A Christmas Carol (1984) Review

I really need to think of a better title for this post, because the one you see before you is not really accurate.  You'll be reading about the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol (hereinafter referred to as ACC because your editrix is a lazy typist), yes, but what you'll be reading isn't technically a review.  I do like writing blog posts about movies, but my posts tend to be Rambling Mishmashes of My Thoughts and General Impressions When Watching This Movie.  Which is a rather long and drawn-out way of describing this type of post.  Which is why I just use the handy-dandy word "review."  However, if you really want movie reviews, Yet Another Period Drama Blog isn't the best place to go.   But if you want a great deal of nonsense and rambling mishmashes... set a spell and take your shoes off.

Anyways.  Moving on.

I've read ACC almost every Christmas since I was about eight years old-- I think it was Christmas 2002 that my mom read it out loud to our family in the evenings and I was mesmerized by the story.  It was scary in parts, but it was such a good kind of scary, and by the time the next Christmas rolled around I wanted to read it on my own.  I didn't get around to it this year, with so many other things going on, but I did get to see an extremely faithful (and delightful) screen adaptation of the book, which was almost as good.

Before this movie, I'd never seen a "straight" adaptation of ACC-- only the Muppets version, which is wonderful on its own, but not quite as faithful to the book as it might be.  Heehee. Melody has been recommending this version of ACC to me for a full year now, and so when I discovered that my library had a copy, I put it on hold and my family sat down together to watch it on a Friday evening in mid-December.  And I LOVED IT.  Shall I give you a rundown?  I shall indeed.

George C. Scott is one of those actors who is supposedly very famous and I'm supposed to recognize, but to be honest I'd never heard of him before this movie.  And at first, I wasn't too thrilled.  My mental image of Scrooge is that of the original book illustrations: the tall, thin guy with the pointy nightcap.  I blush to admit it, but the computer-animated Disney version of Scrooge comes closest to the Scrooge of my imagination.  I didn't like George C. Scott's looks at all... at first.  Which just goes to show that I can't be trusted when it comes to liking/not liking certain actors and actresses.  "[Miss Dashwood], I fear, is not very constant."  At any rate, despite what he may have lacked in physical appearance, I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Scott's portrayal of Scrooge-- he was just the right kind of squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner that Scrooge is supposed to be.  And his transformation at the end was truly believable-- I was quite pleased.  (My mom and I did have to wonder, however, if all that somersaulting about on the bed at the end was filmed in just one take... heh.  He does seem a bit old to be cavorting about like a little kid in a bouncy castle.)

Jacob Marley, played by some guy whose name I do not know (and am not in the mood to search for on IMDb) was excellent.  Marley always scared me more than any of the other ghosts when I was little, and his appearance in this film sent delightful chills down my spine (yes, I'm easily scared... get over it).  The Marley brothers in the Muppet version are, of course, hilarious, but sometimes one wants just a little more... hmm... accuracy.  I do hope the picture above does not scare any of my younger readers-- but hey, they'll be fine.  It's culture.  (Okay, it's horrid of me to review ramble about one version of ACC while quoting lines from another one, but if I am a wild Beast I cannot help it. It is not my own fault.)

Bob and Mrs. Cratchit were delightful-- I haven't seen the version of Jane Eyre in which they played Mr. Rochester and Jane, but I'd like to.  Bob Cratchit was just as I'd pictured him when reading the book (sorry, Kermit, you're not quite the thing) and though Mrs. Cratchit wasn't quite as I'd imagined her, she was still good.  I liked the interaction between the two of them, and the little mistletoe scene was especially cute.  :D The Cratchit kids were good too-- the whole atmosphere in the Cratchit household was one of fun and affection.  It felt like a real family, another of those touches that made this movie so... oh, I don't know... I don't like to use the word "delightful" all the time because it seems like a cop-out but it keeps coming to mind.

The only Cratchit I did NOT care for was Tiny Tim... I have to wonder if the auditions held for that role included a casting call for Absolute Ugliest Child in the British Isles.  Okay, so there was probably makeup involved to make him look sickly... but still.  And the way he talked irritated me no end.  "Mewwy Cwishmas, Meestah Scwooooooooooge."  Please.  Give me a wide-eyed green baby frog any day, thankyouverymuch.

The person whom I always refer to as "Nephew Fred" (though supposedly in this movie his name is Fred Holywell) was probably the most likable character in the whole shebang.  He's pleasant, cheerful without being annoying, forgiving and fun.  And he kinda-sorta looks like Edmund Sparkler.  I'm not the only one who thinks that-- my dad first pointed it out in one of his early scenes and we spent the rest of the movie exclaiming over his resemblance to Sparkler-be-quiet.  It isn't his facial features so much as his facial expressions and way of talking that remind us of Sparkler.  Of course he doesn't go around calling people "mater" and expressing his approval of those who have no nonsense about them, but he did make us think of Sparkler.

Mrs. Nephew Fred (okay, so technically she's Mrs. Holywell, but I like silly names) was sweet, just as she's supposed to be.  The simile game played at the Holywells' Christmas party, though not in the book *scowls and taps foot* was great fun to watch, and though she seemed a bit slow on the uptake when it came to the phrase "tight as," she seemed quite a likable character.

