Ms Scrooge | Cicely Tyson, Katherine Helmond

Ms Scrooge | Cicely Tyson, Katherine Helmond | Enjoyable Television Version Of The Charles Dickens Christmas Classic

vhs video:

Ms Scrooge

	Ms Scrooge Cicely Tyson, Katherine Helmond Paramount Home Video, 1999 average customer review:based on 3 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

Fantastic!

This is a great Scrooge story to add to your collection! The ghost are updated and believable. The actors do a great job!

Enjoyable Television Version Of The Charles Dickens Christmas Classic

The immortal Charles Dickens story "A Christmas Carol", has proven an extremely popular subject for countless film versions over the years stretching right back to the silent era. While many have been fairly straightforward retellings of the story many have also taken the basic premise and created their own unique interpretations as seen in such efforts as "A Muppet Christmas Carol". The 1997 television movie "Ms. Scrooge", which I have only recently discovered offers its own unique turn on this much loved Christmas classic updating its setting to the present day while still maintaining most of the stories essential elements intact. The famous character of Ebenezeer Scrooge as created by Charles Dickens here undergoes both a racial and gender change and is played by the superb Cicely Tyson in a memorable performance, and she is ably assisted by Katherine Helmond playing Maude Marley, a variation of the Jacob Marley character from the original story. While certainly not the best version of "A Christmas Carol", ever filmed "Ms. Scrooge", makes most enjoyable and at times very touching viewing for the Christmas season and it's always a joy to watch the great Cicely Tyson in one of her rare television appearances.

Made for Christmas viewing in 1997, "Ms. Scrooge", pretty much follows the basic story of "A Christmas Carol", with its own individual turn on the settings and characters. The story of course opens on Christmas Eve where we find embittered Ebenita Scrooge (Cicely Tyson) the tyrannical and unfeeling owner of a Loan company trying to ignore all together the fast approaching holiday. Ebenita is a harsh and unfeeling boss who strikes fear into the hearts of both the people who come to obtain money loans always charged at high interest, and her employees, especially the much put upon Bob Cratchit (John Bourgeois). Even the pleadings of her nephew Reverend Luke (Michael Beach), to share the holidays with his family cannot melt Ebenita's heart. However when she returns to her non festive and lonely house that evening she has an encounter with the ghost of her fromer employer the tight fisted Maude Marley who is trapped in between worlds and warns Ebenita of the great mistake she is making in not showing care and concern for others. She tells Ebeita that she will be visited during the course of the night by three spirits who will take her on a journey back over her life and also show her what will become of her if she doesn't change her ways. Sure enough throughout the night Ebenita is visited by the three Ghosts of Christmas past (Michael J, Reynolds), present (Shaun Austin-Olsen), and future (Julian Richings), who take her on a long excursion into self examination as to how she became the unfeeling old miser she now is. Ebenita witnesses her childhood and the tragic loss of her father and home, her first romance with a gentle man who loved her for herself but who Ebenita spurned for the sake of making more money in her employment run by the harsh Maude Marley (Katherine Helmond). Ebenita is then treated to a view of how things would be after her death when no one comes to her funeral and her precious business is divided up completely undoing all the miserly effort she put into it over the years. Waking from her tormented sleep on Christmas morning Ebenita realizes that it is still not too late to change after all the unpleasant things she witnessed through the night and she makes amends to both Bob Crachit who is nursing his seriously sick son Tim (William Greenblatt) with gifts and a raise and new health plan at work, and then attends the Christmas morning service at nephew Luke's church joining his family for a long overdue reconciliation.

The character of Ebeneezer Scrooge transformed in this version to "Ebenita", is certainly a difficult character to play for any actor or actress. The transformation of the character from a mean, miserly, people hating individual into one who embraces all people and the true spirit of Christmas is hard to carry off realistically. Cicely Tyson does excellent work here and never once does she change her character into a sentimental caricature of someone suddenly reformed as if by magic. The vinegar in Ebenita's character remains alive despite her seeing the error of her ways which helps greatly in making her transformation more believable. The production is blessed in having veteran actress Katherine Helmond playing the part of greedy Maude Marley. Helmond is excellent both in her scenes as a spirit warning Ebenita of the arrival of the three ghosts, and in the flash back sequences to the early years in the office where her harsh, unfeeling attitude makes a lasting impression on the young and inexperienced Ebenita. John Bourgeois taking on the much loved role of the put upon Bob Crachit is also excellent and the scenes of his deprived family life and the struggle to keep his ailing son's life and spirits going are guaranteed to move you greatly. The three spirits are most interestingly played in "Ms. Scrooge", and take on a modern appearance in keeping with the whole look of this film. This time around the three are all male ghosts and each are highly original with special merit especially going to Julian Richings who has the difficult role of the Ghost of Christmas still to come and who has no dialogue and has to work solely with his very distinct and quite eerie appearance. Michael Beach as Ebenita's nephew also does good work especially in his early scenes where he expresses his frustration with Ebenita's uncaring attitude towards people in general and her refusal to join in with the Christmas cheer. The special effects in this version obviously because of its television budget are kept to a minimum however Katherine Helmond's first appearance as Maude Marley is very well handled and she has a suitably spooky look to her all encased in the familiar chains as Marley has always been in earlier versions of this story.

Cicely Tyson is such a well respected dramatic actress that any of her television work, especially in stunning roles like that in "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman", makes essential viewing. While "Ms. Scrooge", isn't of course in the same caliber as that Emmy award winning role it gives Tyson a meaty character to work with and she succeeds in giving this regular Christmas story a new unique twist all its own. I always view this television movie as one of my earliest festive season themed offerings before moving on to the better known Christmas classics. That's not to mean that this is an inferior effort and there is much to enjoy in it's simple message of never taking life for granted and of always appreciating those around you whether they be coworkers, family, or complete unknowns as one day you may have need them. Ms. Scrooge's redemption in this story will give every viewer food for thought which was what Charles Dickens undoubtedly intended when he wrote his original Christmas masterpiece in the 19th century. Enjoy!

for more information click here

Not what I expected