A CAROL CHRISTMAS

REVIEWED BY RISSI C.

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements

Rated:

“Bah humbug!” That is what TV personality Carol Cartman (Tori Spelling) says to Christmas. After the death of her aunt, Marla, who "practically" raised her from childhood and put her career before anything, Carol has become just like her. She has the fame her aunt so craved, and the business prowess to go along with it. She also has a "me first" mentality.

While waiting for her taping of a live Christmas Eve show, Carol decides to take a break due to her “incompetent” staff. That's when Marla appears to Carol and tells her she will be visited by three spirits -- past, present and what’s yet to come. Doubting her aunt’s unlikely story, Carol is astonished when the ghost of Christmas past (Gary Coleman) appears. As the spirits of the past, present (William Shatner) and the future take Carol on a journey of her life, she sees her life the ways others can see it, the mistakes she’s made at the cost of family…and lost love. It’s up to Carol now to discover if these are reflections of what will be or what could be. In case you may not have guessed after my story plot, this is a modern twist on the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Due to the fact that this story has been made into numerous different productions and having seen several, this tale was starting to be tiring. However my dad enjoys the George C. Scott version, so added to that fact I thought a modern take might be fun to see, I gave this Hallmark film a try.

Even though this is my fourth, fifth, sixth time to watch this, as I’m writing this it struck me how well the filmmakers did at the similarities, albeit modern. There is a Tiny Tim character in the form of young Lily (Holliston Coleman); while mom Roberta (Nina Siemaszko) is Carol’s assistant and struggles to give her daughter a decent life. Instead of a health deterrent, Roberta faces losing Lily in another way. While another comparison comes in the form of Carol unwilling to let companies put her name on anything; I see a parallel to Scrooge’s uncharitable ways. All in all this is a really well done production for a TV film. The cast was entertaining; particularly William Shatner; his comic quips and constant passing clichés are subtle, but humorous. Tori Spelling isn’t my favorite star, but she does decent enough as a cold-hearted Scrooge…if you can get past her annoyingly sweetly airy voice in the “romance” scenes. Nina and Holliston were both quite good as were the other actors in the supporting roles. Comedy is clever enough and garners a laugh here and there, but there are also some heartwarming scenes in which you are touched.

As with most films of this genre, Carol learns lessons and in the end realizes the importance of family and regains something that is of a much greater value; friends, love and family. Content is befitting a made for TV film. Carol wears a “suit” near the end of the movie that consists of a tightly fitting mini skirt and an inappropriate jacket. In a bizarre scene, Carol ends up in a coffin while she’s begging the ghost of the future to let her go; when Marla “appears” to Carol is also somewhat strange. Marla remarks that Carol has become a word that rhymes with “rich." A woman tries to scare off someone’s boyfriend. There may be an occasional profanity. A woman has dealings behind someone else's back in order to get herself ahead. I do believe in second chances, but not the way Carol received hers. Spirits are the ideal I think of when pondering a second chance. If life does hand you a second chance, it would be worth taking.

But actually being able to see what your future could look like…? I don’t think that is possible, but if it is God could certainly see it done. In conclusion, for those of you that are not ready to see this classic tale disappear, you would probably enjoy this and there doesn’t seem to be any signs that filmmakers are ready to put this story on the back burner; there are still new versions in production. And I’ve a feeling they won’t be the last made based on A Christmas Carol, either.