I absolutely adore movie connections, and when I watch a film for the first time and spot a familiar face, you can usually hear me from here to Halifax.  (My family saw White Christmas for the first time on Christmas night, and when I spotted George Chakiris as a random uncredited dancer in one scene, I squealed "BERNARDO!" in a most unladylike manner of which I am much ashamed.  But not too ashamed to put it on my blog for the whole world to see... cough.)  Anyway, do you recognize the chap on the right?  He's one of the solicitors who comes to Scrooge near the beginning of the film, a rather insignificant character, but he also happens to be Ponceau from... (all together now, Leaguettes)... THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL!

The Ghost of Christmas Past was not exactly awful, but I must say I didn't much like her.  The Ghost is supposed to be a child, or at least a being with the appearance of a child, and though she was better than a creepily-animated little girl sporting toilet paper streamers (yep, I'm dragging in the Muppets again), she reminded me rather eerily of a makeup-free Dolly Parton, which was not the kind of impression I wanted to have of the Ghost of Christmas Past. (Apologies to Dolly Parton fans everywhere.  Erm... well... on second thought...)

The Ghost of Christmas Present was much like Mary Poppins-- he flew, pulled things out of nowhere and was practically perfect in every way.  Just exactly the way I pictured him in the book (yes, I know you're getting tired of hearing that) and the most accurate portrayal of this spirit that I've seen yet.  He had just the right blend of jollity and sternness-- the Muppet spirit has only the jollity.  I will confess to being a wee bit freaked out during the Want and Ignorance scene (it was abrupt and unexpected, to say the least) but that doesn't mean it wasn't good.  That part is supposed to freak you out a little.

That being said, I'm not sure if I would recommend this movie for children under six.  The Ghost of the Christmas Yet to Come scared my seven-year-old brother more than he cared to admit, but since he's not at all accustomed to movies scarier than Up, he might not be the best standard to go by.  At any rate, the Ghost of Christmas Future was not very spooky, but he was frightening enough.  I did think that section of the movie was exceedingly well done-- the music especially was very exciting.

Have I really gotten this far and said so little about the music?  With the exception of traditional English carols (which were grand, by the way) all the music in this film was composed and conducted by none other than Nick Bicat, who composed the TSP music that we know and love.  (Not to mention Clive Donner directed the whole thing... and Ponceau makes an appearance... sheesh, all we need is a visit to Blakeney Manor and ACC could become TSP's companion movie!  Purchase both today in a handsomely bound box set!)  The entire soundtrack had a deliciously old-fashioned feel to it: suspenseful at the right moments, warm at cheery at others.

The costumes, too, pleased me mightily. (They were garments, you know.  Garments were invented by the human race as a protection against the cold.  Once purchased, they may be used indefinitely for the purpose for which they are intended.  Unlike coal, you know, which is momentary and costly...) I tend to be quite picky about costume accuracy in movies, and the piddling fact that I'm no expert doesn't keep me from turning up my nose at a dress that doesn't fit the time period.  The costumes in this film looked like they came smack out of Victorian London, and the dress in the picture above was one of my favorites.  Can't say I thought much of many of the hairstyles (though the lady in that picture is sporting a nice one) but then, it was the era of side ringlets, and what can you do about that?  Not much.

Overall, I highly recommend this delightful (there, said it again) Christmassy film.  It's family-friendly (minus the scary elements mentioned earlier), old-fashioned (always a plus), a reasonable length (100 minutes) without being too rushed, and the music is swellissimus.  My rating?  Nine stars out of ten... excellent.

I do hope you've enjoyed reading this... and now, please get back to work before I am forced to conclude that your services are no longer required.*

*Mr. Scrooge said it first. I am only quoting.

Classics Club: A Tale of Two Cities

The sure mark of an unliterary man is that he considers "I've read it already" to be a conclusive argument against reading a work.

~C.S. Lewis, An Experiment in Criticism

It was the best of books.  It was the worst of books.

...and that 's a line that's been used so many times, I'm almost embarrassed to put it in my review.  Yet it so perfectly sums up my thoughts regarding A Tale of Two Cities that I just couldn't resist.

It was the best of books in that it almost overwhelmed me in its intricacy of characterization, clever narrative, feel-like-you're-there description and page-turning plot.  Sure, I knew how it ended but that didn't make me any less tense when... you know... things happened.

It was the worst of books in that it almost overwhelmed me in just how well-written it was.  I usually don't go all Drama Queen in my writing journal, but when I finished ATOTC on August 8th, this is what my entry for the day looked like: {WARNING SPOILERS}

Bawling unashamedly over the last few pages of ATOTC.  The worst of it all is that Sydney Carton never even got to actually SAY his iconic last words-- they were only a might-have-been like the rest of his life.  I wish I could write like that.  I did a good bit on The Color of the Sky this afternoon but I don't want to do any more today.  Not after that.  (Must have my melodrama, you know.)

I really did write the part about melodrama.  Must stick in my side comments at all times, you know.

