A Christmas Carol the Movie Plot
A Christmas Carol the movie is based on the novel written by Charles Dickens, way back in 1843. Here is an overview of the 1951 Movie version. It was released in the UK as Scrooge, and A Christmas Carol in North America.
Introduction
It is Christmas Eve 1843, and Ebenezer Scrooge tells two fellow businessmen that he would not be celebrating Christmas. He declines to give money to men gathering donations for the needy at his place of employment. The following day, his nephew Fred extends him an invitation to dinner, but Scrooge declines. He criticizes Fred for getting married to a girl he didn’t approve of. His bookkeeper Bob Cratchit is given a paid holiday for Christmas Day by Scrooge. But Scrooge does it unwillingly and wants Crachit back at work earlier the following morning. Scrooge is rude and nasty to everyone.
When Scrooge gets home, he recognizes Jacob Marley, his long-deceased partner, as the door knocker. Later Scrooge is confronted by Jacob Marley, who manifests as a ghost inside the house. Scrooge is warned that if he doesn’t change, he would be chained up after death and suffer forever. The Ghost of Marley also informs Scrooge that three spirits will visit him. They will give Scrooge a chance to repent, and the first of which will come at one o’clock. Frightened by the spirit of Marley, Scrooge hides in his bed.
The Ghost of Christmas Past
The Ghost of Christmas Past shows up at one o’clock. Scrooge is forced to watch scenes where he is portrayed as being a loner at school. He is despised by his father since since his mother died while giving him birth. Fan, his adored sister, shows up to take him home. She informs Scrooge that this nasty Dad has just changed his mind about Ebenezer.
The Spirit then takes Scrooge to the Christmas dinner that his charitable employer Fezziwig throws every year. He sees his girlfriend Alice accept his ring when he proposes to her. Then Scrooge watches how he feels pressured to quit Fezziwig’s and work for Mr. Jorkin’s company. That is where he meets his future miserly partner Jacob Marley.
Scrooge watches the death of Fan, who had just given birth to his nephew Fred. He learns he missed her dying words imploring him to look after her son. Jorkin’s firm purchases Fezziwig’s faltering business driving the nice man into bankruptcy and death. After this Alice cancels her engagement to Scrooge because of his dedication to “a gilded idol.” Years later, it is discovered that Jorkin embezzled money from his now-defunct business. Then Scrooge and Marley repay the stolen money, virtually taking control and destroying Jorkin.
Scrooge declines to leave work early on Christmas Eve 1836 so that he can go see Marley, who is dying. Marley understands that he will pay for his crimes against others, and tries to warn Scrooge against his self centered and greedy lifestyle before he passes away when Scrooge eventually comes to see him. As an embarrassed Scrooge returns to his bed, the Spirit chastises him for stealing Marley’s property and money.
The Ghost of Christmas Present
The Ghost of Christmas Present comes to see Scrooge and takes him to observe how “those of goodwill” celebrate Christmas. He displays for him images of the Cratchits’ pleasant Christmas feast and of happy, impoverished miners singing Christmas songs. When Scrooge inquires about Tiny Tim, their crippled child, the Spirit suggests that he would not survive due to his physical condition.
They then go to Fred’s Christmas party, where Fred rebuts the crude comments about his Uncle made by his guests. On Christmas Eve, Alice, who works in a poorhouse, tenderly ministers to the sick and the homeless.
When Scrooge can’t explain to the Spirit that he can benefit from what he has seen, the Spirit shows him two malnourished kids who represent Ignorance and Want. When Scrooge expresses concern for their welfare, the Spirit mocks and scolds him with the miser’s own words: “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?”
The Ghost of Christmas Future
The very scary and foreboding Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come appears to Scrooge and looks more like the Grim Reaper than anything associated with Christmas. This Ghost shows him the Cratchits lamenting Tiny Tim’s passing.
He then observes as two merchants debate a deceased’s burial plans and three people, including his charwoman Mrs. Dilber, sell off his goods. The Ghost shows him his unattended grave in a foggy cemetary, and Scrooge begs forgiveness and the chance to make amends.
Scrooge wakes up in his own bed to find out from Mrs. Dilber that it’s Christmas Day and learns he still has a chance to make apologies. He is ecstatic and dancing around his bedroom and raving about how wonderful everyone is. The metamorphosis of Scrooge initially scares Mrs. Dilber, but he convinces her that all is well and he will increase her pay. He surprises Fred by joining his dinner party and being the life of the party after secretly buying a turkey supper for the Cratchits.
Scrooge plays a practical prank on Bob Cratchit the following day by claiming to fire him for being late but actually giving him a raise. Tiny Tim, who doesn’t pass away and recovers from his illness, considers Scrooge to be “as good a man as the old city ever knew” and a second father to him. The narrator ends the show by invoking the assertions of all who encountered Scrooge from that time forward declared that he knew well how to keep Christmas.
