This year's Christmas Carol watch has already begun. Mrs Burgoo & I started the season with this new production from Hallmark.
It's Christmas, Carol! is a standard gender inversion of the tale. (These seem to be growing in popularity.) Carol, Emmanuelle Vaugier (The Morrigan from Lost Girl) is a cynical profit minded publisher (Scrooge). She is visited by the ghost of the firm's previous owner, Eve (Carrie Fisher). Eve takes her around, shows her scenes from her own life & that of her employees in order to change her ways.
By Hallmark standards, this one is a winner. The production values & acting were all far above their normal offering. There were even a few knowing references to "Queer Eye" & "Star Wars" that poked a bit of fun at their stunt casting. However, it is still a Hallmark movie, so don't expect great things. For a film about people in the publishing industry, there were a lot of grammar & vocabulary issues with the script.
A few odd changes from the standard story: Marley (Fisher) was a great person. She isn't brought back to show Scrooge (Vaugier) how she's suffered, but rather more as a spirit guide. I was a bit reminded of It's a Wonderful Life.
There's also a large emphasis on Scrooge's failed relationship. It seems that the meaning of Christmas is not giving, but rather being in a relationship. That's more than a bit creepy, & furthers the theory that Hallmark's movies are for lonely women.
Also missing: Tiny Tim. While one of Scrooge's employees did have children, neither were sickly or particularly involved in the story.
Overall, a solid "C" on the production.