Back to ATOTC.  It hasn't yet bumped Little Dorrit off the top spot in my list of Favorite Dickens Novels, but it's taking second right now.  (Sorry, Bleak House...)  And that is a huge concession for me.  Because, you see, this was my second go-round for ATOTC.  I'd read it in seventh grade during a big unit study on the French Revolution, and though I'd liked it well enough--it was, after all, the first school assignment that ever made me cry (tears of frustration don't count)--it didn't thrill me.

This time, it did.

I couldn't believe how much I'd missed the first time I read it.  From the first couple of pages, I was hooked.  Completely hooked.  Never mind the fact that it was a re-read.  I couldn't put it down.  I actually had to pace myself, drag it out to make it last.  That's unusual for Dickens.  (Sorry, but he tends to be weighty.  I had to set requirements each day to get through the first half of Little Dorrit--then the story picked up and I flew through the second half.)  Before I'd finished Book One, I'd come to the conclusion that I had done this wonderful novel a great wrong in not loving it the first time.

You know who else I wronged?
Lucie Manette.

She's not actually as wishy-washy as I thought she was.  Oh, she's no Esther Summerson, nor Amy Dorrit for that matter.  But she has a strength of character that I hadn't noticed before (having spent too much time snickering over her rather frequent fainting spells).  This woman stuck by her husband and her father through everything, shielded her daughter from the horrors of the Revolution and went every day to stand outside her husband's jail cell.  Not so that she could see him (she couldn't) but so that he could see her.  Two hours, every day, without fail, in the hopes that he might be cheered up for five minutes.  This woman is not a wimp.  Even if she does carry smelling salts everywhere.

Charles Darnay... eh, sorry, still not loving him too much.  He's okay.  But only okay.  Moving on.

As for Sydney Carton (hands down my favorite character in the whole shebang), he's moved himself up to a right nice spot in my list of top ten literary heroes. The fact is that I can't bring myself to remove any of the other heroes from the list to make room for Sydney, however, so my top ten heroes list is now really a top eleven list.  (Well, top twelve, since I have two gentlemen in the number one spot.)  I think he's going to have to get a post of his own sometime in the near future, though, so I'll let him slide at present and leave you with this quote:

Sadly, sadly, the sun rose; it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions, incapable of their directed exercise, incapable of his own help and his own happiness, sensible of the blight on him and resolving himself to let it eat him away.

~book 2, chapter 5

You know who else was pretty doggone amazing, though?  Mr. Lorry.  I'll wait while you rack your brain and try to remember who he was... oh, all right, I'll help you out.  He's the old lawyer guy who preserves, protects and defends the Manettes and Darnays throughout the course of the story.  Lawyers can sometimes get a bad rap in Dickens' books (think Mr. Tulkinghorn) but Mr. Lorry is the epitome of the old-school gentleman whose loyalty can't be shaken.  "Think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you," Sydney Carton says to Lucie.  He's referring to himself, of course, but the words could just as easily be applied to Mr. Lorry-- and I for one am grateful that Mr. Lorry at least wasn't called upon to do that very thing.

I could probably devote another whole blog post to dear Miss Pross (and maybe I will) but for now I'll just say that she's hilarious, loyal (hmm, theme going here), unswerving and tough as nails.  On the outside, that is. Inside she has a heart of gold.

Notwithstanding Miss Pross's denial of her own imagination, there was a perception of the pain of being monotonously haunted by one sad idea, in her repetition of the phrase, walking up and down, which testified to her possessing such a thing.

~book 2, chapter 6

Of course I can't possibly forget the wealth of Dickensian villains, most notably Madame Defarge and Jerry Cruncher.  Ally's dream cast probably had something to do with it, but I couldn't get Alun Armstrong's face out of my head every time Jerry appeared.  I could hear his voice in the words, see him snarling at his poor wife... yep, the character's practically Jeremiah Flintwinch all over again.  Only funnier.

Mr. Cruncher himself always spoke of the year of our Lord as Anna Dominoes: apparently under the impression that the Christian era dated from the invention of a popular game, by a lady who had bestowed her name upon it. 

~book 2, chapter 1

Madame Defarge, however... well, I have mixed feelings about this woman.  When I first read ATOTC, I had pretty much no idea of how the story was going to play out.  (Yeah, the whole ending thing with Carton and Darnay?  Did NOT see that coming.  I was in tears for an entire afternoon.)  So when Madame Defarge was first introduced, I decided I liked her.  She seemed like a strong-minded character, a welcome alternate to Lucie's wimpiness (although I've since retracted my less-than-favorable opinion of poor Lucie).  And hey, she was working with her husband to free the oppressed people of France from the wicked aristocrats, right?  Right?  (I hadn't read TSP yet.  Cut me some slack.)  So I was quite distraught when she was revealed to be the villainess.  Even today, I still like her a little bit.  A little bit.  It's probably just a testimony to Dickens' amazing ability to write well-rounded characters.  (And partially the fact that I tend to like people I'm not supposed to... ahem, Fanny Dorrit, Chauvelin, Carver Doone...)

I laughed over this book.  I cried over this book.  I bit my nails (figuratively) over this book.  Would I recommend it?

