12 Days of Cinematic Christmas #8: The Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)

Directed by Brian Henson. Starring Michael Caine, Kermit the Frog, The Great Gonzo, Rizzo the Rat, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Statler and Waldorf

Growing up, one of my favorite memories is watching the Muppets with my siblings, and around Christmastime The Muppet Christmas Carol was a requirement. (Sometimes we wouldn’t even wait for Christmas!) There are several elements to this movie that make it a great way to introduce your kids to this classic story. As Gonzo narrates the story as Charles Dickens, we hear many of the most crucial lines from the book. Even though the movie is obviously adapted to interest children and has a more modern feel, the character and feeling, and purport of the book come through beautifully.

For example, Fozziwig’s party conveys all of the fun and spirit that comes across from Dicken’s original description in the book. Even though Fozziwig and his lady don’t dance “Sir Roger de Coverley”, the jig that Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem play gets everyone dancing and enjoying themselves in a way that does Dickens’ description in the book proud. I also like the subtle addition that the writers made to this scene where Scrooge tries to remonstrate with his boss about the expense of the party. It gives a good grounding to Scrooge’s character. They also add Scrooge’s first meeting with Belle to this scene, which I think was a nice touch.

One more example of the movie’s accuracy to the spirit of the book is the scene where the Ghost of Christmas Present sings “It Feels Like Christmas”. I can remember enjoying several different sensations when watching this scene as a kid. The music, lighting, cinematography, and choreography all convey the spirit of excitement, anticipation, fun, and warmth that everyone should feel on Christmas morning. When I first read the book, years later, I immediately had the same feelings when reading Dickens’ description of the marketplace and town square in the third stave where the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge Christmas morning.  

Even though the Muppets dial back the darkness and creepiness of the story quite a bit, they still get the message across with the two Marley brothers and the Ghost of Christmas Future. The Marley brothers are played by the two cynical stage hecklers, Statler and Waldorf. Even though their song is quite catchy and they say some puns, the jokes are rather harsh and jaded, just like the attitude that the Marley brothers had when they were alive. As for the Ghost of Christmas Future! Well, let’s just say that, when I was little, I was still pretty terrified during that scene. So even though the Muppets do take some poetic license, this movie still gives kids an accurate introduction to the story.

The family values scattered throughout the movie give it the warmth and meaning that we all expect in a Christmas movie. I especially like the scenes with the Cratchit family. Old fans of the Muppets know that Kermit and Miss Piggy have an annoyingly selfish relationship, but in this movie they play a married couple that are selflessly trying to make each other and their kids happy. We see them struggle through poverty, hardship, and even the loss of a child together, and their attitude and behavior through it all is actually quite admirable. There may be some people who like the normal, non-committal, will-they-won’t-they relationship between Kermit and Piggy, but I will admit that I was thrilled to see them actually play a married couple with a self-sacrificial attitude towards each other and their children. Scrooge’s relationship with his nephew is also very well done in this movie. The tension between them at first is believable and relatable, but Scrooge’s nephew provides a great example of Charity and Perseverance.

For those of you who like Michael Caine, this film is another stellar performance. I admire Michael Caine a great deal because he obviously enjoys doing his job and he works well with his fellow actors. He sells his role so well in this film. In one of his interviews, he told the reporter that he tried his best to make his performance as seriously in earnest as possible and let the Muppets add the comedy. It also seems like he enjoyed making this movie a lot. From the interviews and promotional videos for this movie, it seems like Michael Caine just has an excellent sense of humor about it all.

Another impressive aspect of Michael Caine’s performance in this movie is that he had never had a singing role before. He admits that he is not a good singer at all, but that he really enjoyed working on the songs for this movie, especially “When Love is Gone”, his duet with Meredith Braun. When they recorded the song together, he was very kind and complimented her on her voice. I think Michael Caine is one of those actors who builds up the people he works with, and I really appreciate that kind of attitude in an actor.

For me, a movie’s soundtrack is a big part of the experience, and this soundtrack, composed by Miles Goodman, does not disappoint. The songs are catchy, as all Muppet songs should be, and their lyrics are quite good. “Bless Us All” is an old favorite of mine as well as “Thankful Heart” and “It Feels Like Christmas”. Unlike some Disney songs that can make parents cringe when they hear their children belting them out, these songs have wholesome lyrics and good messages. On the other hand, the soundtrack still brings across some of the darker elements of the story as well. The deep base viol theme which is played behind the Ghost of Christmas Future sequence definitely adds to the ominous tension. Even two of the songs, “Scrooge” and “Marley and Marley”, have some darker elements to them, which illustrate the darkness, emptiness, and loneliness that Scrooge is feeling at the beginning of the story.

If you are looking for an entertaining Christmas movie to enjoy with your kids, I would highly recommend this film because of its warmth, humor, and good taste in presenting Dickens’ story in a child-friendly setting.