We are watching The Muppet's Christmas Carol which is one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. I love it for several reasons.
First, it's the Muppets, and the best of the muppets, in my opinion. The hilarity, sarcasm, wit and absurdity of traditional muppet features is perfectly framed by the classic story -- multiple opportunities for creativity, but the story provides the fence the muppets folks need to stay on task.
Second, the story is really very faithful to Dickens and the sense of impending doom present throughout most of the story. At the same time, it is provided a levity by the presence of the Muppets that just isn't present in most Christmas Carol adaptations.
Third, the music is some of the most catchy, yet meaningful ever in a children's movie. I like it all, with the exception of Belle's solo which is just too long and also manages to stick like glue in my head.
Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, Michael Caine is a brilliant, brilliant Scrooge. If you just saw clips of him in this movie, you would think he was starring opposite some of the most acclaimed actors and actresses in the world rather than Kermit and Mis Piggy. He portrays the unreformed Scrooge with a seething crustiness that belies an inner self-consciousness which he reveals tenderly post-reformation. While the Scrooge of Christmas eve is painfully brusque, the Scrooge of Christmas day is almost painfully awkward and hesitant. I love this transformation and I seriously think Caine is the best Scrooge ever. Really.
Fifth, I can watch it a hundred times and find something new each time and it's a movie that the whole family can watch. How many movies can you find that fit that bill?
So now it's back to Kermy and the gang. God bless us, every one!
5 comments:
i concur. it is my favorite of christmas carols. of course if they had only had pepe back in the day... he would have made it golden.
thanks for reminding me to get it out and watch. i wonder what little A thinks of it?
jes.
The Muppets are a must in this house, especially A Muppet's Christmas Carol. We know it like the backs of our hands. In fact, We also watched it today, we have the music on tape as well.
Thanks A LOT! Now I have to live with the temptation to go watch this and call it "language arts" :)
I preached using Scrooge and the Christmas Carol Sunday. But I forgot about the Muppet's.
Uh, I thought Kermy and Miss Piggy were acclaimed actors and actresses. You mean they are not? Wahhh.
We love, love, love the movie! It's a holiday ritual now for our family. I adore how much of the text is in the film.
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