Disney's A Christmas Carol 2009 Film

A Christmas Carole at Centre Stage Theatre

2009-11-23T22:39:00.000-08:00

SOUTHWEST: Forest Lake’s Andrea Becker will explore evil and kindness by taking on the roles of numerous characters in the stage show, A Christmas Carol later this month.

Becker plays Mrs Cratchit, a singing clerk and Mrs Fezziwig, the wife of Scrooge’s boss.

“It’s a feel-good show that gives hope that people can change from unreasonable to nice,” Becker said.

She added that the fun adaptation from Neil Barlett was written in many scenes and several songs.

“Dickens uses warm, funny and fierce characters from Scrooge’s past, present and future and a host of ghosts to give Scrooge an agonising look at what he has made of his life and what others have made of theirs,” she said.

Becker graduated from an acting course at the University of Southern Queensland in 2002.

Since graduating, Becker has been involved in several theatre and musical theatre shows including five years seasonal touring with Perform Educational Musicals throughout southeast Queensland primary schools.

A Christmas Carol will take place at Centre Stage Theatre, 25 Quarry St, Spring Hill from November 19 to December 5.

Tickets cost $27.25 for adults, $22 for concession rates and $17.50 for children under 12 or group of 15.

To book phone Oztix 1300 762 545 or visit http://www.oztix.com.au

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UPDATE 1-'Christmas Carol' off to slow start at box office

2009-11-22T22:38:00.000-08:00

* "A Christmas Carol" earns disappointing $31 million

* Gritty drama "Precious" debuts strongly

* Clooney, Diaz films overshadowed (Updates with additional movies, including "Precious")

LOS ANGELES, Nov 8 (Reuters) - If it's the second weekend in November, it must be Christmas in Hollywood.

Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) high-tech adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" topped the North American box office on Sunday with lower-than-expected ticket sales of $31 million.

For moviegoers in the mood for darker material, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," opened at No. 13 after earning a hefty $1.8 million in just four cities. Lionsgate's acclaimed tale of a young, black, overweight, illiterate incest survivor will expand nationally on Nov. 20.

Both movies overshadowed new releases featuring such big names as George Clooney and Cameron Diaz. Clooney's military comedy "The Men Who Stare At Goats" opened at No. 3 with a solid $13.3 million. "The Box," a thriller starring Diaz, opened at No. 6 with just $7.9 million. Also new was the alien-abduction thriller "The Fourth Kind" at No. 4 with $12.5 million.

Last weekend's champion, the Michael Jackson concert documentary "This is It" slipped to No. 2 with $14 million, taking its 12-day total to $57.9 million. The foreign total for the Columbia Pictures release rose to $128.6 million.

"A MARATHON RATHER THAN A DASH"

Industry pundits had forecast a three-day haul in the $35 million-$45 million range for "A Christmas Carol," a motion-capture animated fable featuring the likeness of Jim Carrey. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, and received negative reviews from top critics.

But Disney said the opening hit its own target, and it expected the movie to enjoy some longevity once the Christmas spirit kicks in. This was the case with Zemeckis' 2004 holiday movie "The Polar Express," which totaled $180 million after a slow start.

"You know you're in for a marathon rather than a dash," said Chuck Viane, Disney's president of domestic theatrical distribution.

"Polar Express" also used motion-capture technology, as did Zemeckis' 2007 epic "Beowulf," which stalled at $82 million domestically. Disney said 3D theaters, which charge a premium for tickets, accounted for nearly three-quarters of "Christmas Carol" sales.

Carrey's likeness is used for both Ebenezer Scrooge, as well as the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. Also on board are Gary Oldman and Colin Firth.

"A Christmas Carol" also earned $12 million from 18 international markets, led by Britain and Mexico. Disney does not disclose budgets, but various reports have said the price tag was at least $175 million.

"The Men Who Stare at Goats" and "The Box" also met the modest expectations of their respective distributors, Overture Films and Warner Bros., while Universal Pictures' "The Fourth Kind" did a bit better. Top critics were dismissive of all.

