The Muppet Christmas Carol is a 1992 American Christmas musical film produced and directed by Brian Henson (in his feature directorial debut). It is the fourth theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Adapted from the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens with a screenplay written by Jerry Juhl, the film takes artistic license to suit the aesthetic of the Muppets, but follows Dickens' original story closely. It is the first Muppet film where a human is the main protagonist.
The film stars Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge alongside Muppet performers Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, and Frank Oz. It is the first Muppet film to be produced following the deaths of creator Jim Henson and performer Richard Hunt; the film is dedicated to both.
The film was released in the United States on December 11, 1992, by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution under its Walt Disney Pictures label. It was a modest box office success and received generally favorable reviews. It is the first Muppets film to be produced by Disney, whose parent company would later acquire the rights to the Muppets characters and assets in 2004. The film's reputation has grown in the years since its release, and it is often listed as one of the best Christmas films of all time.
Plot
Charles Dickens (Gonzo) and his friend Rizzo serve as narrators of the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy, penny-pinching and lonely moneylender of 19th-century London, who does not share the merriment of Christmas. On Christmas Eve, he rejects his nephew Fred's invitation to Christmas dinner, dismisses two gentlemen (Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker) collecting money for charity, and hurls a wreath at a carol-singing Bean Bunny. His kind, humble employee Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog) and the other bookkeepers request not to work on Christmas Day, since there will be no business for Scrooge on the day, to which he reluctantly agrees.
That night, Scrooge encounters the shackled ghosts of his late business partners, Jacob and Robert Marley (Statler and Waldorf), in his bed chambers. They warn him to repent of his wicked ways, or be condemned to wear chains and suffer in the afterlife as they do. They tell Scrooge that three spirits will visit him during the night to help him change his ways.
At one o'clock, Scrooge is visited by the childlike Ghost of Christmas Past, who shows him visions of his childhood and early adult life. Along with Dickens and Rizzo, they visit his lonely school days and then his time as an employee at Fozziwig's (Fozzie Bear) rubber chicken factory. There, at Fozziwig's Christmas party, Scrooge meets a young woman named Belle, with whom he falls in love but she leaves him as he chooses money over her. A despondent Scrooge tells the Ghost to leave him and is returned to his home.
Scrooge next meets the gigantic, merry Ghost of Christmas Present, who shows him the joys and wonders of Christmas Day. Scrooge and the Ghost visit Fred's house, where Scrooge is made fun of for his stinginess and general ill will toward all. Scrooge and the spirit then visit Bob Cratchit's house, learning his family is content with the little they have. Scrooge also takes pity on Bob's ill son Tiny Tim (Robin the Frog), whom the Ghost comments will soon die if things continue the way they are.
The Ghost leaves Scrooge to the mysterious Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, who takes Scrooge into the future where a recent death elicits no sympathy from the inhabitants of London, and the stolen possessions of the deceased are sold to a fence named Old Joe. Due to the creepy atmosphere, the narrators decide to leave. The Ghost also shows Scrooge the Cratchits' home, where they find Bob and his family mourning the death of Tiny Tim. Scrooge is led to the cemetery, where the Ghost points out the neglected grave of the unloved man; Scrooge wipes the snow away on the tombstone to see that it bears his name. Horrified, Scrooge tearfully vows to change his ways and suddenly finds himself back in his bedroom.
Finding it is Christmas Day, an overjoyed Scrooge begins spreading happiness and joy around London, agreeing to give money to the gentlemen's charity, reconciling with Fred and his wife, and leaving coals for his bookkeepers. The narrators return to resume the story. Scrooge tells Bean to buy the poulterer's prize turkey, and they, along with Dickens, Rizzo, and the gentlemen, deliver it to Bob's family; Scrooge announces to Bob that he will raise his salary and pay off his mortgage, as Dickens tells that Tiny Tim escaped death thanks to Scrooge's new generosity, and everyone celebrates Christmas together.
Cast Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge Edward Sanders, Theo Sanders, Kristopher Milnes, Russell Martin, and Ray Coulthard as Young Scrooge Steven Mackintosh as Fred, Ebenezer Scrooge's nephew. Meredith Braun as Belle, Scrooge's former love interest. Robin Weaver as Clara, Ebenezer Scrooge's niece-in-law and Fred's wife.