I would indeed.  And I'd recommend reading it twice at the very least.  It will stir you, thrill you, move you and humble you.  Trust me on this--after you finish the last page, you will never want to write again for the next twenty-four hours.  

But it's worth reading anyway.

Bleak House (2005) Review

"Shake me up, Judy!"
~Mr. Smallweed, Bleak House (2005)

My family absolutely loves to quote movies.  It's a rare day in our household that goes by without someone quipping, "Why do I not have a surprised feeling?" or "I'm packing your angry eyes, just in case!" or "Sparkler, be quiet!" or even "My name is Inigo Montoya.   You killed my father.  Prepare to DIE." 

There are lots of movies that have really definitive quotes, quotes that when spoken immediately make everyone who's seen the movie light up in recognition.  I wouldn't be surprised if most of you laughed and nodded when you read the first line of this post.  Charles Dickens' Bleak House might not be the most quotable film ever (actually, as far as Dickens films go, it doesn't have very many memorable quotes) but nobody forgets "Shake me up, Judy!".

I read Bleak House in the fall of 2010--a good friend had recommended it after she heard how much I had liked Little Dorrit.  Thinking I was in for a dreary, depressing story, I picked up the 700-page novel with some trepidation, but I ended up loving it.  Esther Summerson, John Jarndyce, Mr. Guppy, Harold Skimpole, Lady Dedlock, Richard Carstone all leaped off the page at me and left me anxious to see them on the screen. (Because when I read a good book, my usual reaction when it's over is, "Is there a good movie? I MUST SEE IT.") 

My parents watched Bleak House in January or February of 2011, and then in the summer I watched it with Anne-girl.  We thoroughly enjoyed it--not as much as Little Dorrit, because nothin' compares with LD--but it was wonderful in its own way.

Anna Maxwell Martin as Esther Summerson

Dickens is famous for his legions of memorable, colorful characters, and Bleak House is no exception.  Featuring a heroine who is second only to Amy Dorrit in my list of favorite Dickens ladies, Bleak House refutes the idea that Charles Dickens never wrote about women who were anything other than simpering angels.  Esther Summerson is a heroine in every sense of the word (but not in the sense that she's just the girl who marries the hero--because *SPOILER ALERT* she doesn't. *END OF SPOILER*)  Played to perfection by lovely Anna Maxwell Martin, Esther combines gentleness and grace with great strength of character and selflessness.

Esther and Denis Lawson as Mr. Jarndyce

Denis Lawson plays kind Mr. Jarndyce, the real hero of the story.  He doesn't look at all the way I imagined Mr. Jarndyce while reading the book, but I quickly got used to his appearance (as I almost always do).  If you'd like to read more about Mr. Jarndyce's character, go to this post.  I really enjoyed seeing how all the characters interacted with each other in this miniseries--in the case of Mr. Jarndyce and Esther especially, I frequently forgot that I was watching a movie.  It was as if they were standing right there in the room with me, which is, I think, the test of good acting.  Everything felt so real.  

Esther with Carey Mulligan as Ada Clare

Carey Mulligan gives a brilliant performance as sweet, slightly spoiled young Ada Clare--and I have to say, I liked her much better in this role than as the shallow, silly Kitty Bennet of Pride and Prejudice 2005.  She looks exactly the way I pictured Ada, and she plays the character of a naive young girl without being annoying or overly silly.  Ada isn't technically an admirable character (unless you count that she stuck by Richard no matter what--but I would call that foolishness, personally) but she's very sweet and one can't help liking her.  Plus, she has the best clothes of anyone in the movie and that gives her instant Miss Dashwood Points.

Esther and Ada's friendship was another of those elements that just felt so real.  The way they giggled together and confided in each other and teased each other a bit was sweet and fun, and I think this was one of the ways that the movie was a little better than the book.  In the book, you know that Esther and Ada are friends, but their friendship is seen less as a relationship of equal standing and more as an employer/employee thing.  Esther is Ada's companion, after all.  But I liked it better in the movie. ;)

Burn Gorman as Mr. Guppy of Kenge and Carboysh

Since I am rather randomly skipping about from character to character, I now find myself ready to address my angel--er, Mr. Guppy.  (Not my angel.  Just for the record.  He's Esther's angel.  Er, she's HIS angel.  Whatever. I'm getting muddled.)  Burn Gorman is an absolutely hilarious version of the love-struck young lawyer ("of Kenge and Carboysh") who moons about after Esther like a [insert overused cliche here].  From a purely analytic point of view (and mine is anything but, haha) his character seems quite similar to that of John Chivery in Little Dorrit, but there's one big difference.  Whereas John's story is sad and tear-jerking--and you feel so sorry for him at the end--Mr. Guppy's is just funny.  Especially in the scene where he first proposes to Esther.  Sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up, adjust coattails, sit down--ooh, here's Miss Summerson! Stand up! My sister and I always get a big kick out of that scene, especially when he nervously offers her "some refreshment" in her OWN house. :P

Patrick Kennedy as Richard Carstone with Ada

In the book, Richard and Ada's relationship annoyed me to no end.  Well, okay, let me rephrase that--RICHARD annoyed me to no end.  The guy has almost everything he could ever want--a kind and devoted guardian, a good education, great opportunities and a gorgeous girlfriend (alliteration much?) yet he chooses to throw most of this away and waste his time on that everlasting Chancery case. Badly done, Richard.  Badly done.