On the other hand, virtually everyone has swooned over "Precious," which stars newcomer Gabourey Sidibe as the ill-starred title character. Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry have signed on as executive producers and cheerleaders of the film.

The tear-jerking drama debuted in 18 theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta, playing to a mix of art-house and urban crowds. It will add five markets next week.

Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp (LGF.N), said it hoped positive word of mouth and glowing reviews would help the studio overcome the difficulty of getting such challenging material into the mainstream.

Columbia Pictures is a unit of Sony Corp (6758.T) (SNE.N). Overture Films is a unit of Liberty Media Corp (LINTA.O). Universal Pictures is a unit of General Electric Co (GE.N). Warner Bros is a unit of Time Warner Inc (TWX.N). (Reporting by Dean Goodman; Editing by Eric Walsh)

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'Christmas Carol' No. 1 at box office

2009-11-21T22:36:00.000-08:00

(Entertainment Weekly) -- It may be only the first week of November, but Disney's "A Christmas Carol" got the holiday season started by spiriting $31 million at the box office, according to early estimates by Hollywood.com Box Office.

The $175 million animated movie, which utilized performance-capture technology to allow Jim Carrey to play multiple roles from Charles Dickens' beloved story, represented the best opening in director Robert Zemeckis' career.

And even though 'Carol' performed a bit below expectations, the family film should hold up well in the coming weeks, especially since it'll be playing on nearly 200 pricey IMAX screens until "Avatar" opens on December 18.

The concert documentary "Michael Jackson's This Is It" dropped only 40 percent in its second weekend, sliding into second place with $14 million. iReporter says "Carol" is awesome, not for tots

Not far behind was the new George Clooney comedy "The Men Who Stare at Goats." Unlike the Chicago Cubs, the movie managed to escape the Curse of the Billy Goat for a weekend total of $13.3 million. iReporters: Quirky "Goats" good but not great

The Milla Jovovich alien-abduction film "The Fourth Kind" debuted in, appropriately enough, fourth place with $12.5 million, while the box-office phenomenon of the season, "Paranormal Activity," recorded $8.6 million -- good enough for fifth place. 'Activity,' which reportedly cost only $11,000 to produce, has now grossed $97.4 million domestically.

Such success is not in store for the Cameron Diaz horror flick "The Box," which debuted in sixth place with $7.9 million and managed to garner a rare "F" grade from CinemaScore moviegoers. iReporter not impressed by "The Box"

The most newsworthy box-office story of the weekend was the record-breaking opening for "Precious," the Oprah-endorsed and Sundance-winning drama starring Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe.

On only 18 screens, "Precious" grossed $1.8 million for a per-screen average of $100,000 the largest per-screen average ever for a movie opening in more than 10 theaters.

With many Oscar prognosticators calling the film one of the front-runners of the awards season, "Precious" has an undoubtedly bright future in store as it gradually expands into additional markets throughout November.

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Carrey's 'Christmas Carol' wraps up $31M weekend

2009-11-20T22:36:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES — Jim Carrey's Scrooge collected holiday donations from movie fans with his new take on "A Christmas Carol," which took in $31 million to open as the weekend's top movie.

The Disney animated version of the Charles Dickens classic knocked the King of Pop out of the No. 1 spot as "Michael Jackson's This Is It" slipped to second place with $14 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Sony's "This Is It," presenting rehearsal performances Jackson shot before his death last June, raised its domestic total to $57.9 million. Worldwide, "This Is It" has taken in $186.5 million.

Featuring Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge and also as the three holiday ghosts that show Scrooge the error of his miserly ways, "A Christmas Carol" came in on the low end of Disney's expectations for opening weekend.

On the other end of the spectrum, Lionsgate's acclaimed drama "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" had a spectacular start, pulling in $1.8 million in just 18 theaters, averaging $100,000 a cinema. That compares with an $8,418 average for "A Christmas Carol" in 3,683 theaters.

