Why The Muppet Christmas Carol is my favorite version

I've loved The Muppet Christmas Carol for as long as I can remember, having it as the one movie that I deem essential to watch for the holiday season every year. I'm sure there are versions of this classic Dickens story that are actually better than this one, but The Muppets adaptation is by far my favorite and it's because of how this version presents the story.

It may seem odd considering that it's just an adaptation of A Christmas Carol, going through all the same story beats and plot points as every other one. In fact this version actually cuts out some major parts from the story such as Ignorance and Want from Ghost of Christmas Present's lesso; Scrooge's sister and Fred's mother Fran; and Scrooge's father is only mentioned. However, aside from these cuts, this is probably one of the most accurate and respectful adaptation of the original novel, using even obscure quotes and phrases such as "Dead as a door nail" for the opening and "Captive, Bound, and Double-Ironed" from the book as a song lyric of all things.

However, even the accuracy isn't why I like the story the most. It's the way the story portrays Scrooge and his redemption. Most adaptations of A Christmas Carol fall into the same pittfall when it comes to old Ebeneezer: They make him so mean that it's almost a parody and make his redemption seem really rushed. They play Ebeneezer as someone who couldn't care less about the lessons that are being taught to him for the ghosts of Past and Present, with him getting either angry, irritated, dismissive or defensive about everything they have to say. This goes the other way too, with Past and Present tending to be pretty mean spirited in their treatment back to Ebeneezer. This is where The Muppet Christmas Carol is so different. I know being heartless at the start is the point of his character development, and the Muppet version still has him as the penny-pinching curmudgeon he's supposed to be, but they also making him level-headed and reasonable enough to make his character development believable. More specifically, the way he reacts and confronts each of the Spirits of Christmas that visit him give more leverage .

In the Muppet version, the way that each Ghost interacts with Scrooge feels less like they're trying to shame him into changing and more like they're genuinely trying to teach him the error of his ways and show him a better path. Ghost of Christmas Past calmly and respectfully puts Scrooge in his place about how his past is his own doing, and unlike other versions actually does leave him to linger on the pain and suffering he realizes he brought upon himself because of his past choices. Ghost of Christmas Present is my personal favorite in this difference, though. Most adaptations have Present be snippy and barely tolerating Scrooge's greed. Muppet's Present Ghost is always jolly, and his reaction whenever Scrooge veers into comments about money is to gently nudge him back into the real spirit and meaning of Christmas. Even the most infamous part where Present throws the "Surplus Population" line back at Scrooge is done far less nasty and more like a lesson for scrooge to mind those he's speaking of when he makes those kind of comments. It helps that he leaves on the same joyful greeting as he arrived, encouraging Scrooge on his journey with the implication that he knows Scrooge is starting to turn towards the right path.

Now the interaction between Scrooge and Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come plays out pretty much the same as it does in every version of the story. However, in most versions, Scrooge seems to completely ignore the whole redemption he's supposed to have until Future arrives and shows his death. While understandable that this is supposed to be the emotional climax of the film, the lack of empathy and even contempt for the other visits that most Scrooges show until this point really gives the impression that he only changes because he doesn't want to die alone. Compare this to the Muppet Version. The emotional reactions and journey that we get to see Scrooge have throughout his time with Past and Present, as well as the fact that he respectfully welcomes two of the spirits and their teachings rather than acts annoyed about it, adds so much to the character of Scrooge that we see at this point compared to other adaptations. It makes the climax where he's desperately begging Future to tell him if he can change the outcome of this future seem like it really isn't just about how he dies, but how he wants to fix the way he's lived. It completely sells the idea that he's genuinely a changed man, someone who has learned a valuable lesson that will last his entire life. More importantly, it gives the impression that all the spirits that paid him a visit had a hand in his life and not just that last one.

And his development doesn't even end there like most adaptations do. When Scrooge takes to the streets of London and promises his charity to the collectors, one of them gives him a scarf as thanks. The genuine and heartfelt surprise and thanks he has for it shows that even with the lessons of the ghosts to be more charitable, he still needed to learn that the spirit of Christmas is about the value of everyone, including himself. And I know that it's traditional to have Tiny Tim deliver the final line ("God bless us, everyone"), but I think that, in this version at least, it makes perfect sense for Scrooge to be the one that says it. It's the capping point of his development, the signal that he's a changed man, committed to the lesson that he learned just in time for Christmas day.

And this is why The Muppet Christmas Carol is my favorite adaptation of the Dickens story. The character development that Scrooge goes through, the change from a cold and greedy wretch to "as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew" is done in a way that is so much more believable in this version of the story. It's done like an actual person who had lost their way in life and needed to be given direction, treating Scrooge and the journey and lessons he goes through with the one thing that should matter most in a story about the Christmas spirit: Humanity.

Submitted December 24, 2020 at 12:28PM by SirSilverscreen https://ift.tt/3pfxLgE