TheBlueHairedLawyer
This Toronto-filmed production first aired back in the Nineties, when heaps upon heaps of these made-for-TV movies were always being released. Kids loved them, and though many adults complained and whined that they were too cheesy, I think secretly they adored them, too.If not for the story in and of itself (because okay, let's face it, this tired old Dickens tale has been done the world over), I found the acting excellent. Cicely Tyson is amazing in her role as a modern Scrooge, at first being the villain you love to hate but then showing that all the hardships in her life have left her hurt and lonely more than anything else. Katherine Helmond makes a spooky albeit somewhat unmemorable entrance, and William Greenblatt does very well in his obligatory cute sick kid role. I thought Michael Beach especially did an excellent job as Reverend Luke, a man of God who is fed-up with his "Auntie Ebenita" but tries to see her good side time and time again. His monologue sermon of what hell and heaven are really like? It resonated with me when I was a kid and still does today, and I'm not even religious! And my favourite actor of all-time, British-Canadian character actor Julian Richings, completely steals the show as the forlorn, mute ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. I loved the soundtrack and urban scenery too, and I'm glad that even though it's not too popular, a good copy of this one isn't too hard to find.
highwaytourist
The premise of an African-American female Scrooge in the modern, struggling city was inspired, but nothing else in this film is. Here, Ms. Scrooge is a miserly banker who takes advantage of the employees and customers in the largely poor and black neighborhood it inhabits. There is no doubt about the good intentions of the people involved. Part of the problem is that story's roots don't translate well into the urban setting of this film, and the script fails to make the update work. Also, the constant message about sharing and giving is repeated so endlessly, the audience becomes tired of it well before the movie reaches its familiar end. This is a message film that doesn't know when to quit. In the title role, the talented Cicely Tyson gives an overly uptight performance, and at times lines are difficult to understand. The Charles Dickens novel has been adapted so many times, it's a struggle to adapt it in a way that makes it fresh and relevant, in spite of its very relevant message.
mathorn
...but this has to be the worst A Christmas Carol adaptation of all time. And that takes some doing, what with the likes of various Lifetime efforts. Don't get me wrong--I have nothing against Cicely Tyson. I've enjoyed her tremendously in other roles (look at Sipsey in Fried Green Tomatoes, for example). But the script gives her no option but to chew the scenery. And chew it she does, with all the enthusiasm of Tiny Tim tying into a Christmas goose.Give me the classics anytime: Alastair Sim, 1951. With the exception maybe of Scrooged, all the others are just over-the-top efforts to grasp the past, present, or future Spirit of Christmas.
R1ch
_Ms._Scrooge_ is a remake of Charles Dickens' _A_Christmas_Carol_. If you are tired of Scrooge as a crotchety old English guy, you can now see the same story modernized with an elderly black woman playing Scrooge. The adaption is well done, and the contrast with the original story is part of the fun.Cicely Tyson plays Scrooge. I first noticed her years ago in the movie _Autobiograpy_of_Miss_Jane_Pittman_. That award-winning movie and _Ms._Scrooge_ together make an interesting set. In both, Cicely is shown at different times of her life to develop a personal history of how she became who she is now. While the _Autobiography_ is a better movie, _Ms._Scrooge_ is still very good.The supporting cast does an excellent job. Perhaps Katherine Helmund goes over the top as Maude Marley, and she appears to be enjoying her state more than one would think a lost soul should. Still, she effectively sets the stage for what Scrooge is yet to experience. Julian Richings is totally eery as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Roles where actors don't speak have got to be hard to play, but Julian finds the way.
AD
