A Christmas Carol Adaptations Ranked From Worst To Best

A version of A Christmas Carol starring Patrick Stewart already has a leg up on the competition. Those who associate him with the poised charisma of roles like Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier will automatically see him as a natural Scrooge, while those who are new to his work will be quickly convinced. His steeliness suits the character perfectly, while his comedy chops come into glorious play towards the end, when Scrooge wheezes and chokes his way into the first laugh he's had in years. Stewart is an actor at the height of his powers in this adaptation, as natural rolling his eyes at orphans as he is embracing Tiny Tim. He gives the entire production gravity, and he loans every scene and set piece weight and sophistication with his presence. One watches this take on A Christmas Carol and understands how Stewart's career has, if anything, only grown with age.

The movie around him, in contrast, is merely fine. There's nothing to complain about, really, but beyond Stewart's powerhouse performance, nothing catches the eye. As the central role is so capably filled, that's easily forgiven, but when placed beside other versions of the same story, it's a lot more noticeable. Stewart is talented enough to make the production notable, but in truth, he's the only thing that does. Happily for Dickens and Stewart fans alike, A Christmas Carol is very much Ebenezer Scrooge's story, and, thus, for 95 impeccably acted minutes, it's Patrick Stewart's story as well.