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Christmas Carol: The Movie
By Tracy Moore,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Milder than some versions of classic but still a bit scary.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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What's the Story?
Ebenezer Scrooge (voiced by Simon Callow) is a miserly man who would much rather collect debts on Christmas and throw debtors in prison than rethink his greedy, mean-spirited ways. Everything changes thanks to the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future, and the persistent humanity of ghost Jacob Marley (voiced by Nicolas Cage) and Belle (voiced by Kate Winslet), who conspire to show him the error of his ways.
Is It Any Good?
The animation is competent and reminiscent of late-'90s-era cartoons, and the voice work by Kate Winslet, Simon Callow, and Nicolas Cage up the movie's overall heft. Though purists may quibble with some of the liberties taken here in the framing of this story, bookended via live-action sequences of a dramatic reading of the original work, it is largely faithful to the original's plot and message.
For parents, this is a reliable take on the original that will get the job done, and the potential fright for young viewers likely will be offset by the mice who buffer the ghosts, clanking and haunting their way through Scrooge's life.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about helping others. What can you do to help improve the lives of others who are facing hard times?
Have you ever known grouchy people who seem mean or unhappy? Sometimes it's helpful to think about what might have happened to them to shape their personality or experiences and to better understand why people have different dispositions.
What would you do if you could see into the future? Would you want to see how your life turns out? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: October 7, 2003
- Cast: Kate Winslet , Nicolas Cage
- Director: Jimmy T. Murakami
- Studio: MGM/UA
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Book Characters , Holidays , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 81 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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