Advent Calendar 2017! - Day 9
Version: Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001, dir. Jimmy T. Murakami)
Day 9 of our analysis of Scrooge/urchin dialogue scenes from film adaptations of A Christmas Carol brings us our first animated version. This is a really strong version of the scene that does a lot right, and innovates in two key areas. Firstly, it breaks up the interaction with the urchin by having Scrooge go back into his room after being told the date before then reinitiating dialogue with the urchin later in order to buy the turkey. Secondly, it adds the image of the old-timey bank notes raining down from the window on the urchin, which with the quiet piano music and Simon Callow's performance, is actually quite an affecting and sweet moment. The urchin isn't given a lot of personality but having him build a snowman adds a more overtly Christmassy image to this Christmas day.
What lets it down slightly are the details in the animation. Obviously Scrooge's nightgown isn't garish enough and the urchin's cap isn't far too big for his little head like it should be. The biggest flaw in the animation though is the lack of a visual reaction to the date. Simon Callow definitely gives us the joy and relief in his vocal performance but the animation doesn't match it at all, instead making him seem indifferent or even grumpy. Also, this Scrooge looks a little too young for my liking.
| Framing | 8 out of 10. |
| Scrooge's Reaction To The Date | 7 out of 10. |
| Urchin Accent | 8 out of 10. |
| Window Height | 8 out of 10. |
| Scrooge Nightgown Quality | 6 out of 10. |
| Urchin Cap Quality | 7 out of 10. |
| Final Score | 7.3 out of 10. A strong version with a good performance from Simon Callow and a lovely understated soundtrack. |