The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

 

The Muppet Christmas Carol - 1992

Our next film is 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol", an imaginative retelling of the classic Charles Dickens story using the beloved Muppet characters.  As Ebenezer Scrooge leaves work on Christmas Eve, he can little imagine what is in store for him when he gets home.  He's visited by ghosts of past, present, and future, and he learns a valuable lesson from them.

The film's cast includes Michael Caine, Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, and Dave Goelz.

Our tale begins in Victorian London, England, where Charles Dickens (Gonzo) and his assistant, Rizzo, narrate the story for us.

Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge is a horrible boss to work for, as his clerk Bob Cratchit knows.  In fact, he's described by Gonzo as "a covetous, old sinner".  Mr. Scrooge wants nothing to do with celebrating Christmas, and he hates anyone who even mentions the subject.

He's not even nice to cute little carolers on the street who come to wish him the joys of the season.

That night (Christmas Eve), Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of his deceased partners, Robert and Jacob Marley, who warn him that he will be cursed to spend the afterlife as they do if he doesn't change his miserly ways.

He's awakened from his fitful sleep by a succession of ghosts.  The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future all conspire to show him scenes of his life.  (These are three of the creepiest ghosts I think I've ever seen)  Scrooge is profoundly changed by what he sees and experiences throughout the night, and he vows to mend his ways.

Suddenly, Scrooge grows kinder and is ready to keep Christmas in his heart.  He heads to the Cratchit house, and Mrs. Cratchit isn't happy with him at all.  When he tells Bob that he's about raise his salary, Mrs. Cratchit, who isn't listening says, "And I am about to raise you right off the pavement...pardon?"

Scrooge becomes a beloved member of the community.  And as Tiny Tim observed, "God bless us, every one."

Providing the comic relief in this film are Gonzo (Charles Dickens) and Rizzo.  When the perpetually hungry Rizzo sees the Swedish Chef and his grapes singing "Deck The Halls", he decides not to partake.  "Mother always taught me never eat singing food," he says.

And, of course, the Cratchit family is beloved by everyone.  Bob and his wife Emily have four children, Peter, Bettina, Belinda, and Tiny Tim.  (Fast forward to about 1 minute on the video to see Miss Piggy tell the secret to a good Christmas goose and her reaction to how it smells.)

Cast rundown:

   Michael Caine...................................Ebenezer Scrooge

   Steve Whitmire.................................Bob Cratchit/Rizzo

   Frank Oz..........................................Emily Cratchit/Headmaster/Fozziwig

   Dave Goelz.......................................Charles Dickens (Gonzo)

And that's all for The Muppet Christmas Carol.  In his opinion, Michael Caine considered this to be one of the most memorable films he's done.  This is the first Muppet film in which Kermit the Frog isn't the lead character.  This movie has been described as one of the darker versions of Dickens' Christmas Carol.  Some songs were cut because they were deemed too upsetting, and Rizzo even asks Gonzo during the film if this movie is alright for children.

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