Christmas in June: 30-Day Blog Challenge, Day 7

Favorite Films. [Blog Challenge:  Day 7]

Let’s just cut to the chase.  My all time favorite movie is A Christmas Carol.  This movie has been made in various versions over the years, some good, some not-so-good (ok, the one with Cicily Tyson absolutely sucked dirt).  My favorite versions are as follows:

 
The George C. Scott version is my ultimate favorite.  No one plays a meaner Scrooge than he.  The Ghost of Christmas Present telling Scrooge off is my favorite line in the movie:

Ghost:  “But if he is to die, then let him die and decrease the surplus population.”

Scrooge:  “You use my own words against me.”

Ghost:  “Oh, yes.  So perhaps in the future you will hold your tongue until you have discovered WHAT the surplus population is and WHERE it is.  It may well be that in the sight of Heaven you are more worthless and less fit to live than MILLIONS like this poor man’s child.”  (That’s one of those lines I wish I could give).

 

Best modernized version:  Ebbie staring Susan Lucci as Elizabeth Scrooge.  It’s the scrooge story set in the 1990’s.  They showed it on Lifetime and on the Hallmark channel ages ago.  I wish it was available on DVD.  Fortunately someone has put it on YouTube.  I like it because it’s updated, but not cheesy.  Plus Susan Lucci plays the perfect witch on a broom, if you know what I mean.  And, yes, I know that they had the Tiny Tim character singing way too high for his changing voice, but it doesn’t ruin the movie.

Best Comedy Version:  The Muppets Christmas Carol with Michael Caine as Scrooge.  Find me a funnier version without Gonzo the Great and Rizzo the Rat narrating it!  You can’t, can you?

Best “I’m Surprised it Was that Good” Version:  The version starring Patrick Stewart as Scrooge.  Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Stewart is a great actor, but I’m so used to seeing him as Captain Jean-Lue Picard on Star Trek:  The Next Generation (engage!), that I wasn’t sure he could pull this off.  He did, and it was wonderful.  I heard that he does a one man stage production of it.  Now, THAT I would like to see.

 

Best Cartoon/Animated Version:  A toss up between Mickey's

Christmas Carol and Veggietales:  An Easter Carol.  Both of which I saw about 800 times when I taught preschool.

I think I like the Scrooge story so much because we’ve all been there at some point—hardened by life’s tragedies and other people’s harsh words and deeds.  We can either choose to live in hope like Bob Cratchit, or in empty greed like Scrooge.  If we're smart, we find lightness of heart and joy in letting go of anger and learning to love and serve our fellow man.  I think that Scrooge’s change of heart gave him the freedom to give and serve, not the other way around.  Maybe that’s just me…

{I'm linking up with So, Funny Story http://ktslifeisfunny.blogspot.com for this 30 Day blog challenge.}