"Precious" had a record average for films opening in 10 or more theaters. Others that have averaged $100,000 or more typically debut in only a few cinemas.

The weekend brought a rush of other new movies, led by George Clooney's comedy "The Men Who Stare at Goats," which finished at No. 3 with $13.3 million. The Overture Films release is a satiric look at U.S. military efforts to create "warrior monks" who can predict the future or walk through walls.

Debuting in fourth place with $12.5 million was Universal's "The Fourth Kind," starring Milla Jovovich as a psychologist studying alien abductions in Alaska.

Cameron Diaz and James Marsden's sci-fi tale "The Box" opened at No. 6 with $7.9 million. The Warner Bros. thriller centers on a couple given a mysterious box that can provide them $1 million, but at the cost of a stranger's life.

With nearly two months of playing time through the holidays, Disney is counting on steady business for "A Christmas Carol," particularly over Thanksgiving weekend and in the buildup to Christmas itself.

"You have to play these things for the long term," said Chuck Viane, Disney's head of distribution. "You've got to have the patience and you've got to pick the right weekend. For us, the days when the malls turned to Christmas stores is when we wanted to go."

Director Robert Zemeckis shot the movie using the same performance-capture technology used on his 2004 holiday offering "The Polar Express." Carrey and his co-stars acted on a bare soundstage as digital cameras caught their performances, with computer animators later adding costumes, sets, props and other effects.

"A Christmas Carol" came in ahead of "Polar Express," which had an opening weekend of $23.5 million. But it fell well short of the $55.1 million opening for Carrey's previous holiday tale, "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" in 2000.

Holiday-themed films tend to hold up well through the season, among them Disney's "The Santa Clause" comedies. After its modest start, "The Polar Express" went on to become a $160 million hit by the end of its run and has become a holiday perennial in rereleases in huge-screen IMAX theaters.

"A Christmas Carol" did three-fourths of its business in theaters showing 3-D versions. Huge-screen IMAX theaters, which represented only 5 percent of the theater count, accounted for $4.5 million, or 14.5 percent, of the movie's total gross, said Greg Foster, IMAX chairman and president.

"Precious," which won the top awards at last January's Sundance Film Festival, stars newcomer Gabourey Sidibe as a Harlem teen who gradually rises above an upbringing of incest, abuse and illiteracy.

After Sundance, Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry signed on as executive producers, helping to spread the word on "Precious," which has earned acclaim from critics and audiences at other film festivals. The film has Academy Awards buzz as a best-picture contender, along with Oscar prospects for Sidibe, co-star Mo'Nique and director Lee Daniels.

The movie started in only four cities — New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago. Lionsgate plans to expand it this Friday to five more — Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Dallas and Houston, then take it into wide release Nov. 20.

"A lot of movie-goers are not happy with the release plan right now, because it's not in their cities yet," said David Spitz, head of distribution for Lionsgate. "That's always a good sign."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "A Christmas Carol," $31 million.

2. "Michael Jackson's This Is It," $14 million.

3. "The Men Who Stare at Goats," $13.3 million.

4. "The Fourth Kind," $12.5 million.

5. "Paranormal Activity," $8.6 million.

6. "The Box," $7.9 million.

7. "Couples Retreat," $6.4 million.

8. "Law Abiding Citizen," $6.2 million.

9. "Where the Wild Things Are," $4.2 million.

10. "Astro Boy," $2.6 million.
On the Net:

* http://www.hollywood.com/boxoffice

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‘A Christmas Carol’ gets staged in Vietnam

2009-11-20T22:35:00.000-08:00

The musical ‘A Christmas Carol’ will be performed in Binh Dinh, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Da Nang and Hanoi from November 24 to December 5.

The short story ‘A Christmas Carol’ by English writer Charles Dickens was first published in 1843. It will come to Vietnam as a musical staged by director Paul Stebbings.

Artists from the UK’s TNT Theatre will perform it in English with a Vietnamese translation provided by audio-link.

