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Kelsey Grammer, Jesse L. Martin, Jane Krakowski, Jason Alexander, Jennifer Love Hewitt ... see more see more... , Geraldine Chaplin , Brian Bedford , Edward Gower , Linzi Hateley , Jacob Moriarty , Steven Miller , Emily Deamer , Julian Ovenden , Julie Alannagh-Brighten , Claire Moore , Joseph Tremain , Gus Corrado , Ruthie Henshall , Mike Kelly , Ian McLarnon , Sheila Reid , Josh Wilmott

Differentiating this TV-movie version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol from the hundreds of other adaptations of the same Yuletide classic is its tongue-in-cheek ambience and a bundle of memorabl... read more read more...e tunes by perennial Disney composer Alan Menken and former Schoolhouse Rock lyricist Lynn Ahrens. Inspired by a stage musical which used to be presented annually at New York's Madison Square Garden, this Christmas Carol stars Kelsey Grammer as tight-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge, who sees the errors of his ways just in time to oversee the "best Christmas ever" for his long-suffering clerk Bob Cratchit (Edward Gower) and "God Bless Us Everyone" Tiny Tim (Jacob Moriarty). On this occasion, the spirits materializing for Scrooge's benefit include Jason Alexander as a neurotic Jacob Marley, Jesse L. Martin as a laid-back Ghost of Christmas Present, Jane Krakowski as a sexy Ghost of Christmas Past, and Geraldine Chaplin as a spooky Ghost of Christmas Future (in Wizard of Oz tradition, three of these four actors also appear as "real" people in Scrooge's everyday life). Highlights include the song "Link by Link," wherein the ghostly Marley and a chorus of wraiths perform a lively ball-and-chain dance number, and the outsized Christmas celebration in the home of Scrooge's first boss, Mr. Fezziwig (Brian Bedford), which features among other things a "pole dance" by the Ghost of Christmas Past! Filmed on-location in Budapest (which sort of looks like Dickensian London if you squint real hard), A Christmas Carol: The Musical won an Emmy award for musical director Michael Kosarin -- and, alas, tanked in the ratings when first telecast by NBC on November 28, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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61% liked it

2,580 ratings

G, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Arthur Allan Seidelman

Release Date: October 1, 2005

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DVD Release Date: October 18, 2005

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Flixster Reviews (123)

  • superclerk25
    December 21, 2007
    superclerk25
    There are bits of acting that I liked but some of it felt a little flat. There were only a few of the songs that were good and the others were all over the place.
    Grammer was fine as Scrooge and he looked the part fine. It's a tough role for any actor since the roles has been d... read moreone so many times that it has become stale in our minds. It's hard to bring something new to the table with a character that is so iconic.
    This was fine for tv but there are other versions that are far better out there for you to see.
  • jim222001us
    November 19, 2009
    jim222001us
    This movie is just decent. Musical versions of the story have been done better. Just watch Muppets Christmas Carol or the Albert Finney Scrooge. Kelsey Grammer just looks like...Kelsey Grammer with long hair. They didn't bother trying to make him look any older. Plus come on, Jas... read moreon Alexander as Jacob Marley ?? He tries to be spooky but sorry he's still the worse Jacob Marley I ever seen.
  • jazzmonk
    December 21, 2009
    jazzmonk
    Quite good. Old fashioned movie musical, reminded me of Oliver.
    Grammer is excellent, and all the singing and dancing is very good. Nice tunes as well. The only slow section for me was during the Ghost of Christmas present played by Jesse L. Martin. One of the better versions of... read more this story I've seen.
  • angelstacey73
    September 23, 2008
    angelstacey73
    A Great Movie For The Christmas Holiday !













    I Soo Love This Movie & I Got It For Christmas
  • dooritor1
    June 17, 2008
    dooritor1
    Dickensian movies, arent good. But this is something else. a whole nother level is set here. Kelsey Grammar is the greatest scrooge ever. i cant help but imagine this in theater. great music adaptation and singingness is cool. this is great.
  • zappasgal
    December 22, 2007
    zappasgal
    The singing was exemplary-especially by the children! I had no idea Jason Alexander could sing like that!
  • scrambledegg7
    December 22, 2007
    scrambledegg7
    I got this because, hey, it had an abundance of musical theater people in it, AND it had music by people who wrote songs for musical theater! However . . . meh. The silliness of it all! The songs were goofy and overdramatic, the back story was goofy and contrived, the lyrics were... read more (primarily) goofy and forced and . . . erm, yes, the entire movie can be very nicely described as "goofy". One of my absolute favorite moments - at the end, Scrooge appears to be taking the entire town to Fred's dinner party. That is NOT the way to get in good with your nephew. Oh, and the kid, also near the end of the movie, who Scrooge sends to buy the turkey. He makes the funniest faces in the entire world. My sibs and I spent more time making fun of it than we did actually watching the movie.

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A Christmas Carol: The Musical Trivia

  • Albert Finney starred in a musical version of, "A Christmas Carol". What is the title of this film?  Answer »
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