Ada, on the other hand, isn't so bad--actually, I feel quite sorry for her.  If only she'd had a little more backbone, and had been able to tell Richard, "Look, we aren't getting married until you get your act together." But of course he never did get his act together, and all right, all right, I'll admit I was quite sad when Richard *SPOILER ALERT* died. *END OF SPOILER*

Oh, and while we're on the subject, am I seriously the only one who thinks that there's a resemblance between Richard (Patrick Kennedy) and Marius Pontmercy (Michael Ball)? It's not just the hair and the collar--they really do look alike.

See? Told ya.

Speaking of Characters Who Really Annoy Me....

Harold Skimpole.  Nathaniel Parker plays him to a T.  I would like to land a high kick right in his silly astonished face.  'Nuff said.

Skimpole: "But after all I'm nothing but a child..."
Esther: BEWARE MY ANGRY EYES.

Cough, cough.  Moving on...

Alun Armstrong as Inspector Bucket

Charles Dance plays an amazingly evil Mr. Tulkinghorn.  I shuddered every time he came on screen... (but in a good way, not the way I shuddered during the Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert every time Nick Jonas came onscreen).  Ahem.  Losing the topic here... I think Mr. Dance would actually make an excellent Scrooge if someone were to adapt A Christmas Carol for the umpteenth time.   Alun Armstrong (you may also know him as Jeremiah Flintwinch and Daniel Pegotty, and I sincerely hope you know him as M. Thenardier) is a fabulous Inspector Bucket.  On the outside, he seems greasy and gross, but as the story progresses and you get to know the Inspector better, he's really quite a likeable fellow. (Despite the scary sideburns.)

Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlock

When I read the book, I wasn't particularly impressed by Lady Honoria Dedlock... but then I saw Gillian Anderson in the role and I was blown away.  I could devote a whole post to this tragically beautiful, mentally tortured woman who made such mistakes in her youth.... *melodramatic music* Without giving anything away, let me just say that a certain scene in which Lady Dedlock tells a certain character a certain secret and reveals that she and this certain character are Rather Closely Related in a certain way.... wow.  Tearjerker moment if I ever saw one, and I've seen plenty.  Also, I adore her ladyship's hair.  If anyone knows how to do it that way, e-mail me the step-by-step instructions ASAP.  Please.

Lady Dedlock's hair might have been gorgous, but
Esther's (at least near the end of the movie) left something
to be desired, IMHO

Richard Harrington does a great job of portraying Allan Woodcourt's humility, loyalty and general all-around-nice-guy-ness, but the fact remains that Allan just doesn't hold a candle to Mr. Jarndyce.  I am really trying desperately hard to keep from spoiling the story for all of you who haven't seen it... but if you read my guest post at Miss Laurie's blog, you already know that Esther marries Allan and not Mr. Jarndyce, right? (And if you didn't, you do now.  Sorry...)  But despite the fact that I feel so very bad for poor, selfless Mr. Jarndyce, I can't help being happy at seeing Esther and Allan together.  I still maintain that Mr. Jarndyce is The Better Man (and since Allan's great, that's saying a lot!) but Esther and "the handsome young surgeon" (as Dickens constantly calls him in the book) simply belong together.

Awww...

And then of course there are all the minor characters, because what would a Dickens story be without at least eight hundred minor characters?  Miss Flite (awww), Mr. Krook (ewww), Mr. Nemo (must find him!), Mr. Kenge (but where's Mr. Carboy?), Sergeant George (yay!), Mrs. Rouncewell (yay again!), Jo (aww), Caddy Jellyby (poor thing), Mr. Turveydrop (I feel a high kick coming on), Mr. Smallweed (just... ew...) and of course the infamous Judy (shake me up!).  They're all amazing.  Oh, and I forgot Hortense.  She's glaring at me.  "You stupid woman!"

As far as intrigue, dastardly deeds, suspense and cliffhangers go, this movie has it all.  At first, I was afraid it might be too creepy (the first episode certainly seems dark enough) but by the end, I was loving it.  Actually, by the second episode, I was loving it.  The theme music, though not as memorable as Little Dorrit's (composed by the same composer, incidentally) was good, but I was rather annoyed by the spooky whooshing in between scenes.  It got old very fast.

Other things I didn't like... well, there really wasn't much.  Mr. Krook's death is beyond gross (and pretty crazy---I mean, I know medical science has come a long way since the Victorian era, but it's hard to believe that people really thought such things could happen) but thankfully the Big Murder Scene (duhn-duhn-duhn!) is not shown.  Overall, I'd say there's actually less blood and gore than there was in Little Dorrit.  (This is a good thing, in case you were wondering.)

On the whole, I would give Bleak House eight stars out of ten.  It was captivating, it was interesting, it was sad, it was funny, it was Charles-J.-H.-Dickens-need-we-say-more?.  

