Published in 1843, Charles Dickens’ novella, A Christmas Carol, is one of the few literary works that has never been out of print. It has inspired film, television, stage, opera, and other media, becoming the author’s most adapted work. The book tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, who experiences an awakening after being visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. A known miser, Scrooge is transformed into a compassionate, gentler man.
Various creative liberties have been taken in numerous adaptations, with modern filmmakers relying more on the stories that were told in the earlier movies and plays than on the book itself. For example, some of the book’s scenes — such as the visit to the miners and lighthouse keepers — are often left out, while new events — like Scrooge paying a visit to the Cratchits on Christmas Day — are now part of almost every new film and show, yet they were never in Dickens’ iconic piece of literature.
So, which Christmas Carol adaptations stay entertaining while ensuring fidelity to the source material? Here are the 10 best and most accurate adaptations of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, A Christmas Carol.
10
‘A Christmas Carol’ (1938)
Of the several early adaptations, A Christmas Carol, an MGM production, stuck with fans the most. Lionel Barrymore (who played Scrooge annually on radio) was meant to star, but was forced to drop out due to arthritis (his voice can be heard in the trailer). Reginald Owen thus took over the lead role, giving a performance that is remembered to this day.
Regarding acting, storytelling, and production values, A Christmas Carol is flawless and is one of the films with a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s mostly faithful to the source material, preserving several elements that most adaptations don’t. Like the book, it highlights the custom of those without kitchens bringing their Christmas poultry to be cooked in the ovens of local bakers. It’s also one of the few adaptations that capture distinct conversations about Scrooge’s death rather than ignoring one or condensing them.
However, Edwin L. Marin’s film strays occasionally. Most glaring is the fact that Bob Cratchit hardly looks poor. Additionally, Scrooge actually fires Bob rather than letting him off with a warning as he does in the novella. Still, this change makes the plot better, highlighting the pain of a man who’d rather keep the truth from his wife (so as not to ruin Christmas) than be honest.
9
‘Scrooge!’ (1970)
Starring Albert Finney as the titular character, Scrooge! was promoted using the tagline, “What the dickens have they done to Scrooge?” to prevent criticisms that could have questioned the inclusion of endless singing and dancing. Finney initially rejected the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, but even after signing someone else, the studio continued courting the actor until he accepted.
Finney really threw himself into the role, winning a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Despite being in his mid-thirties, he perfectly portrayed the elderly Scrooge by leaning into his theatrical training for mannerisms and vocal inflections. The makeup certainly helped, too. The film also received four Oscar nominations for Best Song, Best Art Direction, Best Score, and Best Costume Design.
Pretty over-the-top, Scrooge does justice to the source material on several occasions. Book fans will be wowed to see a ghostly hearse cruising through the lobby of Scrooge’s residence, a scene most films skip entirely. But there are several additions; all strange but somehow necessary. After all, it’s a musical. Here, Scrooge dresses up as Santa Claus to deliver toys. In the book, he anonymously sends a turkey to the Cratchits.
8
‘A Christmas Carol’ (1984)
A Christmas Carol was directed by Clive Donner, who was familiar with the tale, having edited the 1951 film Scrooge. The CBS TV movie stars George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. Roger Rees, who portrays Scrooge’s nephew Fred, also narrates portions of Charles Dickens’ dialogue in the opening and closing moments.
The ‘80s film benefits from great production sets, a strong supporting cast, and an outstanding performance from Scott, who was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special. While other adaptations depict Scrooge as simply selfish, Scott’s version of the character is nasty and condescending, giving audiences every reason to hate him. Much of the mood and visual brilliance stems from the fact that the fantasy drama was filmed in the historic medieval county town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire.
A Christmas Carol is first-rate, yet it ignores several key moments, such as Scrooge’s senseless aggression toward a street urchin caroler and the dinner at the melancholy tavern. Additionally, several changes were made. Marley’s ghost stops being invisible when he enters the room, and the interactions of the two charity benefactors happen at the London Stock Exchange, rather than in the office as in the book.
7
‘A Christmas Carol’ (2009)
Animated through motion-capture, Disney’s third adaptation of the novel stars an ensemble voice cast that includes Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Robin Wright Penn, Bob Hoskins, and Cary Elwes. The 2000s hit was born from a strong desire that filmmaker Robert Zemeckis had to revisit digital theater after making The Polar Express in 2004. He figured A Christmas Carol would be the best way to achieve this.
Jim Carrey thrives in such roles, and he doesn’t disappoint here. From the accent to the grunts, he is perfect. Visually, the film is also unmatched, making it one of the finest animated productions of the 2000s. Unsurprisingly, A Christmas Carol was nominated for Best Animated Movie at the 2010 Kids’ Choice Awards. But what about accuracy?
Zemeckis joins many of his peers in ignoring several of the oft-neglected book scenes (there are no miners, ships, or lighthouse staff), but it preserves much of Dickens’ dialogue and outrightly acknowledges the source material. The opening shot shows the book and even covers the prologue section, establishing Marley’s “dead as a doornail” scene and kicking off the events with the classic “Once upon a time…” Warning: book fans will also be irked by how the movie makes the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come evil instead of silent and understanding as is the case on the pages.
6
‘Scrooge’ (1935)
Directed by Henry Edwards (better known for The Amazing Quest of Mr. Ernest Bliss), Scrooge was the first sound feature-length adaptation of the book. It was also the second cinematic adaptation of the novella to use sound, following a now-lost 1928 short. The black-and-white film stars Seymour Hicks, who had previously played Ebenezer Scrooge on stage and in a 1913 British silent film version.
