The film opened at #1 in 3,683 theaters, grossing $30.1 million its opening weekend, with an average of $8,159 per theater.[16]
In the United Kingdom, A Christmas Carol topped the box office on two occasions; the first was when it opened, the second was five weeks later when it leapfrogged box office chart toppers 2012, The Twilight Saga: New Moon and Paranormal Activity despite family competition from Nativity!, another Christmas-themed film.
Critical response[edit]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 53% of 202 critics have given the film a positive review with an average rating of 6/10. The site’s critical consensus read, «Robert Zemeckis’ 3-D animated take on the Dickens classic tries hard, but its dazzling special effects distract from an array of fine performances from Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman.»[17] On Metacritic, another aggregator, the film has a weighted average score of 55 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating «mixed or average reviews».[18] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of «B+» on an A+ to F scale.[19]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four stars out of four, calling it «an exhilarating visual experience».[20] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an A, applauding the film as «a marvelous and touching yuletide toy of a movie».[21] Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News gave the film 3/5 stars and stated the film «is well-crafted but artless, detailed but lacking soul.»[22] Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon.com gave the film a mixed review claiming the movie «is a triumph of something—but it’s certainly not the Christmas spirit.»[23] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal wrote in his review that the film’s «tone is joyless, despite an extended passage of bizarre laughter, several dazzling flights of digital fancy, a succession of striking images and Jim Carrey’s voicing of Scrooge plus half a dozen other roles.»[24] The Daily Telegraph reviewer Tim Robey wrote, «How much is gained by the half-real visual style for this story is open to question—the early scenes are laborious and never quite alive, and the explosion of jollity at the end lacks the virtue of being funny.»[25] Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian also criticized the technology: «The hi-tech sheen is impressive but in an unexciting way. I wanted to see real human faces convey real human emotions.»[26] Time Out London praised the film for sticking to Dickens’ original dialogue but also questioned the technology by saying, «To an extent, this ‘Christmas Carol’ is a case of style—and stylisation—overwhelming substance.»[27]
Keith Uhlich of Time Out New York named A Christmas Carol the eighth-best film of 2009.[28]
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Kids’ Choice Awards | Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie | Jim Carrey | Won |
| Favorite Animated Movie | A Christmas Carol | Nominated | |
| 36th Saturn Awards | Best Animated Feature | Nominated |
Music[edit]
| A Christmas Carol | |
|---|---|
| Film score by
Alan Silvestri |
|
| Released | November 3, 2009 |
| Recorded | 2009 |
| Genre | Classical |
| Length | 45:28 |
| Label | Walt Disney Records |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | «A Christmas Carol Main Title» | 4:21 |
| 2. | «Scrooge Counts Money» | 0:48 |
| 3. | «Marley’s Ghost Visits Scrooge» | 6:12 |
| 4. | «The Ghost of Christmas Past» | 4:58 |
| 5. | «Let Us See Another Christmas» | 1:18 |
| 6. | «Flight To Fezziwigs» | 1:27 |
| 7. | «First Waltz» | 0:59 |
| 8. | «Another Idol Has Replaced Me» | 1:40 |
| 9. | «Touch My Robe» | 3:41 |
| 10. | «The Clock Tower» | 1:50 |
| 11. | «Carriage Chase» | 3:24 |
| 12. | «Old Joe and Mrs. Dilber» | 2:28 |
| 13. | «This Dark Chamber» | 1:56 |
| 14. | «None Of Us Will Ever Forget» | 1:33 |
| 15. | «Who Was That Lying Dead?» | 3:08 |
| 16. | «I’m Still Here» | 1:26 |
| 17. | «Ride On My Good Man» | 1:04 |
| 18. | «God Bless Us Everyone» | 3:15 |
The music was composed by Alan Silvestri and orchestrated by William Ross, Conrad Pope, Silvestri, and John Ashton Thomas. The entire score was conducted by Silvestri and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony alongside Page LA Studio Voices and London Voices.[29] Much of the music was based on actual carols, including «God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen,» «Deck the Halls,» «O Come, All Ye Faithful,» «Hark! The Herald Angels Sing» and «Joy to the World.» The album was later issued physically through Intrada Records. The theme song, «God Bless Us Everyone,» was written by Glen Ballard and Silverstri and performed by Italian classical crossover tenor Andrea Bocelli.
See also[edit]
- List of Christmas films
- List of ghost films
- Adaptations of A Christmas Carol
References[edit]
- ^ «A CHRISTMAS CAROL (PG)». British Board of Film Classification. October 7, 2009. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (October 26, 2009). «Disney Hopes Christmas Carol Lives Up to Its Blockbuster Marketing». New York Times. Archived from the original on November 25, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
- ^ a b c «A Christmas Carol (2009)». Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 29, 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela (February 7, 2008). «Studios rush to fill ’09 schedule». Variety. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ «Dickens theme for festive lights». BBC News. September 13, 2009. Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ Hall, James (September 12, 2009). «Disney’s A Christmas Carol will be theme for London’s Christmas lights». Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on September 12, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ «Disney to shut ImageMovers Digital studio». Los Angeles Times. March 13, 2010. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ a b c «Robert Zemeckis Discusses Disney’s a Christmas Carol». Movieweb. November 16, 2010. Archived from the original on January 24, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
- ^ Making the Trilogy: Part 1 featurette on the Back to the Future Trilogy DVD box set.