On November 20, the film ‘A Christmas Carol’ will be released in cinemas nationwide.

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'Christmas Carol' hits high note at box office

2009-11-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES — The festive season lured North American movie-goers at the weekend to leave "Disney's A Christmas Carol" on top of the box office rankings, final figures showed Monday.

The latest adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic tale, featuring Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge and several other characters, earned 30 million dollars in its first week in theaters, figures from Exhibitor Relations revealed.

Falling to second place was "This Is It," a compilation of footage of the late Michael Jackson as he prepared for his concert comeback in London.

The film cashed in on an outpouring of affection for the star after his death in June, and took in 13.2 million dollars in receipts, takings its two-week earning to 57 million dollars.

In at number three was new release "The Men Who Stare at Goats," a satirical comedy starring George Clooney as a member of an elite US military force that uses mind control as a weapon.

The movie, which also features Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges, earned 12.7 million dollars.

The number four spot went to another new release, "The Fourth Kind," starring Milla Jovovich as a doctor investigating alien abduction, which took in 12.2 million dollars.

Falling three spots to number five was "Paranormal Activity," a low-budget horror movie that earned 8.3 million dollars to bring its seven-week earning to 97.1 million dollars.

At number six was "The Box," another horror movie, starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a couple who receive a mysterious box, which earned 7.6 million dollars in its first week in theaters.

Down three places from last week to number seven was "Couples Retreat," starring comic favorites Vince Vaughn and Jason Bateman, which earned 6.1 million dollars.

At number eight was "Law Abiding Citizen," a thriller about a man bent on avenging the deaths of his slain family, which took six million dollars in its fourth week in theaters.

Down four spots to number nine was "Where the Wild Things Are," director Spike Jonze's whimsical retelling of the beloved children's book of the same name, which earned 4.2 million dollars.

Rounding out the top ten with 2.6 million dollars in earnings was "Astro Boy," a 3-D animated feature film about the futuristic robot who first came to life as a 1950s Japanese science fiction manga character.

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'A Christmas Carol' at El Capitan

2009-11-18T22:33:00.000-08:00

Robert Zemeckis' rambunctious 3-D version of the Charles Dickens comes with a Disney-style celebration.

The winter holidays have come early to the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood, as it celebrates Disney-style with an eight-week run of the film "A Christmas Carol" and a stage show. As has become tradition at the El Capitan, the newest Disney release has been turned into a participatory live event for the kids.

Before taking in director Robert Zemeckis' rambunctious 3-D version of the Charles Dickens classic, moviegoers see a kid-friendly 15-minute theatrical performance of singers, Rockette-style dancers and live appearances by Mickey, Minnie and a Goofy Santa. Families are invited to sing and ring along to a medley of Christmas carols (jingle bells provided) as they make their way into a theater set up as a winter wonderland, complete with falling faux snow.

With all that going on, the El Capitan experience is little affected by the fact that the film opened to disappointing box-office sales and reviews. Jim Carrey stars in the remake of "A Christmas Carol" and plays several of the characters, including the four ghosts and the curmudgeonly Scrooge, who oddly resembles "The Simpsons' " bone-thin, creepy boss, Mr. Burns. The film was made in stop-motion animation created by ImageMovers, the same company that produced "The Polar Express."

"The amazing 3-D effects of the film, along with the theater and stage show, really bring the holidays to life at the beginning of the season," said Paul Baribault, vice president of special events for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

After the film, moviegoers can head downstairs to visit an exhibit that features concept art, models, maquettes, costumes and behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film. Kids can catch a glimpse of the less glamorous and often comical side of moviemaking, as actors Carrey and Gary Oldman, who portrays Bob Cratchit and his son, Tiny Tim, perform in awkward motion-capture suits. These suits make them look like a combination of Oompa Loompas and members of the Blue Man Group.

Also on display are several artifacts from the Charles Dickens Museum in London, including a quill pen and copies of the original story.

