Carol Kane


Is this the only time the Ghost of Christmas Present was ANYTHING other than a huge guy in a green robe? Especially being something so extremely different as a petite little pixie-like woman in a sparkling dress? She just feels more like Glinda the Good Witch of the North than Christmas Present.

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As far as I know it's the only time it wasn't a big bearded guy. It's funny because she seems to fit the role of the first ghost and all the other Scrooge movies. With the exception of her physically abusing behavior.

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It seems to me that David Johansen's cabbie more resembles the Ghost of Christmas Present (described in the book as "a jolly giant" with a "capacious" chest), and Carol Kane's off-kilter fairy creature is more like the Ghost of Christmas Past. In Dickens' story, the latter is a weird creature who changes its shape and appearance, and has never appeared accurately on film - usually, the movie version is some kind of fairy. Beats me why they're the opposite way around in Scrooged, or if this was intentional or accidental. Still, this is the last version of the story from which I would demand too much authenticity.  It's a hilarious movie, and close to the top of my must-see Christmas movies. 

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"Oh, well," said Zanoni, "to pour pure water in the muddy well does but disturb the mud!"

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They wanted to use the cabbie for Xmas Past because then they could use the cab as a time travel vehicle complete with meter that indicates the year. How well would that have worked with Kane’s ethereal sprite?

So they switched the ghosts.

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I agree that the way they did it was the best way, but to play devil's advocate, Kane could have played an odd-ball cabbie and Johansen play the Past.

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She sure is different that is for sure. I remember at the age of 12 just being totally thrown when she hit him for the first time. I was shocked for a second like I was the one the one actually hit then I laughed so hard and laugh my friend in the theater had to tell me to shut up. It just cracked me up! I still laugh like crazy when she does that. She is just so funny. Her voice is so sweet, she looks like Tinker Bell and the she keep slapping this guy. It's funny.

***'No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world- Robin Williams' ***

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She sure is different that is for sure. I remember at the age of 12 just being totally thrown when she hit him for the first time. I was shocked for a second like I was the one the one actually hit then I laughed so hard and laugh my friend in the theater had to tell me to shut up. It just cracked me up! I still laugh like crazy when she does that. She is just so funny. Her voice is so sweet, she looks like Tinker Bell and the she keep slapping this guy. It's funny.

One of my favorite lines in the movie is in that scene, from Bill Murray's character: "If you touch me again, I'll rip your goddamned wings off!" And the way Kane says, "No peaking!" cracks me up every time.

I don't know anyone who plays ditzy characters as well as Carol Kane. She's recently had a recurring role in Gotham, as Penguin's mother, Gertrude Kapelput, and even though she's much older now, she still has that delightful fairy-dust quality to her.

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"Oh, well," said Zanoni, "to pour pure water in the muddy well does but disturb the mud!"

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In the movie "A diva's Christmas Carol" John Taylor wasn't playing an old guy in a green robe, more like a sleazy rock star type. :D

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Is this the only time the Ghost of Christmas Present was ANYTHING other than a huge guy in a green robe?


There have been many *takeoffs* on the original Dicken's novella (episodic TV shows, comedies, skits, etc.) and they have had all sorts of characters stand in for Present.

In the novella, the Ghost of Christmas Present is described wearing a green robe with white trim and a crown of ivy around his head, and every "serious" version I have seen has been the traditional ghost in green.

Scrooged is probably the biggest budget version of any type that didn't have a green robed male play Present.

But, this isn't the original story which took place in the 19th century - Ebenezer Scrooge is long dead and buried - so we have different ghosts taking care of Frank Cross some 150 years later.

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Carol Kane was the only decent part of this movie. Seems like Bill Murray should be able to carry a movie like this, but the whole thing was pretty dull. Should have been better.

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