Popular critics and general audiences have given Disney’s latest rendition of the Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol sour reviews. Reactions range from responding to the so-so performance of megastar Jim Carey to noting Disney’s unoriginality in its use of 3D and special effects to deliver the film. While these faulty points of the film may be true, it is the story line that really makes A Christmas Carol flop.
Since Dickens’ time, A Christmas Carol has been performed in numerous theatrical productions and on film. Thus, when faced with a story so well known, the trick is not in retelling the story, but in adapting the story for modern moviegoers. The fact that children today may not know who Dickens is or have any prior experience to the classic tale makes it all the more imperative that the basic story line be one that today’s young audience can relate to.
A better example of a well-executed modern rendition of A Christmas Carol was in the production and story line of The Family Man
, a film starring Nicholas Cage, Don Cheadle, and Tea Leoni. The main character in this film made certain choices in the early days of his life (as did Scrooge), and his decisions have led him to a prosperous yet unfulfilling life. In one instant, the character makes a pivotal choice and this causes him to be visited by a ghost that shows him what his life would have been like had he made different decisions (this twist is different from A Christmas Carol where Scrooge is visited by 3 ghosts who show him what the effects of his life would have been had he continued along the same path).Though the selection is limited, there are other films out these days geared toward younger audiences and those who love children’s stories. Bypass Disney’s latest attempt at A Christmas Carol, and reach for a more original classic instead.
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