- ^ «In the Future: Jim Carrey». ComingSoon.net. March 7, 2008. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ Young, Paul (October 20, 2009). «All A Bored Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ Train Tour». Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- ^ ««A Christmas Carol» — Train Tour Update». Jim Carrey Online. May 17, 2019. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- ^ Orndorf, Brian (November 8, 2010). «Disney’s A Christmas Carol (Blu-ray)». DVD Talk. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ Garrett, Diane (January 7, 2010). «3D for the home coming». Variety. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ Eller, Claudia (November 10, 2009). «Disney Studios president leaves». Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Wigler, Josh (November 9, 2009). «‘A Christmas Carol’ Defeats ‘This Is It’ At Box Office». MTV.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2009. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
- ^ «Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009)». Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ «A Christmas Carol Reviews». Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ «Cinemascore». cinemascore.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
- ^ «Disney’s A Christmas Carol Movie Review». Chicago Sun-Times. November 5, 2009. Archived from the original on November 8, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
- ^ «Disney’s A Christmas Carol Movie Review». Entertainment Weekly. November 6, 2009. Archived from the original on November 7, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
- ^ Neumaier, Joe (November 5, 2009). «Disney’s A Christmas Carol in Disney Digital 3D: Blah, humbug! ‘A Christmas Carol’s 3-D spin on Dickens well done in parts but lacks spirit». New York Daily News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
- ^ Williams, Mary Elizabeth (November 5, 2009). «Disney’s «A Christmas Carol»: Bah, humbug!». Salon.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- ^ Morgenstern, Joe (November 6, 2009). «‘A Christmas Carol’: Carrey, Disney Play Scrooge». The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- ^ Robey, Tim (November 5, 2009). «A Christmas Carol, review». The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Peter Bradshaw (November 6, 2009). «Film review: A Christmas Carol | Film». The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
- ^ «A Christmas Carol Review. Movie Reviews — Film — Time Out London». Timeout.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
- ^ «Best (and Worst) of 2010». Time Out New York. December 18, 2009. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ «Alan Silvestri scores A Christmas Carol». ScoringSessions.com. December 22, 2009. Archived from the original on February 18, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- A Christmas Carol at IMDb
- A Christmas Carol at the TCM Movie Database
- A Christmas Carol at The Big Cartoon DataBase
- A Christmas Carol at AllMovie
- A Christmas Carol at Box Office Mojo
- A Christmas Carol at Rotten Tomatoes
- A Christmas Carol at Metacritic
| A Christmas Carol | |
|---|---|
|
Theatrical release poster |
|
| Directed by | Robert Zemeckis |
| Written by | Robert Zemeckis |
| Based on | A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Robert Presley |
| Edited by | Jeremiah O’Driscoll |
| Music by | Alan Silvestri |
|
Production |
|
| Distributed by | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
|
Release dates |
|
|
Running time |
96 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $175–200 million[2][3] |
| Box office | $325.3 million[3] |
A Christmas Carol is a 2009 American computer-animated Christmas fantasy film written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, produced by ImageMovers Digital and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on Charles Dickens’s 1843 novel of the same name, the film was animated through the process of motion capture, a technique used in Zemeckis’s previous films The Polar Express (2004) and Beowulf (2007), and stars the voices of Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn and Cary Elwes. It is Disney’s third adaptation of the novel, following Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983) and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), and the first of two films produced by ImageMovers Digital.
A Christmas Carol was officially released in Disney Digital 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D on November 6, 2009.[4] Its world premiere in London coincided with the switching-on of the annual Oxford Street and Regent Street Christmas lights.[5][6] The film grossed $325 million on a $175–200 million budget and received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its visuals, Alan Silvestri’s musical score and the performances of Carrey and Oldman, but criticized its dark tone. Due to the film’s unsatisfactory box office performance, ImageMovers Digital was shut down by Disney after the release of its next film, Mars Needs Moms (2011), and re-absorbed into ImageMovers.[7]
Plot[edit]
On Christmas Eve 1843, in London, miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge refuses to partake in the merriment of Christmas, declining his nephew Fred’s invitation to an annual Christmas dinner party and refusing to make a donation to the poor. His employee, Bob Cratchit, asks Scrooge to give him a day off on Christmas Day to spend time with his family, to which Scrooge reluctantly agrees. Returning home that night, Scrooge encounters the ghost of Jacob Marley, his business partner who died seven years earlier, bound in heavy chains. Marley warns Scrooge to change his wicked ways or be condemned to a worse fate. Before leaving, Marley informs Scrooge that he will be haunted by three spirits over three nights.
Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, who takes him back in time and makes him relive his lonely childhood in a boarding school. The spirit then shows his beloved younger sister Fan, Fred’s future mother, and how he became an employee under Fezziwig, and became engaged to a woman named Belle, who left him after he developed his obsession with wealth. Overwhelmed, Scrooge extinguishes the spirit with his candle snuffer cap and is rocketed back to his house.
Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Present, who shows him the joys of Christmas. Scrooge and the Ghost visit Bob’s house, learning that his family is content with their small dinner, and Scrooge starts to take pity on Bob’s ill son Tiny Tim, whom the Ghost comments will likely not survive until next Christmas. The Ghost slowly begins to age as they next visit Fred’s Christmas party, where Fred insists that they raise a toast to Scrooge in spite of his cold demeanor. Arriving in Big Ben, the Ghost warns Scrooge the evils of «Ignorance» and «Want» before dying when Big Ben begins tolling midnight. «Ignorance» and «Want» manifest themselves before Scrooge as two wretched children who grow into violent, insane individuals, leaving the spirit laughing as he withers away.
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come then arrives, appearing as a dark shadow, and takes Scrooge into the future. He witnesses a group of businessmen discussing an unnamed colleague’s death, saying they would only attend the funeral if lunch is provided. After being chased across London by the Ghost riding a hearse, Scrooge recognizes his charwoman Mrs. Dilber selling the stolen possessions of the deceased. Shortly after, Scrooge sees the aforementioned colleague’s body on a bed, but is too anxious to see his identity. Scrooge then asks to see emotion connected to the death, and is shown a family who is relieved that he is dead, as they now have more time to pay off their debt. When Scrooge asks to see tenderness connected to death, he is shown the Cratchit family, who are in mourning over the passing of Tiny Tim. Scrooge is then escorted to a cemetery, where the Ghost points out the man’s neglected grave, revealing Scrooge as the man who died. Devastated, Scrooge promises to change his ways as the Ghost causes him to fall into his empty coffin above Hell, but before he strikes the coffin, he finds himself back in his own room.
Learning it is Christmas Day, Scrooge gleefully sends Bob’s family a turkey dinner while anonymous, ventures out with the charity workers and the citizens of London to spread cheer in the city, and later attends Fred’s Christmas dinner, where he is warmly welcomed. The following day, he gives Bob a raise. As Scrooge celebrates, Bob addresses the audience how Scrooge became a father figure to Tiny Tim, who escapes death, and that Scrooge now treats everyone with kindness, generosity, and compassion, thus embodying the spirit of Christmas.
Cast[edit]
- Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge, a stingy, grouchy, and selfish old man whose sheer miserly nature leads him to despise Christmas and all things which engender happiness.
- Carrey also portrays other roles in the film including:
- Ghost of Christmas Past, the first spirit to visit Scrooge. He is depicted as an androgynous man with a flickering flame for a head and a body like a candle and speaks with an Irish accent.
- Ghost of Christmas Present, the second spirit to visit Scrooge. He is depicted as a towering man with red hair, a full beard, and a green ermine robe, and he is a jolly figure prone to hearty laughter and speaks with a Yorkshire accent.
- Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, the third spirit to visit Scrooge. He is depicted as an ominous shadow of a figure in a large black hooded cloak and he does not speak.
- Carrey also portrays other roles in the film including:
- Gary Oldman as:
- Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s cheerful assistant and underpaid clerk.
- Jacob Marley, the ghost of Scrooge’s former business partner who is bound in chains.
- Oldman also provides the motion capture for Tiny Tim, Cratchit’s youngest son.
- Colin Firth as Fred, Scrooge’s cheerful nephew and only living relative. He is the son of Scrooge’s younger sister Fan.
- Bob Hoskins as Mr. Nigel Fezziwig, the proprietor of a warehouse business for whom Scrooge worked as a young apprentice.
- Hoskins also portrays Old Joe, a fence who buys the belongings of the deceased Scrooge from Mrs. Jill Dilber.
- Robin Wright Penn as:
- Fan, Scrooge’s beloved younger sister who has since died.
- Belle, Scrooge’s neglected fiancée.
- Cary Elwes as Portly Gentleman #1/Dick Wilkins/Mad Fiddler/Guest #2/Business Man #1
- Elwes would also act as a stand-in for Scrooge or the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present in scenes where these characters appear together, as all were portrayed by Jim Carrey.
- Fionnula Flanagan as Mrs. Jill Dilber, Scrooge’s charwoman.
