A Christmas Carol Movies Ranked
A Christmas Carol Movies ranked is a tall order. There is such a great number of visual versions of the novella by Charles Dickens that ranking them seems almost impossible. But let’s give it a go after a bit of background as to why there are so many versions out there.
Evolution of Modern Christmas
There was a time when hardly anybody celebrated Christmas. By the 1600’s, the holiday had died out for a variety of reasons. A major reason was the ironic antagonism of Puritans and the extensive poverty and awful working conditions of most people. If Christmas existed at all, it was mainly for the rich. A confluence of forces changed all this by 1843. New technologies and factories created affordable presents. Labor laws like the 1833 Factory Act gave families time to celebrate. And a middle class grew out of poverty thanks to these trends and other social reforms.
Dickens Intervenes
Then there was Charles Dickens. When Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 1843, it fundamentally shifted conceptions about the holiday and inspired people of all social classes with the Christmas spirit. His book was perhaps the most important factor for the ubiquity of the modern Christmas experience. It helped (along with Coca-Cola) to cement now-standard practices like indoor Christmas trees. Also, Christmas cards, caroling, and paid Christmas vacation. It’s mostly thanks to him that Christmas became a federal American holiday in 1870.
How Pervasive is A Christmas Carol in Western Culture?
It’s understandable, then, that A Christmas Carol has inspired almost countless adaptations, with literally hundreds of versions across theatre, radio, television, opera, and even video games. Cinema alone has delivered approximately 57 adaptations, from 1901’s silent Scrooge, or Marley’s Ghost to the upcoming adaptation Spirited with Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. While there are excellent television versions of the story, these are the best theatrically-released movie versions of A Christmas Carol, ranked.
How Many Adaptations?
The visual adaptions, based on the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens, started just after the 1900s on the stage, and had even more public readings and radio adaptions on top of that! So, how many versions are there total? 135!
Charles Dickens first published A Christmas Carol in 1843 with John Leech as the illustrator. Over 179 years later, A Christmas Carol has become the ultimate Christmas story. Grouchy, bitter, and cold Ebenezer Scrooge acts as a cautionary tale for what happens when capitalism takes precedence over human kindness. Filmmakers often look to A Christmas Carol for adaptation inspiration, especially in terms of holiday movies. This has resulted in A Christmas Carol being one of the most adapted movies ever.
So Now Let’s Try A Ranking
Ok, so I don’t have any stats such as dollars earned, attendees, etc. to complement or temper my own biases. I love all of these productions, and I am certain that you do too. Let’s see how closely my list compares to yours. I have attempted to represent the greatest departures and adherents to the original story. And to be clear; there are no wrong answers!
My list is only five long; after these five versions I honestly cannot separate the rest enough to actually rank them. I almost added the 2009 Jim Carrey version, but I didn’t love it as much as his Grinch movie, and so I kept the cut at five. Sorry Jim !
5. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
Okay, so i wasn’t a kid when this animated short was released, but I do remember Scrooge McDuck from my kid days, so I am a fan of this Disney version by default. McDuck first appeared with the Disney stable of animated characters in 1947, and was based entirely on the character of Scrooge. I suppose the only surprise was that Disney took so long at their poke at the prize with this kid-friendly and socially responsible version. Poor Goofy got to be Marley; oh well, I guess Disney figured that he was least likely to scare any kids when they went to bed after the show and the lights went out !
4. Scrooged (1983)
Bill Murray and caste change the story into a less hopeful, but nonetheless powerful modern portrayal. Based in modern day New York, this spin isn’t as much fun, but has perhaps a bigger impact on me because of it’s translation into our contemporary world. Very witty and Bill Murray is the perfect punk to deliver us a modern day Scroogism.
3. The Muppets’ Christmas Carol (1992)
You know you have made it when the Muppets come calling ! With Michael Caine as Scrooge, and surrounded by those crazy Muppets and maybe (at least) one too many songs, this was a terrifically fun version of the story. If you were ever a Muppet fan, then loosing Miss Piggy and Kermie on the classic will always bring a smile to your face.
2. A Christmas Carol (1938)
The first American movie, made by MGM and more light-hearted and almost devoid of the dark side of the story. I remember this as a child as well. It was quick and uptempo and kind of fun all of the way through. This was Edwin Martin’s version.
1. Scrooge / A Christmas Carol (1951)
This is the movie that I grew up with as a child and so no doubt it holds a great advantage in my perception of what A Christmas Carol actually was and is. I loved Alastair Sim. He was the best Bad Guy ever, but was an even better Good Guy in the last 15 minutes or so of the movie. Black and white, a bit grainy and with a unique sound, I can’t find a single fault with the film.
