The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

About The Muppet Christmas Carol

The Muppet Christmas Carol is a film that adapts Charles Dickens' timeless tale, "A Christmas Carol". The story revolves around Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Michael Caine), a curmudgeonly, miserly businessman, with no place for kindness or charity, but when he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and yet to come on Christmas Eve, he's led to a change of heart and redemption.

Making / Production

Released in 1992, 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' was directed by Brian Henson, son of Muppet creator Jim Henson. This was Henson's first feature film and was produced by Walt Disney Pictures. A blend of live action and puppetry, the film was able to bring the beloved Muppets into a new generation.

Actors

• Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge: Caine gives a performance delivering Scrooge's initially cold and stingy character to a heartwarming, reformed man.
• Kermit The Frog (Steve Whitmire) as Bob Cratchit: Kermit perfectly portrays the role of the downtrodden clerk, optimistic despite Scrooge's hard-heartedness.
• Miss Piggy (Frank Oz) as Emily Cratchit: As Bob Cratchit's wife, Miss Piggy showcases the loving and fierce side of a mother and wife.
• The Great Gonzo (Dave Goelz) as Charles Dickens: The Gonzo acts as a storyteller pulling off the role humorously yet effectively.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The movie was the first to be made without the Muppets creator, Jim Henson, who died in 1990, and Richard Hunt, who passed away in 1992.
• The words spoken by Gonzo as Dickens are mostly taken directly from the original novel by Charles Dickens.
• Statler and Waldorf play Jacob and Robert Marley, a pun on the name of the legendary singer, Bob Marley.

Awards

'The Muppet Christmas Carol' didn't win any major awards but has since become a beloved holiday classic.

Quotes

• "Humbug! Everyone knows there's no such thing as ghosts!" - Scrooge
• "I am here to show you the shadows of the things that have happened, that are happening, and that will happen." - The Ghost of Christmas Past
• "After all, there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas!" - Kermit The Frog

Music, Soundtrack

• "Overture" - A medley of the film's main themes.
• "Scrooge" - Sung by the townsfolk to describe Ebenezer Scrooge.
• "It Feels Like Christmas" - Sung by the Ghost of Christmas Present to show Scrooge the joys of Christmas.
• "Christmas Scat" - A duet sung by Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog) and Miss Piggy.
• "One More Sleep 'til Christmas" – Kermit the Frog's heartwarming tribute to the anticipation of Christmas morning.