Why A Muppet Christmas Carol Is The Best Version Of Dickens’s Classic
Posted by Jennifer Asencio | Published
A Christmas Carol is a classic novel written in 1843 by Charles Dickens and was almost immediately adapted to work in visual form, first for the stage and then for the screen. Almost two centuries later, the story of the scoundrel Ebenezer Scrooge and his supernatural holiday brush is still loved by audiences and has been remade many times. Of all the variables, there is one that returns not only every time but also throughout the year: A Muppet Christmas Carol.
This version stars Michael Caine and the Muppets: Caine stars in this movie by playing his role as Scrooge directly, as if the famous Henson puppets were his fellow actors on the set. His excellent performances opposite Kermit the Frog, the Hecklers, and the three ghosts of Christmas, all puppets, are part of what sells this movie as a classic. Caine manages to tell Miss Piggy, in the role of Mrs. Cratchit, with all the integrity of his role as Alfred in the Batman films.
The story of Ebenezer Scrooge is famous: he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, who warns him that three other ghosts will come to try to scare him away from his evil ways. They succeed, which makes him generous, especially to his employee, Bob Cratchit, and Cratchit’s disabled son, Tiny Tim.
However, there are a few differences between most versions of the movie and the original novella. Dickens wrote the original work as a way to raise awareness for the children working in British mines. As the Ghost of Christmas Present makes his successor, Scrooge is introduced to two mischievous children named Ignorance and Wanting, who echo his anti-poor sentiments back at him.
The most sensitive topics are left out A Muppet Christmas Carol, but they are not so overwhelming that they make the movie scary. The whole family can enjoy it without the little ones having nightmares, especially since the characters are usually normal and kid-friendly characters.
Most importantly, the film maintains the essence of the novel, which is the coming together of family and community. Scrooge learns that he plays a role in the world around him, and that his existence is intertwined with that of his relatives, Bob Cratchitt and the Cratchit family, and his London environment. This idea, called communicationit’s so important to the Muppet version of the story that the movie has two songs dedicated to it.
A Muppet Christmas Carol it hits enough of the first novel’s essential story beats that it was even included in Harvard’s novella class. During a junior credit class, we studied the novel through the lens of its current history and various interpretations of the film over the years. This difference shows how much this impossible familiarity has influenced our understanding of the story.
There are many excellent versions A Christmas Carolfrom faithful narrations to animated versions, revisions, and adaptations of other characters to fill the roles as the Muppet version does. Since many of them are old, they can be found all year round, although it is a Christmas story. A Muppet Christmas Carol can be found on Hulu, along with other important versions of the story. But Gonzo still speaks very well, because he knows it like the back of his hand.
