Day
12. The Muppet Christmas Carol –
There are landmark films in everyone’s life, films that you can remember the
first time you watch them, they make you laugh or cry just like it’s the first
time each time you watch them, and no matter how many times you’ve seen it the
movie still affects you. This is the joy of filmmaking; landmark films are why
we continue to watch, why the art form has thrived, and why movies are an
essential core of American culture. These films usually make a personal
connection and their actual quality, though usually high, matters very little.
It is my extreme
pleasure to talk about The Muppet
Christmas Carol, one of my landmark films. The songs are as emotional as
ever, the jokes never get old, and Michael Caine’s Ebenezer Scrooge is
wonderfully cruel yet compassionate. I can remember this first time I saw the
film in small theatre in Pasco, WA (a theatre that sadly no longer exists) with
my Dad. I can remember the awe and joy I felt that day, as well as my silly
notion that I could meet the actors after the movie. As a kid I thought that
that movie played out live behind the screen, so when the film was done I
rushed toward the exit door by the movie screen looking to meet all my favorite
Muppets. Luckily, my Dad beat me to the door and kept me from rushing out and
ruining the illusion; instead he went through the door, signed a napkin with
all the Muppet’s names and came back and told me “that The Muppets were so
happy I enjoyed the movie, but they were getting ready to do it again and
wished me a merry Christmas.” It’s moments like these that last a lifetime and
why a gleefully look forward to watching The
Muppet Christmas Carol every year.
As for the film itself,
this is a glorious rendition of a classic tale, it’s faithful and unique at the
same time; it feels scary and hopeful while at the same time being full of
Christmas spirit and Muppet mayhem. It’s weird to say that what works about
this film is its perfect casting yet that’s exactly what puts it over the top.
Caine gives one of the best performances of Scrooge ever put on film, its
honest and grounded, which is always needed when dealing with fantasy elements
and puppets. Caine is the emotional through line of this film and understands
not only the layers and depth of his character but how it works within the
context of the film that he’s in. The Muppets themselves take a back seat to
Caine, which is rare for a Muppet film, yet, it work in every way. Kermit the
Frog is one of the big screen’s best everymen and is the easy to choice to play
Bob Cratchit, while the littlest frog Robin is simply heart wrenching as Tiny
Tim. I could ramble on about why each part is perfectly played by Muppets that
almost seem built for the roles and yet I digress.
But what makes this
version of Dickens’ Christmas Carol different from the others? What sets it
aside as a genuine Christmas classic and classic film in general? It’s Dickens’
himself, played by The Great Gonzo (Dave Goelz, muppiteer and voice) and his
sidekick Rizzo the Rat (Steve Whitmire, muppiteer and voice) that push this film
to the top of the pile. Gonzo plays Dicken as the narrator of the story; he
guides us through the adventure while never talking down to his audience but
talking with them, and seamlessly using lines from the book with his own interpretation
to make the story endlessly accessible. Rizzo serves as a surrogate for us, the
modern audience, allowing for more humor in the story than ever before and keeps
this train chugging along at all times, while breaking the fourth wall at every
possible moment.
The Muppets were meta
before it was cool to be meta, referencing themselves as actors, speaking to
each other in private moments and addressing the audience on several occasions;
all of this is used to great effect. While the script is not an entirely word
for word adaptation, nor should it be. A few examples of these changes are Fuzzwig’s
Rubber Chicken Factory and the song “Marley and Marley” are just some of the
small but appropriate changes. Jerry Juhl’s script and Paul Williams’ songs are
faithful to the spirit of the book while becoming completely unique and special
all in their own right.
I can’t recommend this
film enough, its great addition to any holiday season and a film that I certainly
could be without. And remember, wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas! Merry Christmas, dear readers, and happy new year. Thanks for a great 2013 and an even better 2014!
No comments:
Post a Comment