A Christmas Carol : Your MOST + LEAST favorite version of 'A CHRISTMAS CAROL'?

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Favorite: George C. Scott

Least Favorite: Jim Carrey, or that one where Basil Rathbone is Marley.

How you can make the world a better place:
Don't shop at Wal-Mart.

LOL I work at Walmart. If it wasn't for their low prices I wouldn't be able to feed my family. They also hired me at a time when jobs were scarce, when unemployment was at an all time high & I couldn't find employment anywhere else. (I was a lab assistant at a hospital and was layed off). I respect your opinion nonetheless, though.

Do you have any "Coachings" for clocking out when you're scheduled to? Because that's what I was fired for, because they were too cheap to hire someone to take over the bottle room for the remaining 6 hours it is open.

How you can make the world a better place:
Don't shop at Wal-Mart.

I agree. Walmart has its good points,

No, I've never had a coaching. This is my 2nd time working for them. I was hired as a people greeter during the holiday season 5 yrs ago and was dismissed following it. Was hired again this past June as a permanent cashier. Never had a problem either time.

Most favorite: Alistair Sim, 1951
Least favorite: Reginald Owen, 1938

As a full disclaimer, I have not seen the 1935 or 1970 versions. Also, I am only considering mainline, traditional adaptations.

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Most favorite: Alistair Sim, 1951
Least favorite: Reginald Owen, 1938

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Same here.

One minor addition though is that I would put 1984's version very close to 1951. I like 1984s supporting cast better than 51, but Alastair is amazing.

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Is very bad to steal Jobu's rum. Is very bad.

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I agree on the George C Scott film, it's my second favorite. Interestingly enough, I wasn't a huge fan the first time I watched it but something brought me back for a second go around. For whatever reason, I was able to appreciate it much more the second time and it steadily rose through the ranks to take 2nd place.

Scott's portrayal of Scrooge has a different feel than that of most of the other actors who have taken on the role and I think it's that uniqueness that I have come to appreciate. He took the role and made it his own while still being true to the spirit of Dickens's story.

I agree with strntz. The George C. Scott was the best SINCE the Alistair Sim version, but Sim's is DEFINITELY the best!

Fav - 1951

Least - The Muppets. Sorry, yet I prefer a more grown up & ghostly story.

...top 50 http://www.imdb.com/list/ls056413299/

I enjoy the Muppets version but I don't even consider it a true adaptation of A Christmas Carol. It's more of a paraphrase, like Scrooged with Bill Murray, and as such I don't even consider it in conversations like this.

So say your insecurities about liking a "kids" movie. Don't know what you watched, but the Muppet version is plenty "adult" and "ghostly". And Michael Caine is the best Scrooge.

Favourites are JOINTLY:

1951 & 1970. 1970 might seem like a strange choice but the music adds a beautiful edge to an otherwise somber story

This version has always been my favorite, between the nostalgia of seeing it for decades since childhood and its wonderful performances and (mostly) dark, moody quality - apparently distributors back in the day didn't think it was cheery enough.

Now that I've seen it all I can easily place 'Disney's A Christmas Carol' into the least-favorite spot. I give points to Jim Carrey using Sim's portrayal as a template, but the look and feel of the animation...ugh! The characters all have that Uncanny Valley goblin appearance. The use of CGI animation seems most 'justified' for its many unnecessary, distracting, spook show effects scenes. A bright, showy bonbon with a rancid center.

Favorite: Alastair Sim
Least favorite: Every other version

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Favorite: Alastair Sim
Least favorite: Every other version

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I concur with that.

To be fair, I think most performances I have seen of Scrooge have been quite good. However, Sim's interpretation is, for me, the best -- by far. Can't imagine anyone doing the job any better even to include the likes of Finney and G.C. Scott.

Dunno. Scott and Patrick Stewart were probably (notice I said probably, readers) the 2 best actors to do the role, yet there was still something inexplicitly missing from their performances.

Favorite: Albert Finney
Least: Alastair Sim

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Favorite: Albert Finney
Least: Alastair Sim

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Sarcasm?

The Sim version is good, but it is not flawless.

For example, it's brilliant that it fleshes out Scrooge's past, but at the expense of the rest of the movie, and the future segment is completely reversed, for some reason.



How you can make the world a better place:
Don't shop at Wal-Mart.

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and the future segment is completely reversed, for some reason.

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What did they reverse in the future segment?

Totus Tuus O Maria!!! Totus Tuus O Jesu!!!!

In the book the order is:

1. The business men "I only know he's dead"

2. the corpse robbers

3. The deathbed (Not shown in Sim version)

4. A family celebrates the fact that the man they were in debt to has died (rarely shown in ANY version)

5. Cratchets mourning Tiny Tim

6. Cemetery

How you can make the world a better place:
Don't shop at Wal-Mart.

Thank you.



Totus Tuus O Maria!!! Totus Tuus O Jesu!!!!

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Sarcasm?

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Not in the least.

oh this version 1951 it was a must see on christmas eve. if we were lucky we could stay up at midnight witht dad and watch it in the dark with thre christmas tree lights on. my fav memory of christmas

Most favourite? This one with Alistair Sim.

Least favourite? Scrooged, with Bill Murray.



Totus Tuus O Maria!!! Totus Tuus O Jesu!!!!

Favorite: A toss up between this one and Mr. Magoo.

Least favorite: Scrooged.

I always liked the Mr.Magoo one as a kid. The singing was funny to me. The ghost of Christmas yet to come used to scare me a little.

Believe it or not, my favorite version was an HBO special that Rich Little did a number of years ago. It featured, among others, Paul Lynde as Bob Crachit and Johnny Carson as his nephew, Fred. Eclectic and not for everyone.

My least favorite is Scrooged with Bill Murray. For the record, I pretty much loved everythig that Bill Murray ever did.

Post script: My absolute favorite remains the Sim version. The Rich Little special was only a guilty pleasure.

My Favorite was Albert Finney, followed closely by Patrick Stewart and Alistair Sim. Those are the only versions I watched so I would guess I would say any others were the worst. It isn't so much Finney is the best as I liked how they included scenes not in the other ones. Like the scene with his sister.

Best: Alistair Sim
Worst: Scrooged, starring Bill Murray.

I had the privilege of seeing Alastair Sim on the London stage in 1974. And I do mean PRIVILEGE!

Cool!

best: 1951 alistair sim
2nd best: george c scott
silly favorite: the animated mr magoo version
worst: albert finney... great actor but this sucked

Sim version is favorite
Least is the Carrey version which I still like.