A Christmas Carol

It's unfair of me to say that this rendition of Charles Dickens' famous story is my favorite, because I've only seen one other, Scrooged, and that was an adaptation (although Bill Murray was pretty darn funny). Among the A Christmas Carol cognoscenti, this one seems to be top-rated and I believe that's in large part due to Alastair Sim in the lead role. I watch the film every holiday season (on VHS, sadly) and every season it's more delightful than the last. This time around, I noticed what a comic genius Sim is. For those of you who have seen it, you may be thinking "well, duh, that's rather obvious" but what I mean is that he's using his comedic sensibilities throughout the film, even when he's a being a grinch. When the ghost of Christmas past asks him to follow him, he grimaces as a child would who doesn't want to do what his parent is asking. It at least brings a smile to your face. Of course, he's also very good at being a stinker, being heartbroken, and being tender, as in the scene with his nephew's wife. He, and the fantastic supporting cast, make this a joy to watch. It does exist on DVD, but beware the colorized version. It also might be difficult to purchase (Amazon doesn't seem to have it in stock), but I'm sure stores will be carrying it for the holidays to rent.

year: 1951
length: 86 min.
rating: 4.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044008/combined