An American Christmas Carol (1979)

Best movie ever!

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Yet another version of the Charles Dickens classic, this TV movie moves the setting of the story to Depression-era America. The role of Scrooge (inexplicably renamed Benedict Slade, which sounds like a gunfighter from an old western) is played by 'The Fonz' himself, Henry Winkler. Despite many little changes, the basic story is the same: greedy old man is visited by spirits on Christmas Eve who convince him to change his ways before it's too late. It's a fine adaptation of the story, particularly considering it was made for TV. They do a good job with the sets and costumes of making it look the period (at least to my untrained eye), although the old-age makeup makes Winkler look like a cross between Albert Einstein and the Cryptkeeper. Winkler's performance is a little stagy. Not bad just a little out of step with the rest of the cast, who seem more aware what medium they're in. The cast, including fine character actor David Wayne, offer solid support. Despite some flaws, it's hard to dislike it unless maybe you're a Dickens purist who won't like the changes. It's not one of my favorite versions of the story but it kept my interest throughout so I can't complain.

I remember this fondly and when I went to an certain online movie site to see if I could introduce my wife to it via the power of streaming, I was incredulous to find that it wasn't just not available for streaming, but non existent in their database. How sad that such a good movie is being tossed to the dustbin of history.It has its flaws, but I chalk those up to its made for TV budget. People are nitpicking the hairstyles, but very few big budget films take the time to accurately portray such details, let alone a small budget TV movie. Look at Brian's Song for instance. Small budget, big heart. All this doesn't, however, detract from An American Christmas Carol being a memorable take on Dickens' classic. I would encourage anyone who hasn't viewed it, to do so. I promise you won't be disappointed.

I saw An American Christmas Carol when it was first broadcast in 1979, and thought it amazing, as good an any other Christmas movie out there. As a young teenager, I had no idea at the time of its poor reception, and was incredibly disappointed to find it did not become a tradition, and faded out of memory. Thanks to modern technology I was able to get the film of DVD and have seen it every Xmas for the last decade, and enjoy it more with each viewing. I still think it is as good as anything out there, and considering it an American Christmas classic, along with A Christmas without Snow, The Gathering, and -- the much more famous -- A Christmas Story. All of these films capture the Christmas spirit with a very unique old-fashioned American charm, and are as important to my Christmas celebrations as Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

I have always loved the story A Christmas Carol though I have to admit its been done one too many times. However with this one staring Henry Winkler playing a Scroge type character and was a refreshing angle on an old story. It takes place in 1933 during the Great Depression and Mr. Slade (Scroge) is the only man in town who has any money and seems to be the most unhappy, which is typical of Scroge characters.He has a old warehouse filled with furniture, an old piano, wine glasses, books and other things he repossess from his customers who could not pay their debts to him. Anyway, he is approached by one of his employees asking if he would be willing to re-open an old rock quarry to bring some work to the town. Mr. Slade rips into his employee (Mr. Thatcher)and fires him. The story from here is pretty much the same as the English version with the ghosts of past, present and future coming to him and explaining he better change his ways. He does and at the end of the film he goes to Mr. Thatcher's house and hires him back and offers to send Mr. Thatcher's crippled son to a hospital to be cured.The only issue I have with this film is how Mr. Slade (Winkler) is portrayed. You never really feel that he was ever a good guy unlike scrooge who was friendly as a young man and then become an old mean hermit. Slade just always seemed willing to use people to get ahead even before he was an old man. In any case still an interesting take on a old story.