Also, it had one of the best wedding scenes ever, in the history of the whole entire world. And since I'm a sucker for good weddings, I would have forgiven the rest of the movie for being blah (if it were blah.  Which it is not).

In the end, all I can say is that you will be anything but bored to death with it.  Judy? Shake me up!

Quotes of the Week 18 (Celebrating Charles Dickens)

To celebrate Charles Dickens' 200th birthday, Quote of the Week this week is comprised of ten of my favorite Dickens quotes.  There are so many more that I would have loved to include, but I wanted this post to actually be readable, so I restrained myself to ten.  (Naturally, I saved the best one for the last.)

"Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts."
-Great Expectations

"I don’t mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country’s done for."
-A Christmas Carol

"I have had unformed ideas of striving afresh, beginning anew, shaking off sloth and sensuality, and fighting out the abandoned fight. A dream, all a dream, that ends in nothing, and leaves the sleeper where he lay down, but I wish you to know that you inspired it."
-Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities

"The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists."
-Charles Dickens

"Be guided only by the Healer of the sick, the Raiser of the dead, the Friend of all who were afflicted and forlorn, the patient Master who shed tears of compassion for our infirmities. We cannot but be right if we put all the rest away, and do everything in remembrance of Him. There is no vengeance and no infliction of suffering in His life, I am sure. There can be no confusion in following Him, and seeking for no other footsteps, I am certain!"
-Amy Dorrit, Little Dorrit

"Sadly, sadly, the sun rose; it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions, incapable of their directed exercise, incapable of his own help and his own happiness, sensible of the blight on him, and resigning himself to let it eat him away."
–A Tale of Two Cities (talking about Sydney Carton, but it could be referring to Steerforth!)

"Give me a moment, because I like to cry for joy. It's so delicious, John dear, to cry for joy."
-Bella Wilfer, Our Mutual Friend

"The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again."
-Nicholas Nickleby

"No one who can read, ever looks at a book, even unopened on a shelf, like one who cannot."
-Our Mutual Friend

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."
-Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities

The Muppets' Christmas Carol (1992) Review

"Hello! Welcome to the Muppet Christmas Carol.  I am here to tell the story."
"And I am here for the food."

I've only seen one version of A Christmas Carol (I know, I know...) but IMHO this adaptation is outstanding.  Sure, it's silly, but it's the Muppets for crying out loud! The overall feel of the story is lighthearted and funny, but the script is faithful to the novel and even pretty faithful to Dickens' original language.  The parts that might be scary (including the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, who my brother insists is made of trash bags) are toned down to be suitable for young children (and anyway, they'll be fine--it's culture) and the rest of the story is well-told.

Plus, there are lots and lots and lots of really good quotes, and that alone would make this a good movie.

Everybody knows the story of A Christmas Carol (at least I hope all of you do... *peers sternly at cyber-audience*) Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine, who is... adequate) lives his life being mean to everyone and does not change his ways until he is visited by five ghosts (various Muppets, who are awesome) who show him different Christmases from the past, present and future as well as people he knows/knew from the past, present and future (more various Muppets, who are also awesome) and encourage him to mend his ways.  This one thing you must remember, or nothing else will seem wondrous.  Why am I whispering, you ask? Don't ask such silly questions--it's for dramatic emphasis.

See? I can do stories in a nutshell sometimes.  Maybe you're wondering why you should take my word for it that this is the story.  Well, let me tell you that I know the story of ACC like the back of my hand. Want me to prove it? Okay, well, there's a little mole on my thumb, and a scar on the wrist from when I fell off my bike... Ahem.  I promised myself I wouldn't do rabbit trails.

Michael Caine plays Scrooge, as I said, adequately.  He's not awful, but he's not great either.  The best parts of Scrooge's personality come from the script, not the acting.
"Let us deal with the eviction notices for tomorrow, Mr. Cratchit."
"Uh, tomorrow's Christmas, sir."
"Very well. You may gift wrap them."

A lot of the good lines come, of course, from Charles Dickens' immortal words themselves. "He was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge: a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching, covetous old sinner." The Great Gonzo plays a highly amusing Charles Dickens, with some of Gonzo's own wit and humor mixed in with authentic Dickensian quotes. It was the afternoon of Christmas Eve and Scrooge was conscious of a thousand odors, each one connected with a thousand thoughts and hopes and joys and cares long, long forgotten." (That remains one of my favorites.)  Joined by Rizzo the Rat, who is grateful to be a part of this, Charles Dickens tells the story of ACC while tagging along with the characters as they journey through the story.

Rizzo the Rat as Rizzo the Rat and the Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens

Rizzo the Rat: How do you know what Scrooge is doin'? We're down here and he's up there!
Gonzo: I told you, storytellers are omniscient; I know everything!
Rizzo the Rat: Hoity-toity, Mr. Godlike Smarty-Pants.
Gonzo: To conduct a proper search, Scrooge was forced to light the lamps.
[the lamps come on]
Rizzo the Rat: How DOES he do that?

Kermit the Frog plays an excellent Bob Cratchit, with just the right mix of humility (but not Uriah Heep's kind), optimism and general good humor.  His family consists of Mrs. Cratchit (who oddly enough seemed more martial-artsy than in the book) and his children Peter, Belinda and whatever-the-other-girl's-name-is and a slightly frightening Tiny Tim.  (Was anyone else just a wee bit creeped out by his froggy eyes? No, just me? Okay then.)