- Steve Valentine as Funerary Undertaker/Topper
- Daryl Sabara as Undertaker’s Apprentice/Tattered Caroler #1/Beggar Boy #1/Peter Cratchit/Well-Dressed Caroler #1
- Sage Ryan as Tattered Caroler #2
- Amber Gainey Meade as Tattered Caroler #3/ Well-Dressed Caroler #2
- Ryan Ochoa as Tattered Caroler #4/Beggar Boy #2/Young Cratchit Boy/Ignorance Boy/Young Boy with Sleigh
- Bobbi Page as Tattered Caroler #5/Well-Dressed Caroler #3
- Ron Bottitta as Tattered Caroler #6/Well-Dressed Caroler #4
- Sammi Hanratty as Beggar Boy #3/Young Cratchit Girl/Want Girl
- Julian Holloway as Fat Cook/Portly Gentleman #2/Business Man #3
- Jacquie Barnbrook as Mrs. Allie Fezziwig/Fred’s sister-in-law/Well-Dressed Caroler #5
- Lesley Manville as Mrs. Emily Cratchit
- Molly C. Quinn as Belinda Cratchit
- Fay Masterson as Martha Cratchit/Guest #1/Caroline
- Leslie Zemeckis as Janet Holywell, Fred’s wife.
- Paul Blackthorne as Guest #3/Business Man #2
- Michael Hyland as Guest #4
- Kerry Hoyt as Adult Ignorance
- Julene Renee-Preciado as Adult Want
Production[edit]
After making The Polar Express (2004), Robert Zemeckis stated that he «fell in love with digital theater» and tried finding an avenue in order to use the format again.[8] He eventually decided that an adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol would be an opportunity to achieve this.[8] Upon rereading the story, he realized that «the story has never been realized in a way that it was actually imagined by Charles Dickens as he wrote it,» as well as that «it’s as if he wrote this story to be a movie because it’s so visual and so cinematic.»[8] Zemeckis has stated previously that A Christmas Carol is one of his favorite stories dealing with time travel.[9] Carrey has described the film as «a classical version of A Christmas Carol […] There are a lot of vocal things, a lot of physical things, I have to do. Not to mention doing the accents properly, the English, Irish accents […] I want it to fly in the UK. I want it to be good and I want them to go, ‘Yeah, that’s for real.’ We were very true to the book. It’s beautiful. It’s an incredible film.»[10]
Disney partnered with Amtrak to promote the film with a special nationwide train tour, starting in May 2009 and visiting 40 cities, finishing in New York in November.[11][12]
Release[edit]
A Christmas Carol opened London on November 3, 2009, and was theatrically released on November 6, 2009, in the United States by Walt Disney Pictures.
Home media[edit]
Disney released the film on November 23, 2010[13] in a single-disc DVD, two-disc 2D Blu-ray/DVD combo and in a four-disc combo pack that includes a Blu-ray 3D, a Blu-ray 2D, a DVD and a digital copy. This marked the first time that a film was available in Blu-ray 3D the same day as a standard Blu-ray 2D,[citation needed] as well as Disney’s first in the Blu-ray 3D market along with Alice in Wonderland.[14] The DVD contains deleted scenes and two featurettes called «On Set with Sammi» and «Capturing A Christmas Carol«. The Blu-ray 2D also has a «Digital Advent Calendar» and the featurette «Behind the Carol: The Full Motion-Capture Experience». The Blu-ray 3D has an exclusive 3D game called «Mr. Scrooge’s Wild Ride».
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
A Christmas Carol grossed $137.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $187.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $325.3 million.[3] Due to its high production and marketing costs, the film lost the studio an estimated $50–100 million, and forced Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group and the head of worldwide marketing, to resign.[15]
The film opened at #1 in 3,683 theaters, grossing $30.1 million its opening weekend, with an average of $8,159 per theater.[16]
In the United Kingdom, A Christmas Carol topped the box office on two occasions; the first was when it opened, the second was five weeks later when it leapfrogged box office chart toppers 2012, The Twilight Saga: New Moon and Paranormal Activity despite family competition from Nativity!, another Christmas-themed film.
Critical response[edit]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 53% of 202 critics have given the film a positive review with an average rating of 6/10. The site’s critical consensus read, «Robert Zemeckis’ 3-D animated take on the Dickens classic tries hard, but its dazzling special effects distract from an array of fine performances from Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman.»[17] On Metacritic, another aggregator, the film has a weighted average score of 55 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating «mixed or average reviews».[18] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of «B+» on an A+ to F scale.[19]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four stars out of four, calling it «an exhilarating visual experience».[20] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an A, applauding the film as «a marvelous and touching yuletide toy of a movie».[21] Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News gave the film 3/5 stars and stated the film «is well-crafted but artless, detailed but lacking soul.»[22] Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon.com gave the film a mixed review claiming the movie «is a triumph of something—but it’s certainly not the Christmas spirit.»[23] Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal wrote in his review that the film’s «tone is joyless, despite an extended passage of bizarre laughter, several dazzling flights of digital fancy, a succession of striking images and Jim Carrey’s voicing of Scrooge plus half a dozen other roles.»[24] The Daily Telegraph reviewer Tim Robey wrote, «How much is gained by the half-real visual style for this story is open to question—the early scenes are laborious and never quite alive, and the explosion of jollity at the end lacks the virtue of being funny.»[25] Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian also criticized the technology: «The hi-tech sheen is impressive but in an unexciting way. I wanted to see real human faces convey real human emotions.»[26] Time Out London praised the film for sticking to Dickens’ original dialogue but also questioned the technology by saying, «To an extent, this ‘Christmas Carol’ is a case of style—and stylisation—overwhelming substance.»[27]
Keith Uhlich of Time Out New York named A Christmas Carol the eighth-best film of 2009.[28]
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Award | Category | Recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Kids’ Choice Awards | Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie | Jim Carrey | Won |
| Favorite Animated Movie | A Christmas Carol | Nominated | |
| 36th Saturn Awards | Best Animated Feature | Nominated |
Music[edit]
| A Christmas Carol | |
|---|---|
| Film score by
Alan Silvestri |
|
| Released | November 3, 2009 |
| Recorded | 2009 |
| Genre | Classical |
| Length | 45:28 |
| Label | Walt Disney Records |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | «A Christmas Carol Main Title» | 4:21 |
| 2. | «Scrooge Counts Money» | 0:48 |
| 3. | «Marley’s Ghost Visits Scrooge» | 6:12 |
| 4. | «The Ghost of Christmas Past» | 4:58 |
| 5. | «Let Us See Another Christmas» | 1:18 |
| 6. | «Flight To Fezziwigs» | 1:27 |
| 7. | «First Waltz» | 0:59 |
| 8. | «Another Idol Has Replaced Me» | 1:40 |
| 9. | «Touch My Robe» | 3:41 |
| 10. | «The Clock Tower» | 1:50 |
| 11. | «Carriage Chase» | 3:24 |
| 12. | «Old Joe and Mrs. Dilber» | 2:28 |
| 13. | «This Dark Chamber» | 1:56 |
| 14. | «None Of Us Will Ever Forget» | 1:33 |
| 15. | «Who Was That Lying Dead?» | 3:08 |
| 16. | «I’m Still Here» | 1:26 |
| 17. | «Ride On My Good Man» | 1:04 |
| 18. | «God Bless Us Everyone» | 3:15 |
The music was composed by Alan Silvestri and orchestrated by William Ross, Conrad Pope, Silvestri, and John Ashton Thomas. The entire score was conducted by Silvestri and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony alongside Page LA Studio Voices and London Voices.[29] Much of the music was based on actual carols, including «God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen,» «Deck the Halls,» «O Come, All Ye Faithful,» «Hark! The Herald Angels Sing» and «Joy to the World.» The album was later issued physically through Intrada Records. The theme song, «God Bless Us Everyone,» was written by Glen Ballard and Silverstri and performed by Italian classical crossover tenor Andrea Bocelli.
See also[edit]
- List of Christmas films
- List of ghost films
- Adaptations of A Christmas Carol
References[edit]
- ^ «A CHRISTMAS CAROL (PG)». British Board of Film Classification. October 7, 2009. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (October 26, 2009). «Disney Hopes Christmas Carol Lives Up to Its Blockbuster Marketing». New York Times. Archived from the original on November 25, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
- ^ a b c «A Christmas Carol (2009)». Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 29, 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2009.
- ^ McClintock, Pamela (February 7, 2008). «Studios rush to fill ’09 schedule». Variety. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ «Dickens theme for festive lights». BBC News. September 13, 2009. Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ Hall, James (September 12, 2009). «Disney’s A Christmas Carol will be theme for London’s Christmas lights». Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on September 12, 2009. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ «Disney to shut ImageMovers Digital studio». Los Angeles Times. March 13, 2010. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ a b c «Robert Zemeckis Discusses Disney’s a Christmas Carol». Movieweb. November 16, 2010. Archived from the original on January 24, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
- ^ Making the Trilogy: Part 1 featurette on the Back to the Future Trilogy DVD box set.
- ^ «In the Future: Jim Carrey». ComingSoon.net. March 7, 2008. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ Young, Paul (October 20, 2009). «All A Bored Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ Train Tour». Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- ^ ««A Christmas Carol» — Train Tour Update». Jim Carrey Online. May 17, 2019. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2019.
- ^ Orndorf, Brian (November 8, 2010). «Disney’s A Christmas Carol (Blu-ray)». DVD Talk. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ Garrett, Diane (January 7, 2010). «3D for the home coming». Variety. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ Eller, Claudia (November 10, 2009). «Disney Studios president leaves». Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Wigler, Josh (November 9, 2009). «‘A Christmas Carol’ Defeats ‘This Is It’ At Box Office». MTV.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2009. Retrieved November 11, 2009.
