A Heartwarming Redemption Tale in "Disney's A Christmas Carol"
posted on Tuesday, November 03, 2009 in MoviesWhat if you were given a second chance to get your life right?
This holiday season, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future will give one man that chance, in “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” a multi-sensory thrill ride that captures the fantastical essence of the classic tale in a groundbreaking, performance-capture 3D motion picture event.
The stellar cast is led by multi-faceted actor Jim Carrey who, like many of his co-stars, appears in several pivotal roles. In addition to portraying Ebenezer Scrooge at various ages old and young, Carrey brings to life the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Christmas Yet to Come.
Joining Carrey is a diverse group of gifted actors. Gary Oldman stars as Scrooge’s beleaguered employee, Bob Cratchit, his young and ill son Tiny Tim, as well as the ghost of Joseph Marley, Scrooge’s deceased business partner. Colin Firth stars as Fred, Scrooge’s cheerful, good-hearted nephew. Robin Wright Penn stars as Belle, who long ago stole Scrooge’s heart, and Fan, Scrooge’s now deceased sister.
Thought to be one of the greatest Christmas stories ever told and enjoyed by millions each year at the holidays, “A Christmas Carol” was originally published by Charles Dickens in 1843. The novella was an immediate and enduring success and would become a holiday tradition for generations. It was the world’s first time travel story and perhaps the most beloved of ghost stories.
At its core, however, the story is one of redemption. “Everybody loves a good transformational story,” says Jim Carrey. “You know, somebody who sees the light, who finally finds out what’s important in life. And, this is one of the greatest ones ever written.”
It is the ghosts, of course, who help turn the stingy Scrooge around. The Ghost of Christmas Past appears in the form of a flickering flame—Dickens describes the Ghost as a “bright, clear jet of light.” The Ghost escorts Scrooge on a journey back in time, revisiting moments in his past. He sees himself as a youngster, as an apprentice to Fezziwig (Bob Hoskins) as a vibrant young man chatting with co-clerk Dick Wilkins (Cary Elwes), and as a man in love and engaged to Belle (Penn). The memories deeply affect Scrooge.
The Ghost of Christmas Present —a merry giant decked out in robes—arrives to show Scrooge what his life is really like in the present. Scrooge is taken to the Cratchit household and sees his clerk’s meager situation, including the gravity of the illness of his young son, Tiny Tim. The Ghost also allows Scrooge to observe his nephew’s Christmas party, where they witness a guessing game in which Scrooge’s dreary life is the punch line.
Next up, and perhaps most unsettling, is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, a phantom who takes Scrooge into the future as the pair explores an unnamed man’s recent death. Businessmen discuss the man’s riches, Old Joe (Hoskins) and Mrs. Dilber (Fionnula Flanagan) divvy up his bedding and curtains. Scrooge demands to know the man’s identity; he’s shocked to read his own name on the tombstone. If only he had another chance.
Opening soon across the Philippines, “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International.
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