Top 5 Christmas Carol Adaptations

Ever since Charles Dickens penned it in 1843 A Christmas Carol has been one of the most beloved Christmas stories in history. It is the tale of miserly old Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by the ghosts of his former partner as well as Christmas Past, Present, and Future who learns to love Christmas and help take care of his fellow man and to not be so selfish or self-centered. As is the case with beloved stories there have been many variations of the story throughout the years. It is even coming to the big screen once again this year in November with Jim Carrey playing the roles of Scrooge, and the three ghosts of Christmas. It also stars Gary Oldman as Bob Crachit (Scrooge's kind hearted employee) Jacob Marley (his former partner) and Tiny Tim (Crachit's son) and Colin Firth as Fred (Scrooge's nephew). What is interesting about this adaptation is that it is set in old England like the story itself but is also Disney's first animated movie that is in IMAX 3D.

With the anticipation surrounding the new film which promises to be interesting not only because it is a version of this beloved tale but also because the animation makes everything in the movie look so realistic and it is in 3D (a popular theme with movies nowadays) this movie will probably be a great one. It may also inspire you to watch other versions of A Christmas Carol not only to get yourself into the Christmas season but also to prepare yourself for the newest version. Here are my top five best adaptations of this story.

A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)-starring Michael Caine as well as the Muppets, this version is cute and one that the whole family can enjoy together. With 'the Great Gonzo' as Charles Dickens narrating the musical story, there are a lot of sight gags for the kids to laugh at, songs for the family to enjoy, and banter back and forth between Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat that the adults can enjoy. Plus it I wonderful to see a distinguished actor like Caine get down and talk to Muppets. A must have to add to your family's collection.

Ebbie(1995)-starring Susan Lucci as Elizabeth Scrooge, a manager of a department store who is known for her tight fisted ways and her lack of Christmas spirit. What I like about this version is that, even though we are given a glimpse into Scrooge's past in Dickens original, in Ebbie you get more of a sense of her past and the bad occurrences that have happened to her around Christmas, which helps to account for her distaste for the holiday. Of course in the end she is shown the true meaning of Christmas and embraces the spirit of the holiday.

Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)-everyone loves this version with Scrooge McDuck in the title role. This movie reminds me of my childhood, as it was family tradition to watch this whenever it came on when I was growing up. It is a tradition I hope to pass on to my own children because I love this movie. What's wonderful about it is that not only does it star your favorite classic Disney characters but it also only about thirty minutes long so your little ones won't have too much of a chance to get bored while watching it. Plus if you can get the original video release of this (and it may be included on any DVD release) you also get three animated shorts also starring favorite Disney characters in situations that surround the winter season.

A Diva's Christmas Carol(2000)-starring Vanessa Williams as pop diva superstar Ebony Scrooge who is shown the error of her ways through the help of her friend played by TLC's 'Chili' and of course the Ghosts of Christmas. What I like about this one is that is a unique spin on the classic tale with a diva taking place of a miser so instead of being cheap she's just spoiled and hard to please and thus not a joy to anyone in her life even her manager and label. But it also is a musical version so you can find yourself enjoying the song styling of both Williams and Chili as well as the new spin on the story.

Scrooged(1988)-everyone has got to love this version of the story starring Bill Murray as Frank Cross. What sets this one apart from the others is that they don't use any of the original names from Dickens's story but they do refer to it because in the movie Cross is responsible for putting on a live version of A Christmas Carol for his network of which he is a top executive. However, Cross is still a bit of a Scrooge himself and is visited by the Ghosts to help him fix his ways so he doesn't die alone. What I also like about this version is that Cross ends up with his lost love whereas in the other versions of the movie Scrooge doesn't find love. It also has more of a modern take on everything (for example the Tiny Tim character is a boy who refuses to talk since he saw his father shot). This one is more directed towards adults though with its humor but it is still a classic one to watch to get you into the spirit of the holidays and laugh at Bill Murray's antics not to mention Carol Kane and Bobcat Goldthwait. If by some weird twist of fate you have never seen this movie you need to watch it because it is definitely one to make your collection.

And there you have my top five favorite Christmas Carol adaptations. Hopefully if you've never seen any of these versions you'll be tempted to watch them as well as watch the new version out with Jim Carrey on November 6, 2009. As for the aforementioned movies, you can buy them from websites such as Amazon or Ebay.