George C. Scott stars in the made-for-TV movie A Christmas Carol. On Christmas Eve a ruthless businessman is visited by three ghosts who attempt to show him the error of his ways. Scott gives a strong performance and is backed by a solid supporting cast that includes David Warner, Joanne Whalley, Michael Gough, and Roger Rees. And the costumes and sets are especially well-done, giving an authentic feel for the period. However, the directing is a little weak and doesn’t really add much to the material, nor does the script (which is fairly rote). Yet while it’s not a particularly inspired adaption of Charles Dickens work, A Christmas Carol is an entertaining and compelling film about redemption.

One of the best adaptations of this well-worn story. George C Scott is soo perfect as Scrooge. He plays the part with a sense of realism that doesn't always come through in this role.

A classic straight forward retelling on par with the '38 and '51 versions. George C. Scott is brilliant in this.

Edward Woodward makes a great Ghost of Christmas Present. Although I still expect him to pull out a pistol at some point... LOL...

Having now seen this film for a second time, the thing that amazes me most about it is how steady in quality it is. Most adaptations of A Christmas Carol that I've seen vary wildly in quality from scene to scene. That, and from actor to actor. There is no variance. It's very well made and acted from start to finish. It's also got one the better film scores for A Christmas Carol adaptation as well. My problem with it, however, is that while there's nothing this film does wrong, there's also nothing that stands out about it either. It's Scrooge isn't particularly memorable, though he is without a doubt the most evil feeling Scrooge. It's Fred isn't all that memorable, the Cratchitt family isn't that memorable, nor are any of the ghosts. So, while it doesn't do anything wrong, there's nothing to set it apart from the pack. That said, it's still one of the best A Christmas Carol adaptations solely because it is consistently good. I do recommend it and do plan to see it again in some future Christmas season. That said, it won't be joining my annual "must-see" Christmas film rotation. Just my "will watch every few years" rotation.