It’s Christmas season, 2009, and it’s Ebenezer Scrooge time once again. Consider this quotation from I Samuel: “Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the LORD has helped us.’ ” (I Samuel 7:12)
Have you ever read this passage and wondered about a possible connection between the stone called Ebenezer and Ebenezer Scrooge, the skinflint protagonist of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol? Well, there’s definitely a connection. “Ebenezer” means “stone of help.” It seems Dickens knew his Bible well and had a clear reason for giving his main character this odd name. We’ll see later how it figures into the story.
Before this year there were at least eight film versions of A Christmas Carol, and now there’s a ninth, produced by Disney and currently playing in the theaters. It doesn’t quite measure up to the classic 1951 British version with Alastair Sim as Scrooge, but it’s worth a look. Here’s why:
Production values: Overall they’re very good. Disney’s animated version of Carol has lots of excellent color and well-drawn backgrounds.
Acting: Superb. Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman do the voices of several characters each, very effectively. There’s none of the usual Jim Carrey flippancy here.
Faithfulness to the story: It’s remarkable how well Disney’s version of Carol sticks to the original story (and to the 1951 version). All the characters are there: Scrooge, Marley, Bob Cratchit, Nephew Fred, Tiny Tim … and the rest.
Emotional impact: Powerful. It’s impossible not to tear up at key moments. Of course we could also say that Dickens’ tale is so good that it would be almost impossible to ruin it.
Christian message: A Christmas Carol is the quintessential story not only of Christmas but also of salvation. Marley’s ghostly visitation of Scrooge on Christmas Eve comes just in time; Scrooge’s heart has been hardened, but not to the point of no return. The story forces us to look at ourselves as Scrooge is forced to look at himself – and while we may not have sunk as far as Scrooge, we may not like everything we see within.
A couple of reservations:
Special effects: They’re overdone to the point of tediousness. Just because the technology is available doesn’t mean it should be used to excess.
Effect on younger children: Some of the scenes are scary, perhaps too much so for younger kids.
Why the name Ebenezer?
The Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come shows Scrooge a tombstone with his name on it. Scrooge asks, “Are these visions of things that will be, or that may be?” In other words, Scrooge wonders whether he still has a chance for redemption. The tombstone is his “stone of help.”
Recommendation: You won’t go wrong in seeing this picture, but do yourself a favor and also get the DVD or video of the 1951 version.
My rating of the new version: 3 stars
My rating of the 1951 version: 3 ½ stars
No comments:
Post a Comment