Jack Considers a Christmas Reagan
Owing to a decided – and entirely understandable – lack of enthusiasm for the project from anyone else, I embarked on a solo commentary on the 1984 movie version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, starring George C. Scott as Scrooge. Luckily, I’m quite capable of wittering on for 90 minutes unassisted. So, here it is… a Christmas… treat for you? I guess?
The movie is on YouTube should you want to watchalong with me.
Obviously, a commentary isn’t an ideal way to analyse a text, so I left a lot of things out that I wanted to talk about. So you may be getting more on this. I’ve already written about it in passing here.
WWA did another CtR on a Christmas movie (though I understand this is a vexed question now) here.
Meanwhile, thanks everyone for reading my stuff this year. And thanks for being such a great community. And thanks to all those who’ve promoted my stuff by tweeting, retweeting, etc. And special thanks to my lovely patrons. They got advance access to this podcast. If that seems like a reward to you, you might consider joining their number.
January 4, 2019 @ 9:28 pm
FInally got around to listening to this — thank you! The Clive Donner version of the Carol has always been my particular favorite. Having seen it so much over the years, I wait to see the Classic Who-ish level of studio FX, like the fake snow and the miniature watchtower tolling the hour.
And thank you for pointing out how Scrooge acts with his own integrity in Act 1, and even pays Bob for the 25th when he doesn’t need to. I really had not noticed that before in all my decades of watching this; the story’s contours are so familiar and comfortable that I don’t question how thoroughly the Christmas Industrial complex grinds down ol’ Ebenezer.
John Sutherland wrote a 3-part ‘sequel’ in the Guardian some years back, where he imagines Scrooge’s life after turning ‘good.’ Long story short: it ends badly for everyone.
And a happy new year.