The Muppet Christmas Carol

1992 1h 26m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 1,215

MusicComedyFamilyFantasyDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, miser extraordinaire. He is held accountable for his dastardly ways during nighttime visitations by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Michael Caine
Ebenezer Scrooge
Dave Goelz
The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens / Robert Marley / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Betina Cratchit / Rat / Zoot (voice)
Steve Whitmire
Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit / Rizzo the Rat / Beaker / Bean Bunny / Belinda Cratchit / Beetle / Lips / Pig Gentleman (voice)
Jerry Nelson
Tiny Tim Cratchit / Jacob Marley / Ghost of Christmas Present / Lew Zealand / Ma Bear / Mouse / Mr. Applegate / Penguin / Pig Gentleman / Pops / Rat (voice)
Frank Oz
Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit / Fozzie Bear as Fozziewig / Sam the Eagle as Headmaster of Junior High Graduates / Animal / George the Janitor / Horse and Carriage Driver / Vegetable Salesman (voice)
David Rudman
Rat / Peter Cratchit / Old Joe / Swedish Chef (voice)
Don Austen
Ghost of Christmas Present (performer) / Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (performer)
Jessica Fox
Ghost of Christmas Past (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Brian Henson
Writers: Jerry Juhl
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

34 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Brian Henson, shot by John Fenner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Miles Goodman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Michael Jablow shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Michael Caine and Dave Goelz and Steve Whitmire carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0104940 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Brian Henson directs. John Fenner behind the camera. Miles Goodman scores. Michael Jablow cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
234 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Brian Henson, shot by John Fenner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Miles Goodman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Michael Jablow shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Michael Caine and Dave Goelz and Steve Whitmire carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0104940 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 24 themes, including "future", "london, england", "based on novel or book", "holiday".

The technical file

Cinematography: John Fenner
Original score: Miles Goodman
Editing: Michael Jablow
Production design: Val Strazovec
Costume design: Ann Hollowood
Makeup / hair: Eric Allwright
Runtime: 86 min · 1h 26m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $12,000,000
Box office: $34,524,312
Return: 288% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

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Brian Henson

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Peter89Spencer2020-12-21
★ 8/10
It's been a long time since I saw this film. Got to see it at the cinema today, and it brought back joyous memories! Out of all the previous adaptations on A Christmas Carol, this version is my favorite!
CinemaSerf2022-12-25
★ 7/10
There are certainly one or two toe-tappers in this enjoyable Muppetisation of the immortal Charles Dickens tale of Christmas humbug and redemption. "Gonzo" adopts the role of the author/narrator and guides us through this (pretty heavily) abridged version of the story as Michael Caine's arch-miser "Ebenezer Scrooge" is visited by the three kindly spirits on Christmas morning - each trying to point to the errors of his ways and to encourage him to engage a little more with the Christmas spirit. To be honest, I am not a fan of puppets - and these ones never worked for me on television when I was young. This film does, however, deliver well. A combination of very gentle comedy, a strong and emotional story and a star who was certainly up for joining in, all combine well to offer an engaging and colourful take on the story without descending into too much sentiment that ends, fittingly, outside the east London branch of Mickelwhite’s. Paul Williams has composed some frequently poignant lyrics for the "Scrooge", "Bless Us All" and "It Feels Like Christmas" numbers and, mercifully, the more irritating "Kermit" and "Miss Piggy" characters actually feature quite sparingly as that huge turkey in the butcher in the next street gets ever closer to finding a generous buyer. Good fun to watch.
GenerationofSwine2023-12-25
★ 10/10
EVERYONE TAKES IT SO SERIOUSLY, at least every human. The Muppets don't, but the humans act like they are living in a world without Muppets, they act like they are doing the most serious version of a Christmas Carol as they possibly can... ... and it works. It really works. It's a Muppets movie with Shakespeare quality acting... which makes it one of my favorite adaptations of A Christmas Carol. It's deadly serious and hysterical. It's well acted, it looks brilliant... .... AND THE SONG IS STILL CUT!!!! Which is a shame, because it's one of those songs that brings a tear to your eye, and, as far as I know, is only available in one addition, and it wasn't the one I just streamed. It breaks the heart, but who cares, it is still well played, well acted, beautiful, funny, and heart warming, and that is what it should be... for a Muppets film. I loved it as a child, and I love it today