One of the most egregious is Fred's line as he's ending his conversation in Scrooge's office: 'though it's never put a penny in my pocket, it has done me good, and will de me good, and I say Merry Christmas'. In Dicken's original, he ended with 'God bless it!'
There were certainly more. As I remember, Scrooge promised the boy a half a crown, not two shillings, to go get the butcher who had the turkey to be sent to the Cratchit's.
Yes, I prefer the script kept to Dickens myself. However, even more grievous than the change in amount of money is Scrooge's reluctance to pay the turkey boy. He stumbles over the amount as though he can hardly bear to part with it. Some might argue that naturally it took Scrooge awhile to mend his ways, that generosity didn't come easy at first. However, this is totally contrary to the text of the original story where Scrooge is clearly eager to pay the turkey boy, no reluctance whatsoever, or any shades on Christmas morning of his old stingy ways. Whether viewers find it probable or not, Dickens wrote it as an instant and complete transformation following the spirits' visit.
All in all, however, I found this a good adaptation, one of the more faithful to Dickens. There's even a reference in the morning after Christmas scene with Cratchit to a Christmas bowl of 'smoking bishop', something few versions include (assuming, I suppose, that modern audiences won't be familiar).
Regarding Scrooge's body language when offering the reward to the boy.
I always thought that Scrooge was just being cautious and worried in case the offer would be an insult to the boy. This is totally in keeping with Scrooges transformation. Half a crown or two bob is obviously nothing to Scrooge and you could understand if he did not have an idea of how much it would mean to a small boy on Christmas morning.
I absolutely love all the Christmas morning scenes in this version of A Christmas Carol. Especially the way Stewart convey's Scrooge's embarassment at his former ways and how contrite he is when visiting his nephew and speaking to the two gentlemen collecting for the poor. Some versions have Scrooge bordering on the obnoxious, right away expecting everyone he bumps into on the street to accept the new bags-of-fun Mr Scrooge. This version is a bit more realistic. (sorry, normally I hate using the R word on IMDB)
"I absolutely love all the Christmas morning scenes in this version of A Christmas Carol. Especially the way Stewart convey's Scrooge's embarassment at his former ways and how contrite he is when visiting his nephew and speaking to the two gentlemen collecting for the poor."
My biggest problem with this version, actually, is that there is no scene in which he runs into the gentlemen collecting for the poor. Cutting that part out, especially since they add other things into the film, is pretty ridiculous. So I kind of don't know what you're talking about here!
“Hmm . . . well, it needs work. I have to go.”
*slams door*
You're right. I'm confusing this with the recording of Stewart's one man show version.
I still like this version's christmas morning scenes more than most.
Who on Earth is "Fran", and what did she do with Scrooge's sister "Fan". Yes, I know both are shortened versions of "Frances", but why change it from the original story? That would have been as silly as calling his clerk "Rob Cratchit" or his late partner "Jack Marley".
shareSame reason that in Persuasion, the character Fanny Harville has her name changed to Phoebe. Fanny is a name that now arouses giggles....
shareYou know in some countries that name isn't considered humorous because some people don't use that label for the you know what.
sharewell in England it is and is now considered a name that nobody would give to a child. I suppose in doing Mansfield Park they could not change Fanny Prices' first name as she's the heroine, but in an adaptation of Persuasion some years ago they did change Fanny Harville to Phoebe Harville. So I imagine it wsa the same wiht Scrooge's sister.. they called her Fran rather than Fan.. or Fanny.
shareI guess the only thing that stands out for me is Scrooge's hysterical laugh the next morning.
share