A random frog as Tiny Tim, Kermit as Bob Cratchit and Miss Piggy as Mrs. Cratchit

Kermit the Frog: If you please Mr. Scrooge, it's gotten colder, and the bookkeeping staff would like an extra shovel full of coal for the fire?
Rat #1: We can't do the bookkeeping, all our pens have turned to inkcicles!
Rat #2: Our assets are frozen!
Ebenezer Scrooge: How would the bookkeeping staff like to be suddenly... UNEMPLOYED?
Rats: HEAT WAVE. This is my island in the sun...

Waldorf and Statler make comical cameos as Jacob and Robert Marley--it's good to see them heckling again.  I was unaware that Jake Marley had a twin brother, but you learn something new every day, don't you?  Of course I could simply be imagining that there was only one Marley brother... I do sometimes doubt my senses because a little thing can effect them. A slight disorder of the stomach can make them cheat. You may be a bit of undigested beef, a blob of mustard, a crumb of cheese. Yes. There's more gravy than of grave about you.

Scrooge with Waldorf and Statler as the Marley brothers

Robert Marley: More gravy than of grave?
Jacob Marley: What a terrible pun. Where'd you get those jokes?
Robert Marley: Leave comedy to the bears, Miss Dashwood.

Speaking of bears, I thoroughly enjoyed Fozzy Bear's performance as Old Fozziwig.  "I love these annual Christmas parties. I love 'em so much, I think we'll do it twice a year!"

The flashbacks to Scrooge's childhood were well done, I thought, but of all the spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Past was actually the spookiest.  Her creepy voice and archaically-animated face were... well, a little scary.  But I did enjoy the portrayal of the Ghost of Christmas Present (and was I the only one who, as a child, thought that he was supposed to be the Ghost of Christmas Gifts?).

"You're a little absent-minded, Spirit."
"No, I'm a LARGE absent-minded Spirit!"

I love it when actors I know make cameo appearances in movies with a lot of characters (one of the reasons I like P&P05) and Sam the Eagle's appearance as the Headmaster did not disappoint. "Mm, you will love business. It is the AMERICAN WAY! ... Oh... It is the BRITISH WAY! Work hard, lad, and one day, your life will be as solid as this very building! [the shelf collapses behind him] Huh. I've been meaning to fix that shelf."

The human characters, unfortunately, were less than perfect.  The animal-vegetable-mineral game played at Fred's house during Christmas Present (heh) is one of my favorite scenes in the book, yet it fell a little flat in this movie.
*insert squeal*
Okay, I just went to IMDB to look up the actor who played Fred because I thought he seemed a bit familiar... and lo and behold, it's John Harmon/Rokesmith/Handford from Our Mutual Friend! Well, I wasn't overly impressed with his performance in the guessing game scene (and his wife was nothing short of annoying) but he did do a pretty good job of portraying Fred's cheeriness (and staying out of the river).  The other human actors... as I said, Mrs. Nephew Fred was pretty cheesy and Belle (Scrooge's fiancee) wasn't much better.  I did have to giggle at Raymond Coulthard's portrayal of Young Scrooge (they did a rather good job of matching Young Scrooge and Old Scrooge, looks-wise) because I had seen bits and clips of him as Frank Churchill in the brown-haired Emma.

I can't finish this review without a little mention of the music in this movie--"It Feels Like Christmas" is definitely my favorite.  "It is the season of the heart, a special time of caring, the ways of love made clear..."



(Oh, and take a look at Fagin at 0:37! More Dickens cameos!)

The ending was sweet and funny (especially Miss Piggy---er, Mrs. Cratchit's threatening to flatten Scrooge on the sidewalk) and all in all, I highly recommend this movie as a good family film for Christmas or any other time of year.  Sure, a Dickens purist might object to the use of Muppets in a classic tale such as this, but I think Charles Dickens would have enjoyed it.  Don't you?

Jacob Marley: That was the review?

Robert Marley: It was dumb!

Jacob Marley: It was obvious!

Robert Marley: It was pointless!

Jacob Marley: It was... short!

Jacob Marley, Robert Marley: I LOVED it!

Guest Post!

My dear blogging friend Miss Laurie has kindly invited me to guest post over at her blog, Old-Fashioned Charm, for Charles Dickens Week.  You can go here to read my post on Dickens' heroes.

Charles Dickens Tag

Miss Laurie and Alexandra are both hosting celebrations in honor of Charles Dickens' 200th birthday, and they have both provided tags for us all to fill out.  I wanted to do both, but since their tags contain some of the same questions, I just combined the two into one, taking questions from both.  I love hodgepodges.

Miss Laurie's questions

How were you first introduced to Charles Dickens?