- ^ «Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009)». Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
- ^ «A Christmas Carol Reviews». Metacritic. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ «Cinemascore». cinemascore.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
- ^ «Disney’s A Christmas Carol Movie Review». Chicago Sun-Times. November 5, 2009. Archived from the original on November 8, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
- ^ «Disney’s A Christmas Carol Movie Review». Entertainment Weekly. November 6, 2009. Archived from the original on November 7, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
- ^ Neumaier, Joe (November 5, 2009). «Disney’s A Christmas Carol in Disney Digital 3D: Blah, humbug! ‘A Christmas Carol’s 3-D spin on Dickens well done in parts but lacks spirit». New York Daily News. Archived from the original on November 9, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
- ^ Williams, Mary Elizabeth (November 5, 2009). «Disney’s «A Christmas Carol»: Bah, humbug!». Salon.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- ^ Morgenstern, Joe (November 6, 2009). «‘A Christmas Carol’: Carrey, Disney Play Scrooge». The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
- ^ Robey, Tim (November 5, 2009). «A Christmas Carol, review». The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Peter Bradshaw (November 6, 2009). «Film review: A Christmas Carol | Film». The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on January 21, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
- ^ «A Christmas Carol Review. Movie Reviews — Film — Time Out London». Timeout.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
- ^ «Best (and Worst) of 2010». Time Out New York. December 18, 2009. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ «Alan Silvestri scores A Christmas Carol». ScoringSessions.com. December 22, 2009. Archived from the original on February 18, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- A Christmas Carol at IMDb
- A Christmas Carol at the TCM Movie Database
- A Christmas Carol at The Big Cartoon DataBase
- A Christmas Carol at AllMovie
- A Christmas Carol at Box Office Mojo
- A Christmas Carol at Rotten Tomatoes
- A Christmas Carol at Metacritic
Мультфильм
Рождественская история
A Christmas Carol, США, 2009
О фильме Отзывы (208)Похожие
Экранизация Диккенса с оцифрованным Джимом Кэрри в роли Скруджа
Экранизация Диккенса с оцифрованным Джимом Кэрри в роли Скруджа.
Продолжительность1 час 36 минут
Дата выхода в России19 ноября 2009
Актеры
Самые ожидаемые события
Американский режиссер, наставником и исполнительным продюсером первых фильмов которого (в том числе легендарной фантастической трилогии «Назад в будущее») стал Стивен Спилберг. Вообще, этих кинематографистов часто сравнивают: оба любят совмещать маленькие человеческие истории с большими проектами. Однако, несмотря на то что благодаря «Форресту Гампу» и «Изгою» Земекис прослыл народным режиссером, благодаря «Я хочу держать тебя за руку» и «Смерть ей к лицу» — непревзойденным комедиографом, а благодаря «Роману с камнем», «Назад в будущее» и «Контакту» — гуру приключенческого и фантастического кино, Роберт также любит и умеет снимать настоящие триллеры и ужастики («Байки из склепа» и «Что скрывает ложь» тому подтверждение). Еще режиссер увлечен развитием киношной техники: еще до того, как это превратилось в мейнстрим он смешивал игровое и анимационное кино в «Кто подставил кролика Роджера?», много и плодотворно экспериментировал с технологией mocap («захвата движения») в «Полярном экспрессе», «Беовульфе» и «Рождественской истории», устроил настоящую проверку зрительскому вестибулярному аппарату в «Прогулке» и окунул Стива Кэрелла в кукольный мир в «Удивительном мире Марвена».
9Отражение Диккенса в Земекисе не кривое и впечатляющее
«Рожжественская история» Земекиса — это настоящий Диккенс, с его духом, с его фантазмами и его невероятной любовью и иронией (и как они у него только сочетались?). Земекис — просто зеркало Диккенса. Зеркало высокотехнологичное, с высочайшим разрешением, но не более. И это, пожалуй, прекрасно.
Бедный Земекис за свою любовь к mo-cap (технология компьютерного захвата движения) пострадал не единожды. И смеялись над ним Спилберг с Джексоном, и била его публика рублем («Беовульф» не собрал в прокате и половины рассчетной суммы). Но все Земекису было нипочем. Свято верит старина Земекис в новый мир. В мир, когда вместо актеров у него будут компьютерные модели, а съемка фильма будет проихсодить в считанные часы: придумал сцену, загрузил персонажей, подвигал их, наложил звук, подставил фон, и оп-ля — через пару-тройку часов сцена готова.
Если бы все происходило (или будет происходить) так как мечтает Земекис, на съемки одного фильму с нуля уходил бы месяц. Представляете какой вал кинопродукции захлетснул бы нас? О-о-о-о! Это даже я не могу представить…
И серьезный шаг в это счастливое будущее сделан на наших глазах — Земекис-таки снял «Рождественскую историю 3D».