Muppet performers Performer Muppet character A Christmas Carol character Dave Goelz The Great Gonzo Charles Dickens (Narrator) Waldorf Robert Marley Dr. Bunsen Honeydew Charity collector Zoot Fozziwig party entertainerWhatnotsBackground characters Original Betina CratchitPigsRichmond the HorseSteve Whitmire Rizzo the Rat Co-narrator Kermit the Frog Bob Cratchit Beaker Charity collector Bean Bunny Boy Lips Fozziwig party entertainer Original Belinda CratchitStage puppeteerPigsLaundress Frank Oz Miss Piggy Emily Cratchit Fozzie Bear Fozziwig Sam Eagle Schoolmaster George the Janitor Himself Animal Fozziwig party entertainerOriginalVegetable sellerMr. Bitte Jerry Nelson Robin the Frog Tiny Tim Cratchit Lew Zealand Himself Statler Jacob Marley Ma Bear Ma Fozziwig Floyd Pepper Fozziwig party entertainerDr. Julius StrangeporkFred's guest PopsBackground charactersInkspot DroopFrackleOriginalGhost of Christmas Present (face and voice performance)Bookkeeper ratPigsCrocodile Mr. ApplegateMouse David RudmanOriginal Peter Cratchit Old Joe (puppeteer only)Beggar The Swedish Chef Fozziwig party cookWander McMoochFred's guest Louise Gold Original Mrs. DilberCockney WomanBroolFred's guest Karen PrellOriginal Ghost of Christmas Past (puppeteer only)Daughter mouseArethaSinger in "Scrooge" number Rob Tygner Originals Ghost of Christmas Past (puppeteer only) Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (puppeteer only) William Todd Jones Original Ghost of Christmas Past (puppeteer only) Donald Austen Originals Ghost of Christmas Present (in-suit performer) Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (in-suit performer)Mike QuinnOriginalUndertakerPig Jessica FoxOriginals Ghost of Christmas Past (voice only) David Shaw Parker Old Joe (voice only)
Production Following Jim Henson's death in May 1990, the talent agent Bill Haber approached Henson's son Brian, with the idea of filming an adaptation. Haber told Henson that "Christmas Carol is the greatest story of all time, you should do that" and later informed Henson that he had sold the idea to ABC as a television film. The longtime Muppets writer Jerry Juhl was hired to write the script and decided to insert Charles Dickens (portrayed by Gonzo) as the stand-in narrator in order to remain faithful to the original prose of the written material. Henson stated that Gonzo was chosen because he was the least likely choice to play Dickens, while Rizzo the Rat was added to inject some humor and serve as a Greek chorus. Established Muppet characters were initially written to portray the ghosts, with various accounts stating Robin the Frog or Scooter was to be the Ghost of Christmas Past, Miss Piggy to be the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Gonzo (before he was written to portray Dickens) or Animal as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. However, the idea was scrapped in favor of new Muppet characters that would better underline the ghosts' ominous nature. After the script was submitted for approval to ABC, the executives of Walt Disney Pictures offered to purchase the script for a feature film instead of a television release.
The English actors David Hemmings, Ron Moody, and David Warner and the American comedian George Carlin were considered to portray Ebenezer Scrooge. Henson later offered the role to Michael Caine, who replied: "I'm going to play this movie like I'm working with the Royal Shakespeare Company. I will never wink, I will never do anything Muppety. I am going to play Scrooge as if it is an utterly dramatic role and there are no puppets around me." He took inspiration for the role from "Wall Street cheats and embezzlers; I thought they represented a very good picture of meanness and greed."
Production took place at the Shepperton Studios, England. During filming, in order to allow for the Muppets and the human actors to be in the shot, floors had to be removed and re-inserted, with Michael Caine having to walk across narrow planks between the Muppets and their performers. Additionally, the buildings in the London street scenes were constructed by hand but diminished in size in order to achieve the appearance that the streets were relatively longer. When the musical sequence "It Feels Like Christmas" ends with a crane shot, the short buildings became apparent in the background; Brian Henson explained on the DVD audio commentary that they were aware of the problem during shooting, but eventually decided that the closing shot was worth it as they believed not many people would notice the error.
Release Box office Walt Disney Pictures appeared to have high expectations for the film, being their widest-released film of the holiday season and the second-widest release under the Disney banner that year. However, the film opened in sixth place, initially reported to have collected $5.9 million in box office estimates, which was later revised to $5 million. Ultimately, The Muppet Christmas Carol grossed a total of $27.4 million in North America. Despite being a modest box office success, The Muppet Christmas Carol did not have a large effect during its theatrical release, having to face competition from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Disney's own Aladdin.
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 77% based on 56 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's consensus states, "It may not be the finest version of Charles Dickens' tale to grace the screen, but The Muppet Christmas Carol is funny and heartwarming, and serves as a good introduction to the story for young viewers." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 64 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.
Janet Maslin, reviewing for The New York Times, said that there wasn't "great show of wit or tunefulness here, and the ingenious cross-generational touches are fairly rare. But there is a lively kiddie version of the Dickens tale, one that very young viewers ought to understand." Kathleen Carroll of the New York Daily News gave it three and a half stars, calling it "a delightfully imaginative musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic tale" and noting that "it's a measure of Michael Caine's talents as an actor that he's able to give a straight-faced, remarkably convincing performance as the notorious tightwad Ebenezer Scrooge while surrounded by pint-sized veteran scene-stealers", though she did write that "the songs by Paul Williams tend to sound exactly alike."