Dickens' thoughts on this movie
I just recently came across an interview with Charles Dickens, in which he mentions this movie. It's a long interview, but here's the relevant bit:
There have been a lot of movies based on your books.
Oh, indeed. It's quite flattering that so many people want to explore the material in their own ways.
By far, the most popular book-to-movie adaptation is "A Christmas Carol." Does that surprise you at all?
In some ways, yes, it does. But in other ways, it makes sense. "A Christmas Carol" is a novella. It's not as complex or involved as some of my other works, and in that way, I'm surprised so many people want to adapt it. But in another way, the simplicity is perhaps its greatest strength. It allows for a certain flexibility, and I think it has proved quite timeless.
Some of the adaptations remain fairly true to your writing, but others are way out there. Does it bother you when you see an adaptation that is very far removed from what you wrote?
No, not at all. I quite enjoy it, actually, as long as it remains true to the spirit of what I wrote. Why would I want to see an exact replication of my own words? I already know what I wrote. I enjoy the versions that put a new spin on it. I was watching VH1 last night, for instance, and I saw quite a remarkable adaptation starring Vanessa Williams. I won't say it was my all-time favorite, but I thoroughly enjoyed the unique spin they put on it. It was presented in a way I could have never imagined when I wrote the original novella, and yet, in its own way, it remained faithful to what I had written.
Ok, so I have to ask. Which is your all-time favorite adaptation of "A Christmas Carol"?
Oh God, you're going to embarrass me now. But ok. My favorite is A Muppet Christmas Carol. Who doesn't love Gonzo? Seriously.
Have you seen the new version? The one with Jim Carrey?
No, I haven't had a chance. I'm actually a bit busy these days, working a sequel. I probably wasn't supposed to let that out of the bag.
Really? A sequel to "A Christmas Carol"?
Yes, but I can't say anything else about it just yet, or my publisher will kill me (laughs.)