Наконец-то ему дали все, что он просил
Бюджет фильма «Рождетвенская история 3D» — близок к «Аватару» Джеймса Кэмерона (по последним данным «Аватар» снят за $320 млн) — $200 млн. Этих денег Земекису хватило и на блистательных актеров — Джима Керри, Гарри Олдмана, Колина Фёрта, Боба Хоскиса, и на то, чтобы наконец посчитать всю картинку именно в той полноте, в какой ему ни бюджет «Полярного экспресса», ни «Беовульфа» не позволял. И Земекис оторвался.
Посчитано все. Все фактуры, каждый волос на носу Скруджа, каждый листик, каждый завиток в огненном шлейфе рождественских духов, каждая снежинка, каждая складка на обивке кресла. Я сам не поверил когда увидел. Детализация в «Рождественской истории» — это нечто беспрецедентное.
А еще заново нарисован весь старый Лондон, нарисовано то как люди одевались, воссозданы знаменитые фасады и интерьеры, кони, булыжные мостовые, окорока в лавках и крысы в канализации. Мир созданный Диккенсом благодаря Земекису обрел полноту и полноту детальную.
Духи Рождества Диккенса
Но все же главное в новом фильме Земекиса — это сценарий. Сценарий этот — тема особенная. Кто видел список сценаристов, не мог не удивиться — там два имени: Чарльз Диккенс и Роберт Земекис. Такого ни в «Полярном экспрессе», нив «Беовульфе» не водилось. В первом mo-cap-фильме Земекис работал в серьезной команде, а в «Беовульфе» как сценарист вообще не присутствует. Здесь же, если сбросить со счетов возможный спиритический сеанс, Роберт справился в одиночку. Как это могло случиться?
А дело было так: Земекис изучил все доступные ему экранизации «Рождественского гимна» и взял оттуда все лучшее. Сам он потом написал только раскадровку сцен. Даже образы героев, кто не знает, взяты из иллюстраций к книге Диккенса 1843 года издания. Автор этих бессмертных образов Джон Лич!
Таким образом, и сценарий и образы у Земекиса были изначально. Ему осталось только бережно перенести все на экран в рамках своей любимой технологии. С чем он и справился блестяще, отразив все то (полеты, появления-исчезновения, призраков и пр.) что ранее не позволял уровень техники.
При этом Земекис не попытался исказиь или превзойти, то что уже полюбилось всему миру — сюжет и героев.
В результате мы имеем комедийную экшн-драму, с высочайшим техническим уровнем исполнения и наполненную самым что ни на есть Диккенсовским духом старого Лондона. Смотрите, друзья. Круче, думаю, Диккенса не экранизировали еще никогда.
9
У великих свои причуды. Один великий режиссер снимает потрясающие революционные картины приблизительно раз в десятилетие, другой начинает с шедевров научной фантастики, но потом переходит к историческим эпикам и скучным криминальным драмам, третий на протяжении всей своей карьеры снимает одну и ту же историю… Роберт Земекис увлекается созданием виртуальных персонажей на основе реальных движений, жестов и голоса — motion/perfomance capture, и выступает исключительно за 3D, IMAX и прочие визуальные эффекты.
По моему ощущению, классик Голливуда, поставив во главу угла высокотехнологичное зрелище, не стал снимать ни лучше, ни хуже, ни как-либо иначе — да, картинка изменилась, Земекис получил несколько новых возможностей, но в целом, фильмы остались фильмами. То есть, требуют и грамотно построенного сюжета с персонажами, за которыми интересно наблюдать, которым хочется сопереживать, и актерской игры (пускай и в оцифрованном виде), и мысли, подспудно внушаемой зрителю…
Все это Земекис представил в «Рождественской истории». Ее сюжетную основу невозможно упрекнуть ни в чем, потому что поднять руку на классику, практически в полном объеме перешедшую на страницы сценария, ни у кого не хватит духу. И правильно – рождественские повести 1840-х гг., может, и не являются величайшими произведениями Диккенса, но они интересны и куда более изящны, чем его романы. И, конечно, в грамотной обработке так и просятся на экран. Земекис обычно сам создает сценарии к своим фильмам. Так вышло и в этот раз – переложение Диккенса он никому не доверил. И не зря – навряд ли кто-то справился с задачей построения сюжета лучше.
Герой здесь по существу один – Эбенезер Скрудж, викторианский капиталист, человек, наживший скупостью, жадностью и равнодушием изрядное состояние, буквально Дух Капитализма наравне с Призраками Рождества, внезапно получивший возможность окинуть взором призрака свое прошлое, чужое настоящее и вероятное будущее. Главную роль сыграл Джим Керри, который уже давно не может сыграть плохо – он может сыграть лишь в неудачном фильме, каким «Рождественскую историю» назвать язык не повернется. Так вот, Джим Керри бесподобен и великолепен, хотя представить его себе в образе Скруджа было нелегко – играет-то он со всей возможной серьезностью и с фирменными гримасами одновременно.
Его преображение обставлено Земекисом не без иронии, позаимствованной из первоисточника. Диккенс, сочиняя рождественские повести, вовсе не имел в виду сентиментальные святочные рассказы о том, как всем станет хорошо – формально принадлежа к этому последнему разряду бульварного чтива, «Рождественская история» прикрыта броней мрачного юмора. И вот этот-то мрачный юмор – не только в диалогах и действиях персонажей, но в самой композиции фильма – у Земекиса получился лучше всего. В «Рождественской истории» он определенно повернул к нам новую грань своего гения.
Что ж, спасибо : )
9
Вчера, перед тем, как пойти на просмотр «Рождественской истории», я, что редкость, залез на «Афишу» почитать рецензии. В лучшей, по версии сайта, было буквально написано следующее: «Жуткую атмосферу фильма, даже последние 10 минут пасторали, в которой исправление старика Скруджа, не смогли разгладить мой мозг от чернухи диккенсовских трущоб. Бррр…» (http://kuznia.livejournal.com/).
Насладившись сполна картинкой и историей в целом, после кинопросмотра я понял простую вещь: последнее десятилетие экономического процветания заставило ожиреть наши сердца и мозги и почти полностью отучило их работать! Потому что Диккенс создал высочайшего качества произведение в духе христианской традиции осознания Рождества — как времени, когда каждому из нас дается шанс, перед чудом Боговоплощения, взглянуть на собственную жизнь в свете божественных синергий и, с их помощью, изменить ее в лучшую сторону.
Роберт Земекис бережно сохранил авторский замысел и блестяще, через образы, показал, как любая душа, закостеневшая в неправоте и оттого не сознающая собственного убожества, может в этот светлый праздник (в контексте рассказа и мультика) получить шанс на изменение и, если будет на то ее воля, использовать его. И вот в конце мы видим преображенного Скруджа, который переРОДИЛСЯ вместе с приходящим на Землю Христом и дарит свет и любовь всем людям, как справедливо заметил Том.
Но нам слишком тяжела мысль о необходимости внутренней работы, предваряющей момент радости! Нет же, мы хотим, чтобы разжиженной спецэффектами, саундтреками и брендами душе сделали очередную героиновую инъекцию бессмысленного буйного веселья — чтобы тяжело убежать от действительности хотя бы на пару часов.
А вот в России существовала такая традиция — «жалобить души» (см., напр., «Богомолье» Ивана Шмелева). На большие праздники детей водили смотреть к церквям на прокаженных и нищих и учили их подавать милостыню — как раз для того, чтобы дущи не дряхлели прежде времени. Эта «рождественская история» достигает той же цели — только в разы виртуознее и красочнее! Поэтому я призываю всех — берите детей и идите смотреть мультик: это прекрасное зрелище, завораживающее и преображающее! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!:)
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Отличный фильм !!! С детьми точно идти не надо -все равно большую часть фильма просидят с закрытыми глазами:)а потом ныть по ночам будут 
А тем кто повелся на рекламу — про «Лабиринт Фавна» тоже писали- детское фантази…
Превосходно передана атмосфера Рождества! Страшно и позитивно одновременно!Озвучка Филиппенка великолепная!!! Всем смотреть и купить домой на DVD!!!
Отрицательные рецензии читать просто смешно )))) не ваш фильм ребята ))) ваш в соседнем зале — галиматья типа 2012(((( Без обид 
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Вчера сходила на Рождественскую историю. Потрясающий мультфильм! Те, кто пишет, что это не типично для Диснея, по-моему, сильно ошибаются. Мне кажется, что для Диснея это шаг вперед. Хватит уже снимать только типично детское кино. Мультфильм получился очень красивый, динамичный, диалоги сохранены Диккенса (ну, по крайней мере, в стиле). Детям ходить на это мультик не только можно, но и нужно! Мультфильмы должны не только развлекать и быть красивой картинкой, но и чему-то учить. Не быть жадным, быть внимательным к окружающим, уметь радоваться жизни, да много чему учит эта история, а если такие серьездные вещи еще и красиво показаны! Конечно, там есть грустный момент, но все заканчивается очень даже хорошо! Смысл вести детей до 10 лет, наверное, нет – не поймут, хотя… Современные дети порой удивляют своей непомерной развитостью.
Не знаю, как они это делают, то ли Джим Керри сыграл гениально, то ли талант гримеров и мультипликаторов взял свое, но персонаж получился очень яркий и примечательный. Фильм хорош тем, что вы переживаете массу эмоций с главным персонажем – от отвращения и брезгливости, до искренней радости за него, за его преображение.
Я смотрела мультфильм в формате 3 D. Это было очень красиво и впечатляюще! Все эти полеты, панорамы города, снег… Полное ощущение погружения тебя в этот сказочный мир!
Очень рождественская история! Всем рекомендую посмотреть!
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