I think it had it in a few moments, actually. When Scrooge says "I've come to dinner... if you'll have me" -- it was a touching moment in the movie. The look of joy and surprise is on the faces of his nephew and the other guests.
This movie is grossly underrated. As someone who is a big fan of the book, this is one of the most faithful screen adaptations ever filmed/animated (besides all of the 3D gimmicks). It was a very non-sugarcoated, realistic representation of the Victorian era. In a lot of other adaptations, the setting is sugar-coated to be more reminiscent of a perfect fairy tale Christmas movie setting. I didn't get that vibe when watching this movie. Whenever I watch this movie, I am totally convinced that it is VICTORIAN ENGLAND, in all of its depressing, bleak glory.
One example of how this adaptation closely follows its source, is in the very beginning of the movie. This is the only adaptation I ever saw that actually shows Marley's funeral.
The very first paragraph in the book is:
"Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail."
The book mentions the events leading up to Marley's burial, and so does this movie. A lot of people who gave this film negative reviews complained because the subject matter was 'too dark for a Christmas movie'. That's just the thing. The actual 1843 Dickens book was more of a Ghost Story/Cautionary Tale than it was a 'Christmas story'.
Also, besides the creepy Jim Carrey face, the way the Ghost of Christmas Past is depicted here, is pretty much exactly the way it is depicted in the book. A floating humanoid creature resembling a candle flame, holding a cap that looks like a candle extinguisher.
Another example of how this adaptation closely follows the book is when the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come shows Scrooge a couple, who owed a large amount of debt to Scrooge. The ghost shows Scrooge the couple's joy, after finding out that the man who was bleeding them dry has died, and that their debts were now transferred. That is a scene from the movie, that is lifted straight from the pages of the book, but not seen in a lot of other adaptations.
Anyhow, this movie is severely under-appreciated, for when you look beyond all of the 3D gimmicks and cliches, you can find a pretty solid, and authentic adaptation of the story.
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