During the previews, audiences can catch a glimpse of Disney's "The Princess and the Frog." Beginning Nov. 25, special screenings of "Princess" will be presented on a soundstage at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, with original props and costumes from the Disney archives also on view, and access to a bayou adventure with rope swings and tree climbing.

"A Christmas Carol's" rating is PG for scary sequences and intense scenes. However, any fears that little ones might experience could be alleviated once they walk through the door of the Disney-run soda fountain next door, which is offering a "Tiny Tim's Treat" sundae and "Candy Cane Crunch." On weekends, filmgoers can book a breakfast with a live Disney character, though these tend to sell out quickly week to week.

liesl.bradner@latimes.com

'A Christmas Carol' and Holiday Spectacular
Where: El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

When: Now through Jan. 3

Price: $16 adults; $14 children and seniors; $26 VIP; character breakfast $20 per person

Contact: (800) DISNEY6 or www.elcapitantickets.com

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Movie Review: Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009)

2009-11-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Carol
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman
Rated PG
Release date: November 6, 2009

It happens every year, almost without fail. Christmas day comes around and as I am tearing through my presents there is always that one gift. You know the one where the person giving it to you is so excited they hold it back so you have to open it last so they can make a big spectacle of it. Usually the bigger deal they make, the more I dread it. Not because I am ungrateful, but my appreciation hardly ever matches their excitement. Then there’s that whole awkward exchange where they think you don’t like it and you tell them you do but they don’t buy it because they were super excited but you weren’t as excited and… ugh. Robert Zemeckis’ adaptation of the Charles Dickens story, A Christmas Carol is that present. So impatient is he to show off his gift to us that he’s overlooked the fact that it’s little more than a big turd in fancy wrapping.

The story is the same as it’s been for the past 165 years. On Christmas Eve night, Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future during which time he experiences a moment of clarity and eventual redemption. As a story Zemeckis plays it by the book (literally), but as a movie, this thing is all over the place.

I can say one thing: Zemeckis’ motion-capture filmmaking has come a long way since The Polar Express. The characters feel more realistic and the dead-eye syndrome isn’t as much of a distraction as it used to be but it’s still far from perfect. Visually, the movie looks pretty incredible at first. I thought so. Everyone in the theatre I was in thought so. And just in case any of us missed it, we got to see Zemeckis’ home run shot (someone or something flying through the air, quickly) over and over and over. And over. It looked awesome during the opening credits. The second time was still pretty cool. By the time we saw Scrooge flying through the air for the umpteenth time, I didn’t care.

3D aside, something else in the story got lost in translation. Maybe it’s just me but any movie about Christmas should, at some point, generate some of the warmth associated with the holiday. This felt more like I was on my way home for Christmas but I missed my connecting flight, popped a bunch of pills and just sat being dazzled into a coma by the combination of colors and depressing images. I suppose at its core Charles Dickens version has a tinge of doom and gloom, but there was something very joyless and creepy about this version. So much meticulosity went in to how the movie looked that it overshadowed an otherwise charming story of redemption. I wouldn’t have minded seeing Jim Carrey as a live action Scrooge and I want to see Gary Oldman act in almost anything. If your goal is photorealism, why not just go the other way and give us good old fashion realism and let the actors nuances come through in their performances?

Zemeckis has made some great movies in the past but has spent the better part of the last decade tinkering with this technology that has become a pet project of his. What’s worse is that he is so blindly obsessed with this form of filmmaking that he has completely gone away from what made him successful. Whether or not his little Frankenstein will eventually destroy his career remains to be seen but he has enough upcoming mo-cap projects that we will probably find out.

Let’s face it; Christmas movies are hard enough to sell to the general public without giving them another reason to turn their back on you. People are set in their ways. They have their rotation of classics and are pretty much content with what is already out there. The last thing people want is another hair brained retread of a movie they have already seen, especially one that is going to scare their kids shitless.

And there’s the rub.