I've known the story of A Christmas Carol for as long as I can remember, and my mom read it to us at Christmas several times when I was in elementary school.  When I was eleven, I decided it was time to begin reading Big Thick Adult Novels, and so I embarked on Oliver Twist---mostly because I wanted to impress my grandfather, an avid Dickens and Hemingway reader.  I don't remember what his reaction was when I proudly told him I was halfway through Oliver Twist, but I do remember a certain sense of accomplishment mixed with exhaustion when I finished the book.
*Edit*: Actually, my first exposure to Dickens' works came when I was about three or four.  My grandmother had one of those Shirley Temple fairy tale books, and one of the stories in it was Dickens' The Magic Fishbone, which incidentally was my favorite. :) Of course, little did I know that someday that author would become one of my absolute favorites of all time.

Which Charles Dickens novels and stories have you read? Which are your favorites?

In chronological order, I've read:

• A Christmas Carol
• Oliver Twist
• The Pickwick Papers (well, only about 1/3 of this because I got bored with it)
• Nicholas Nickleby
• David Copperfield
• A Tale of Two Cities
• Great Expectations
• Martin Chuzzlewit 
• Little Dorrit
• Bleak House
• Our Mutual Friend 
• Great Expectations (again--liked it MUCH better the second time around)
• David Copperfield (currently re-reading because I didn't get much out of it the first time :))

My favorites would have to be Little Dorrit (obviously), Bleak House, Our Mutual Friend and Great Expectations.  David Copperfield is really, really good too though.


Which Charles Dickens novel(s) do you most want to read?

The Mystery of Edwin Drood... eventually. :) And I want to re-read A Tale of Two Cities.  Reading it in seventh grade while studying the French Revolution was fun (first assigned-reading book that ever made me cry... imagine CRYING over SCHOOL!) but I want to read it again and, you know, appreciate it. ;)

What are your favorite Charles Dickens quotes (up to three)?


"There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate." ~Charles Dickens (i.e., not from a book, as far as I know)
"In a word, I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong." (Great Expectations, spoken by Pip, the narrator)
"It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known." (A Tale of Two Cities, spoken by Sydney Carton... tearing up...)

Who are your Top 3 favorite Dickens heroines? and why?

-Amy Dorrit (because she's sweet, honorable, gentle, self-effacing and loving)
-Esther Summerson (because she's loyal, strong, generous, unselfish and friendly)
-Bella Wilfer (because she starts out as a spoiled brat and matures into a lovely young woman with a heart for others)


Who are your Top 3 favorite Dickens heroes? and why?


-Arthur Clennam of Little Dorrit (because he's kind, caring and just an all-around Mr. Nice Guy)
-John Jarndyce of Bleak House (because he's self-sacrificial, generous, thoughtful and sympathetic)
-Sydney Carton of A Tale of Two Cities (because... just read A Tale of Two Cities.  'Nuff said.)

Which three Dickens villains do you most love to hate?


-Harold Skimpole of Bleak House (this "child" needs a good spanking)
-Uriah Heep of David Copperfield (this guy seriously creeps me out)
-Mr. Pecksniff of Martin Chuzzlewit (just... ugh.  But he's funny. :P)

Which Dickens characters (up to three) do you find the most funny?


-Edmund Sparkler (Little Dorrit)
-Aunt Betsey Trotwood (David Copperfield)
-Mr. F's Aunt (Little Dorrit)

If you could authorize a new film adaptation of one of Dickens's novels, which would it be and why?

A Tale of Two Cities... because as far as I know there isn't one definitive, truly great film adaptation of that book.


If you could have lunch with Charles Dickens today, what question would you most like to ask him?

"What, exactly, do you have against poor John Chivery, pray tell?  Why couldn't he have had a happy ending?"

Have you ever read a Dickens biography or watched a biographical film about him?


I've read a biography or two, but they're, erm, juvenile biographies.  I've never seen a biographical film about him (those kind of documentaries sadly tend to put me to sleep...)

Alexandra's questions

How many Dickens adaptations have you seen?


Five.  Oliver! (1968--yes that counts), Great Expectations (1999--aka the William Wilberforce and Molly Gibson one), Little Dorrit (2008), Bleak House (2005) and The Muppets' Christmas Carol (1992--yep, that counts too :P).

Which Dickens adaptation is your favorite?

Hmm... let me think.  For a nanosecond.  Little Dorrit, of course!

Have you seen multiple versions of A Christmas Carol? Which version is your favorite?

Only one, the Muppet one--but it's awesome. Really, if you haven't seen it you should.  It's faithful to the novel while still being... muppetish.
"Mr. Dickens, don't you think the Ghost of the Christmas Yet To Come is going to be too scary for the kids?"
"Nah, they'll be fine.  It's culture."

Who is your favorite Dickens villain and (if applicable) who does your favorite portrayal of them?

Well, this question can be interpreted two ways.  It could mean "which Dickens villain do you actually like" or "which villain is the most villainous" and I choose to answer the latter.  So, I'd have to say it would be either Mr. Tulkinghorn (Charles Dance) in Bleak House or Rigaud (Andy Serkis) in Little Dorrit.


Have you seen any musical adaptations of any of Dickens’ stories? If so, which is your favorite song from it?


I've only seen Oliver!, but I'd love to see the A Tale of Two Cities musical.  My favorite song would probably have to be "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver!... but "I'd Do Anything" comes close.