Scrooge hooks audiences with Hicks’ marvelous performance and the atmosphere, which has traces of German Expressionism. Cinephiles will love the picture’s photography, which often suggests more than it shows. Consequently, the film had fans in high places. President Franklin D. Roosevelt reportedly screened it at the White House on Christmas night, 1935.
Brilliant overall, Scrooge has a bit of a priority problem. For example, it dedicates several minutes to the Lord Mayor’s holiday feast, which is only mentioned briefly in the book, yet it shrinks many incidents from the miser’s youth and early adulthood. Despite that, we can understand the need to maximize the joy of the Lord Mayor’s banquet as it provided the director with the chance to wow audiences with opulent sets, sound, and large crowds.
5
‘A Christmas Carol’ (1971)
A Christmas Carol, an animated film, had plenty of brilliant minds behind it, notably director Richard Williams, who is more famous for Who Framed Roger Robert? Alastair Sim returned as the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge, having previously starred in the 1951 live-action Scrooge. On top of that, Michael Hordern reprised his role from the 1951 film as Marley’s Ghost. Veteran Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones served as executive producer.
The most impressive thing about A Christmas Carol is how it crams so much of the book into a 28-minute running time. Kudos to Williams for including underappreciated book moments, notably the Ghost of Christmas Present showing Scrooge how Christmas is celebrated in a lighthouse and on a ship in the ocean.
Originally produced as a 1971 television special for ABC, the film’s animation quality proved so good that the short film was subsequently released theatrically. It ended up winning the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, though this development caused uproar among some industry insiders. A few figures claimed that a film first shown on TV shouldn’t have been eligible. Consequently, the Academy changed its policy, disqualifying all future productions initially shown on television. Years later, the Oscar-TV debate has never ended, and part of it can be seen in James Cameron’s recent complaints.
4
‘A Christmas Carol’ (1997)
“Folks say life is a song. For some, that means a ditty; for others, a dirge. But during the holiday season, we all sing a carol: A Christmas Carol!” Such great opening words for a musical, especially one that’s voiced by stars like Tim Curry and Whoopi Goldberg. Stan Phillips’ A Christmas Carol was made for kids on Nickelodeon, but has since become a cult classic, loved by fans of all ages.
Featuring plenty of original songs, the movie stays entertaining throughout its 70-minute running time. Curry and Goldberg, who were both on top of their game in the ‘90s, do great work, and with them in the picture, plenty of comedy gets included. Marley’s ghost even finds it fitting to say the classic scare word, “Boo!”
A Christmas Carol would be perfect if Scrooge didn’t own a dog. That penny-pincher? Come on! This can be forgiven, since the animated flick uses a lot of dialogue from the book. It even dedicates an entire musical number to the melancholy dinner at his usual melancholy tavern, a segment that rarely features in other works. There’s an even bigger morality message in it. As the barmaid sings about the importance of being kind, she cheekily feeds Scrooge scraps and gives the meal that the man ordered to the dog.
3
‘A Christmas Carol’ (1999)
Starring Patrick Stewart as Scrooge, A Christmas Carol was produced after the British actor performed a series of successful one-man shows based on the same material on Broadway and in London. Liz Smith, who had previously played Mrs. Dilber in the 1984 adaptation, appears in the 1999 film in the same capacity.
The Hallmark film is super accurate. It includes many neglected book scenes, including the trip to the mining community, the lighthouse, the jailhouse, and the ship at sea. Additionally, Fred’s wife plays music that reminds Scrooge of Fan, a direct book reference.
As always, Sir Patrick Stewart is wonderful, though he appears to have enjoyed portraying Scrooge’s miserly side so much that the director extended the mean moments beyond what was required. As is the case with most Hallmark movies, the production values aren’t the best, but a good plot and a great lead performance make audiences blind to all imperfections.
2
‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ (1992)
The Muppet Christmas Carol stars Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, backed by Muppet performers Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, and Frank Oz. Directed by Brian Henson (in his feature debut), it is the first Muppet movie to have a human character as the main protagonist.
Michael Caine’s straight-faced performance as Ebenezer Scrooge is a major reason why people adore The Muppet Christmas Carol. Understanding this particular film is also easier since Gonzo is present as the voice of Charles Dickens. The reliable narrator covers much of the prose that would have been impossible to dive into via filmed scenes alone. Consequently, we get those cool lines like Scrooge being “a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone.”
Audiences will also salute how the Ghost of Christmas Present is depicted. The song “It Feels Like Christmas” features the spirit roaming and explains its ability to occupy all kinds of spaces. This is in line with the Dickens passage where he writes: “Notwithstanding his gigantic size, he could accommodate himself in any place with ease.” In the movie, we see the Ghost of Christmas Present occupying Scrooge’s room as a giant, but also dancing inside a mouse hole.
1
‘Scrooge’ (1951)
Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst (named Northern Ireland’s greatest filmmaker by the BBC) and starring Alastair Sim as the titular character, Scrooge is widely accepted as the greatest adaptation of the popular Charles Dickens novel. Despite a poor reception upon release, it later emerged as a sleeper hit, becoming a holiday favorite on American television, where it was broadcast regularly during the ‘50s and ‘60s.
Regarding oft-neglected book aspects, Scrooge includes plenty. There’s a blind beggar’s dog pulling him out of Scrooge’s path, Topper seducing Fred’s sister-in-law at Christmas dinner, and The Ghost of Christmas Present visiting sick people at an almshouse.
Everything else is neatly done, with Sim fully inhabiting his role, and the line delivery of each character matches the book’s poetic feel. Even the few creative liberties are so good that future films copied them. The most notable is Fan dying while giving birth to Fred. This is never mentioned by Dickens, yet it has cropped up in many other adaptations.