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Tybout: Picking the best of Dickens' "Carol" adaptations

2009-11-16T22:31:00.000-08:00

A little more than 150 years ago, one the world’s greatest writers penned a novella about an old, hardened soul finding kindness in humanity before it’s too late. Now, all across the country, we tell the story to our children and grandchildren through literature, musicals and movies — even VH1 specials.

What Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is to music, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is to film — a work that’s been covered enough times that it’s lost almost all of its appeal. There are “Carols” for Dickens lovers, “Carols” for cynics, “Carols” for families, “Carols” for people who don’t like Christmas carols and, most recently, “Carols” for people who enjoy creepy performance-capture technology.

Just look at this year’s releases: the previously alluded-to Robert Zemeckis’ “A Christmas Carol” and Mark Waters’ “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.” That’s two new takes on the story in the span of one year. And while I haven’t seen either of them, their trailers were enough to convince me of their suffocating lameness.

Now, I know you must be thinking, “I love ‘A Christmas Carol,’ but I hate terrible remakes. If only someone had a list of the top three ‘Christmas Carol’ movies so I wouldn’t have to sift through all that crap ...”

Well, you’re in luck. I happen to possess a foolproof list of the top three contemporary “Christmas Carol” adaptations since 1970.

3) “A Christmas Carol” (1984), starring George C. Scott. This is the fundamentalist’s “Christmas Carol” — a movie that takes Dickens’ each and every word literally, as if attempting some History Channel recreation of reality. But its strength lies not in its impeccable reading, but in its Ebenezer Scrooge: George C. Scott, aka Gen. Patton, aka All-Around Man’s Man. Scott exudes an austere cold that the real Scrooge would admire. Even his muttonchops are sinister. This is that rare made-for-TV movie that actually trumps most of its cinematic counterparts in quality.

2) “Scrooged” (1988), starring Bill Murray. Murray has always been one of my favorite comedic actors, and here he makes a humorous, if less than evil, Ebenezer Scrooge (or, in this film, Frank Cross). This is one of those “modern” takes on “A Christmas Carol,” where Marley is a media mogul, the Ghost of Christmas Past is a cab driver, and the Ghost of Christmas Future is the craziest thing you’ll ever see. It’s by no means a perfect movie, but in terms of adaptations, it’s at the high end of enjoyability.

1) “The Muppet Christmas Carol” (1992), starring Michael Caine. Too often, people worry about making an “authentic” Christmas Carol, which usually means a dark, morose, funless affair. Director Brian Henson knew better. From the sets to the characters (both puppet and human) to the memorable song numbers, this movie delights in the story rather than worships it. And Caine is arguably the best Scrooge ever — I’ve never seen a man hurl a puppet to the ground with such iron abandon.

The fact of the matter is, this is by far my favorite “Christmas Carol,” and even if they made a better one, I wouldn’t admit it, because I grew up with this one. So if you don’t trust me — the obstinate movie critic — trust me the uncorrupted little kid: This is the one that will make you excited to wake up on Christmas morning again.

You’re welcome to ignore this list at your own risk. Just don’t come complaining to me when your Christmas is ruined by the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” version.

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2012 Plays Role Of Grinch, Stomps Christmas Carol

2009-11-15T22:31:00.000-08:00

Washington (ChatterShmatter) - 2012 played the role of the Grinch this weekend, stomping Disney’s A Christmas Carol at the box office.

Movie fans in North America flocked to the theaters in droves this weekend, and they apparently were in the mood for some disaster on the big screen.

2012 is a movie that is inspired somewhat by the Mayan story about the end of the world taking place just a few years from now.

It stars John Cusack and follows the devastation that takes place in that fateful year.

This hit home with movie fans as the big special effects and promotional work paid off big time.

2012, which had a budget of around $200 million, raked in $65 million this weekend alone.

This beat out A Christmas Carol which took in $22.3 million to bring its 10-day total to $63.3 million.

Clearly, it was 2012 playing the role of The Grinch this week, and doing it with ease.

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A Christmas Carol 2009 Film Synopsis

2009-10-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

"Disney's A Christmas Carol", a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event. Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it’s too late.