The Muppet Christmas Carol is the Greatest Christmas Movie Ever | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Featured

The Muppet Christmas Carol is the Greatest Christmas Movie Ever

Here's why...

941
The Muppet Christmas Carol is the Greatest Christmas Movie Ever

As a child, I was gifted a VHS copy of The Muppet Christmas Carol. Since then, I have adored Jim Henson's adaptation of Charles Dickens' literary classic which brilliantly substitutes the beloved Muppet characters for the key roles in the Christmas fable. As with any adaptation, some liberties were taken, such as Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat combining to narrate the story, yet it is in these subtle nuances that the movie appeals to and satisfies the attention of children while intelligent jokes and puns keep the adult audience jolly and intrigued.

The impressive feat of this movie is its ability to maintain the core values, story lines, and morals behind Mr. Dickens' original masterpiece. The movie opens up, hitting hard on the sheer meanness of Ebeneezer Scrooge and (seemingly) the entire town's disdain for the miser. Song and dance by puppets elucidate the fair perceptions while conveying a comical undertone through many techniques, including purposely incorrect pluralization of words to fit rhyming schemes.

Through the woven tapestry that only Jim Henson could weave with the proverbial thread from Charles Dickens, the story ebbs and flows from comedy to plot, effortlessly glued together with incredibly well-written songs that drive home the felicity every Christmas movie needs. As any Dickens/A Christmas Carol fan knows, though, this story is not one that is 100% light and airy. In Scrooge's youth, through flashbacks with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, we find the true reasons for his paltry disposition.

In fact, Disney, who distributed the motion picture, was so focused on keeping the movie upbeat and cheery for children, that one of the most poignant songs in any movie ever was cut from the theatrical release of the film because they deemed the song too sorrowful for a children's movie. Audit the song for yourself here. Because Brian Henson, the movie's director, was unapologetically against its deletion, the scene was allowed to appear on all VHS full-screen versions. However, all televised renditions of the movie (and even electronic library versions, such as the one you'll find on Amazon Prime) continue to leave the heart-wrenching song out of the story. Frankly, its absence leaves the scene almost confusingly sad, and as a kid, I am not sure I would have understood why Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat were tearful simply after Belle expressed a belief that Scrooge once loved her. It seems disconnected and lacking substance.

While no spoilers will be found here, I highly recommend anyone looking for a heartwarming, moralistic, and child-friendly Christmas movie seek out Jim Henson's A Muppet Christmas Carol. You will find it is a favorite for years to come.

Report this Content
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

127311
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

28627
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

26634
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments